Strings hitting the back of the bridge

[rockinlespaul]

How is this cured?

I have a 2004 Les Paul Standard that I just love. After playing it a while I wanted to make a few tweaks. I noticed the tailpiece seemed very high off the body so I cranked it down.
Usually I crank em right down to the body but I noticed on this if I do that the strings are resting on the back of the(Nashville)bridge.
I just picked up a lightweight TP for it but I wanted suggestions on this first before I change it. Will the strings resting on the back of the bridge create any problems. I know if I wrap my strings it would cure it but anyone have any other thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Mark Robinson]

This is a common problem for Les Pauls. If you want the stop bar screwed down tight, you can top wrap the strings. Just insert the bitter end through from the neck end of the stop, pulling the string over the top of the stop bar, when you re-string. The ball ends face the nut. I use the top wrap scheme on my Les Paul. I don't really hear that much difference, to be honest. The guitar sounds great no matter what I do.

Lots of folks do the top wrap. In addition, if you leave the strings leaning against the back of the bridge, over a period of time, the pressure can damage or deflect the bridge studs, at minimum affecting intonation, or possibly warp the bridge itself.

 

[rooster]

I asked a question similar to this about my Heritage, and this is what I ended up doing: I got an aluminum tailpiece, cranked it down all the way, and loaded the strings from the front, wrapping them over the top of the tailpiece like you said. I don't know if there is an A/B difference, since this isn't something you can readily switch back and forth with, but the sound is just fine, I don't get any buzzes, and it stays in tune perfectly. I also drilled and tapped out the bridge and tailpiece, kind of like the tonepros setup, and that helped the guitar sustain even more (if that can be believed), and the hardware doesn't fall off when I change strings.

HTH.

rooster.

 

[John Phillips]

Originally posted by rockinlespaul
I know if I wrap my strings it would cure it but anyone have any other thoughts?

My other thought is that if Gibson would build the damn things properly with the correct neck angle it wouldn't be a problem in the first place .

Sorry, this is one of my major gripes with modern Gibsons - very variable and usually too-steep neck angles, leading to the bridge having to be too high.

I didn't know why they were like that until I saw the sectioned pic of the Les Paul neck joint on their website (gone now, they took it down after it became obvious that it had done them a lot of harm)... then it all made sense. I'll never buy another one, not from later than the 70s anyway.

 

[Mark Robinson]

Not to offer any comfort to you, my long tenon, '68 goldtop has the same damn problem! The really old 335's seem to have it right, but precious few other ABR-1 Gibsons do. It is silly.

 

[Greg.C]

Lots of makes work like this. I don't see it as a 'problem' per se. Adjust the stop tail upwards until the strings just clear the bridge.
... then play yer guitar!
gregc

 

[rockinlespaul]

I'll tinker with it later. For the time being though I top wrapped...

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