Stupid Les Paul Tricks....

[Shemp]

Yesterday I pulled the old strings off of my R7 Goldtop, oiled the board, cranked the Tone Pros stop tail studs down to the face of the guitar, Locked a Skull Island Unobtanium Tailpiece into the Studs (this tailpiece literally weighs nothing, some kind of machined space aged alloy or something) installed a set of new Snake Oil Strings 10-46 by wrapping them up over the top of the stop bar. Stretched em out good, tuned up and plugged into the Baby Marshall.

Result....

The LP opened up like I've never heard it before. More clarity and definition, better sustain. There's significantly less down pressure on the bridge, which I thought would be a detriment to the overall tone, but I was wrong. The guitar sounded really good before, but this simple move has boosted it that last 10%. Since the Scalars sound better as they age and settle. I'm curious to see how it sounds today.

[RacerTippy]

With less downward pressure over the bridge (by wrapping the strings over the tailpiece), does that change the perceived string tension?

[Mr.Hanky]

That is interesting and I may try it one day.

I just got done putting the RS kit and some WCR Darkbursts in my R7, that opened the guiatr up a LOT.
I have the pigtail harened busings on order so they will be going in this week.

I also just put an RS kit in my 82 Custom, along with an RS tailpiece and Tonpros bridge. Last night I pulled the stock bridge busings and put in the tonepros ones. The stockers were too sloppy. I have to get the saddles cut in the TP bridge, they are rattling like crazy but there is an abvious difference in the way the body resonates now. The stock 82 bridge was a mess, REALLY loose and sloppy. The pigtail bushings are going in this guitar as well.

Les Paul tweaks are fun!!!

[jonleecourage]

What's this skull island tailpiece thing? (That a joke?)

[pugsfly]

Originally posted by Shemp
Yesterday I pulled the old strings off of my R7 Goldtop, oiled the board, cranked the Tone Pros stop tail studs down to the face of the guitar, Locked a Skull Island Unobtanium Tailpiece into the Studs (this tailpiece literally weighs nothing, some kind of machined space aged alloy or something) installed a set of new Snake Oil Strings 10-46 by wrapping them up over the top of the stop bar. Stretched em out good, tuned up and plugged into the Baby Marshall.

Result....

The LP opened up like I've never heard it before. More clarity and definition, better sustain. There's significantly less down pressure on the bridge, which I thought would be a detriment to the overall tone, but I was wrong. The guitar sounded really good before, but this simple move has boosted it that last 10%. Since the Scalars sound better as they age and settle. I'm curious to see how it sounds today.

I release some of the tension of my LP by raising the stop bar, the sustain is better too, as compared to screwing them flat to the guitar top.. but some people experienced improved sustain by doing this the other way down. So I guess it really depends on each guitar.. maybe some physics experts can clear up this. haha..

[Shemp]

Originally posted by jonleecourage
What's this skull island tailpiece thing? (That a joke?)

Tom Pierce runs a basement guitar and amp business known as the Skull Island Bottomfeeders. Somehow he gets his hands on all kinds of interesting stuff. The tailpiece I bought from him is made from "unobtanium" in fact it's practically weightless and I believe he said they're machined in Japan.

Tom is a top notch amp repairman and I also bought my Voodoo 59s from him.

He hangs at the Guitar Diner under the name Big Daddy.

[Mr.Hanky]

Originally posted by pugsfly
I release some of the tension of my LP by raising the stop bar, the sustain is better too, as compared to screwing them flat to the guitar top.. but some people experienced improved sustain by doing this the other way down. So I guess it really depends on each guitar.. maybe some physics experts can clear up this. haha..

When I spoke to Steve at Pigatil he explained that it is a good thing to raise the TP screws about 1/8 inch or so from the body because it creates pressure one the top and bottom of the screws, better contact area. It makes sense when you think about it. If the TP is being pulled towrd the neck, there will be pressure on the top of the screws toward the neck, and pressure on the bottom of the screw going the opposite way.

Does the word fulcrum apply?

[dazco]

cranked the Tone Pros stop tail studs down to the face of the guitar

There's significantly less down pressure on the bridge, which I thought would be a detriment to the overall tone

I must be spacing, but first you said you set the tailpiece all the way DOWN, then you said it now has LESS down pressure on the bridge. That would make for the MAX down pressure. Yet no one called you on it so i must be spacing. What am i missing here?

By the way, i always find the less down pressure the rounder and fuller the tone, plus it seems to add a springiness. Even on strats that have 2 point bridges i like to raise the bridge up higher and drop the saddles down to get less down pressure at the string's take-off point on the saddles.

[Brion]

Dazco I think you missed the part where he wrapped the strings over the TOP of the tailpeice instead of just through the back of it. Thats what gives it less downward pressure on the bridge.

[Shemp]

Originally posted by pugsfly
I release some of the tension of my LP by raising the stop bar, the sustain is better too, as compared to screwing them flat to the guitar top.. but some people experienced improved sustain by doing this the other way down. So I guess it really depends on each guitar.. maybe some physics experts can clear up this. haha..

I compensate by loading the strings from the neck side of the stopbar through, up, and over the top of the stopbar. I believe this aids sustain because the studs are as tight to the body as they go, then the stopbar is screwed down tight to the studs(courtesy of the TonePro system). The strings wrapped over the top of the bar putting additional pressure down on the stop bar, but lessening the angle to the bridge.

The ultra light stop bar is supposed to lessen the overall weight of the guitar, which is supposed to help with something?? And, hey we all know how cool the Scalars are. (I ordered $172.02 worth of Scalars from Dean yesterday.)

All I know is that it worked.

[Shemp]

Originally posted by Mr.Hanky
When I spoke to Steve at Pigatil he explained that it is a good thing to raise the TP screws about 1/8 inch or so from the body because it creates pressure one the top and bottom of the screws, better contact area. It makes sense when you think about it. If the TP is being pulled towrd the neck, there will be pressure on the top of the screws toward the neck, and pressure on the bottom of the screw going the opposite way.

Does the word fulcrum apply?

I would think that happens regardless of where you set the height of the studs. The strings exert pressure that must be supported somewhere. When you put everything back on the wood it would seem to me that the wood is absorbing the string vibration without dissipation from the length of the lug. (of course we're probably talking infinitessimal differences either way here.)

[pugsfly]

Originally posted by Shemp
I compensate by loading the strings from the neck side of the stopbar through, up, and over the top of the stopbar. I believe this aids sustain because the studs are as tight to the body as they go, then the stopbar is screwed down tight to the studs(courtesy of the TonePro system). The strings wrapped over the top of the bar putting additional pressure down on the stop bar, but lessening the angle to the bridge.

The ultra light stop bar is supposed to lessen the overall weight of the guitar, which is supposed to help with something?? And, hey we all know how cool the Scalars are. (I ordered $172.02 worth of Scalars from Dean yesterday.)

All I know is that it worked.

Ah Scalars, time to get mine soon..