Tail piece height question

[Companyman]

So are there any advantages to cranking the tail piece down to the body on my Les Paul ala Duane Allman stylee ? Will it make me play more like Skydog? Please say yes because I'm sure not getting there on my own ! But seriously does anyone hear any tonal improvement from this ?

[shane88]

ooooooooh

they say the best gibson bridge is the 1 piece wrap around a la LP junior so all those extra parts are gonna suck your tone right out - best just give the guitar to me

[Companyman]

ummm ... I have been dreamin' of owning a honey- burst Standard for 20 years or so ... I finally picked up this 1999 used about a year ago and we've really bonded ! I have stopped looking for electric guitars ... so , sorry man I can't part with it ! I'm not really a fan of the wrap-arounds either , the compensation just never seems quite right ! Nice try though ! If I had two , I'd think about giving one to ya though !:AOK

[Jazzydave]

From what I understand, it keeps the guitar in tune better because the main "ending" to the string is up on the bridge instead of the tailpiece. Clapton and Skydog both did this with their Gibsons. Some claim it brings more sustain to the guitar. I think Joe Walsh does the same thing - his reasoning was that the closer the strings are to the body, the more they resonate through the top, adding sustain.

I've personally just always done it (mine is just up a little) so I don't have basis of comparison! I also wrap my strings around the tailpiece...seems to stay in tune better but I may just be crazy and like the way it looks.

[Companyman]

would you say it changes the string tension ?

[Jazzydave]

The wrapping or the moving it closer to the body? I guess in theory it is adding a tiny bit of length to the string that wouldn't normally be there but I use heavy strings (11s at least) so I don't notice any difference.

But...like I said, I've been using the same type of setup for several years now. Why not just try it and see how you like it?

P.S. Those honeyburst LPs are gorgeous. Is it a flame top?

[bluesjuke]

First, you want the strings to clear the back of the bridge.
Secondly, I believe each guitar has it's own sweet spot with the tailpiece height.
There was a long discussion of this about two years ago on the LPF.

In experimenting on my Gibsons I find that spot to be off of the body.

[Companyman]

I'm gonna give it a try tomorrow , we'll see . It is a plain top , I'm a little turned off by the flame and quilt tops , they just seem a bit fancy-pants for me personally . I hope this adjustment makes me play like Duane on "Must have done Somebody Wrong" on Fillmore East ! HAHAHA ...riiight !

[Jazzydave]

You're cracking me up man. Skydog was definitely one helluva player! I think we'd all love to have some of that (if not ALL) in our hands and tone!

I'm with you on the flameys and especially the quilts. Quilts are a definite no go for me but I don't mind a light flame with the right finish.

When my plaintop tobacco burst Standard got busted up on its way back from England (I was literally sick for days, felt like I was going to spew), I bought a flame top with the insurance money and HATED it. Why? Because everywhere I tool it people were pawing at it! My plaintops never get that kind of attention and I like that. :AOK

[Companyman]

I am with you on Duane ! As for the flames and quilt tops , they just make me think of those PRS I 'm a Lawyer and have too much $ guitars ! No offense if your a Lawyer ! I see your in Maryland , so you know of these PRS type git-fiddles ! I just moved from Bethesda to Colorado .

[Jazzydave]

Small world...I'm at Fort Meade here in MD.

[Companyman]

my lady was at Fort Detrich (sp)?

[andrekp]

The basic idea is that cranking the stop bar down tight gives better sustain, because of the maximal hard contact), but also has two effects: It pulls down hard on the bridge, causing sag over time, and the tightness takes away some of the harmonic content from the tone. Some (like me) will also contend that it makes bends a little harder - the strings are less slinky in that configuration. But lots of people come down on both sides of that point.

The second option is raising the stop bar so it's just low enough to properly keep the strings on the bridge. The guitar will sound slightly different and it will not sag the bridge because there is nowhere near the downward pressure. I think it also makes the guitar feel different.

So it's a compromise either way. Lesser tone, bridge sag, less slinkyness vs. Better tone, more slinkyness, but less sustain and bridge sag.

One way to get the best of both worlds is to crank down the stopbar, but then top wrap the strings. This gives good sustain, takes the pressure off the bridge, and gives you more harmonic content and slinkyness. Disadvantage is that most stop bars are not really made for that. Yours might work OK, or you can file down some grooves along the top back edge to give less break angle on the strings, or you can find a stop bar that's made for top wrapping (I use a Tone Tail). Whatever you do, if you top wrap it's going to wear the plating on the stop bar eventually.

Andre

[Dana Olsen]

There are many theories about the stop bar height.

Bottom line, however, is that they ARE adjustable. Adjust YOUR'S to how you like it.

Gibson through the years has been very inconsistent about the location of the stud. Because of this, some Gibsons work better top wrapped, some with the bar screwed all the way down, some with it raised. Some folks raise it, but put washers underneath so even though it's lifted, it'll be tight to the body/ stud anchor.

There is no "right way", only what works for you.

Thanks, Dana O.

[Companyman]

so I cranked the tail piece down and did the wrap around and I think I love it ! It seems to have a bot more sustain and the strings seem to be a bit more lively and perhaps a bit more slinky . I think I'll try this for a while and see if it makes a difference in my playing . Somehow I don't think I will be any closer to Duane , I guess I have to practice more ! Thanks for the input everybody !