# Bridge replacement LP



## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

I have an LP that I’m looking to change out the hardware on. It’s a tune O-Matic bridge but I am wondering if I can take off the TOM and put on a wrap tail, as I was given one today. The present bridge will not intonate to save it’s life and I’m hoping this wrap tail will if it will work and to rectify the intonation issue.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

It should work, is the tailpiece intonatable/adjustable?


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

Verne said:


> I have an LP that I’m looking to change out the hardware on. It’s a tune O-Matic bridge but I am wondering if I can take off the TOM and put on a wrap tail, as I was given one today. The present bridge will not intonate to save it’s life and I’m hoping this wrap tail will if it will work and to rectify the intonation issue.


Nope, won't fit. On a TOM the bridge has post space shorter than its tailpiece and a wraparound has the same dimensions as a tailpiece..

Can we see that unintonable bridge of yours ? There could be more to it.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

BGood said:


> Nope, won't fit. On a TOM the bridge has post space shorter than its tailpiece and a wraparound has the same dimensions as a tailpiece..
> 
> Can we see that unintonable bridge of yours ? There could be more to it.


Ah right, not sure what I was thinking about there...


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

Well, it's now a general question. I just realized the tail is off a melody maker, so it's flat. But, it's good to know that even a wrap tail contoured to the body won't work. Makes buying hardware cheaper since I won't buy an incorrect piece by accident. Thanks guys. 

I was given the wrap tail during a delivery and didn't get a real look at it. Customer plays and just replaced his tail piece so gave me the old one. Never occurred at that time about the tail needing the contour. Oh well. This will be my foray into working on my own LPs.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

sometimes you have to rotate the saddles 180* to get them where you need them...


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

knight_yyz said:


> sometimes you have to rotate the saddles 180* to get them where you need them...


I did try turning the bridge around. But the bridge is cheap. I can turn the screw and the saddle really doesn't move. I have to give it a little incentive with my finger tip. This isn't just one saddle either. Time for a better bridge. Plus it's gold and not a big fan of gold hardware.


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

Verne said:


> I did try turning the bridge around. But the bridge is cheap. I can turn the screw and the saddle really doesn't move. I have to give it a little incentive with my finger tip. This isn't just one saddle either. Time for a better bridge. Plus it's gold and not a big fan of gold hardware.


Are you trying to move the saddles with string tensioned ? if so, bad idea.
Are we talking metric (Asian) or imperial (USA) ?
And I don't understand the "contoured to the body" thing.

Photos photos photos ...


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## Smylight (Jun 28, 2016)

sulphur said:


> Ah right, not sure what I was thinking about there...


Not only that, but the wrap would go about where the TOM is now. You'd have to fill 4 large holes and drill 2 new ones I figure.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse


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## Smylight (Jun 28, 2016)

Verne said:


> I did try turning the bridge around. But the bridge is cheap. I can turn the screw and the saddle really doesn't move. I have to give it a little incentive with my finger tip. This isn't just one saddle either. Time for a better bridge. Plus it's gold and not a big fan of gold hardware.


You first have to know how to dismantle saddles and put them back on. Not so obvious on a Nashville, but as you haven't posted pics we can't really help cause we're flying blind.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

I haven't had a chance to take 


BGood said:


> Are you trying to move the saddles with string tensioned ? if so, bad idea.
> Are we talking metric (Asian) or imperial (USA) ?
> And I don't understand the "contoured to the body" thing.
> 
> Photos photos photos ...


Yes. With strings tuned. I've always done this with my Strats. I am assuming they intonate differently then. I could try loosening and intonating again. Never dove into an LP before.
Asian hardware.
Contoured as in the top of the LP. Carved top I guess. That's what I meant by contoured. Following the shape. I have been a Strat guy forever, so LPs are really new to me.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

Smylight said:


> You first have to know how to dismantle saddles and put them back on. Not so obvious on a Nashville, but as you haven't posted pics we can't really help cause we're flying blind.


I haven't had time to take any pics yet. Not at this point. But pics are kind of moot now that I know the wrap tail is not going to work. I'll just get a proper replacement for the TOM and stop bar. I'll measure what is on it now to make sure I get the right size. Dismantling the saddles could be a learning experience on this guitar. It's not high end or anything, so it's an education piece so to speak.


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## Smylight (Jun 28, 2016)

Verne said:


> I haven't had a chance to take
> 
> Yes. With strings tuned. I've always done this with my Strats. I am assuming they intonate differently then. I could try loosening and intonating again. Never dove into an LP before.
> Asian hardware.
> Contoured as in the top of the LP. Carved top I guess. That's what I meant by contoured. Following the shape. I have been a Strat guy forever, so LPs are really new to me.


Just so you know, a top, contoured or not, has nothing to do with the bridge. A bridge should follow the radius of the neck. Top shape is totally irrelevant to its function.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

On any guitar, you loosen the string, intonate and retune. loosen intonate retune. It's a PITA but it makes moving the saddle 10 times easier. On a strat you don't want those set screws gouging your bridge plate. On both styles you could strip the philips head as well... 
You didn't mention if you are having problems with one string or 6. If you look at this pic below you will see the saddle out of the bridge. The flat side is touching the paper. But if you flipped it like a burger the tip of the angle would not touch the paper by a few mm. So sometimes you need the flat edge of the saddle to be the other way around to get the string that extra mm or 2. So if the paper indicates the perfect intonation spot , you would never get there if the saddle was flipped. Hope that makes sense, assuming it's only one string and you can't move the saddle any further. 

If you have your heart set on a new bridge, just grab something from gotoh and call it a day. They are all Metric.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

I'll try the loosen string and then intonate and retune. If I've been doing it wrong, I'll start the right way. Maybe it's me and how I thought it was done. I haven't tried in a few days, so I don't recall which strings, but it is more than one. I'll play with it and figure it out. I was looking at a Wilkinson bridge and stop bar. If I can get it intonated with what's on it, or even close enough, I'll leave it alone. In time upgrading it is likely, so learning on the crap parts is ideal.


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## Smylight (Jun 28, 2016)

Verne said:


> I'll try the loosen string and then intonate and retune. If I've been doing it wrong, I'll start the right way. Maybe it's me and how I thought it was done. I haven't tried in a few days, so I don't recall which strings, but it is more than one. I'll play with it and figure it out. I was looking at a Wilkinson bridge and stop bar. If I can get it intonated with what's on it, or even close enough, I'll leave it alone. In time upgrading it is likely, so learning on the crap parts is ideal.


For all we know, your present bridge might very well be OK. Follow the preceding advice and report back before trashing what could very well be perfectly OK. And post pics so we can help.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

If we at least knew what the guitar is, brand and model ...


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Smylight said:


> Not only that, but the wrap would go about where the TOM is now. You'd have to fill 4 large holes and drill 2 new ones I figure.
> 
> 
> Pierre
> Guitares Torvisse


Ya, it would be the tail[iece studs that it would fit on, not the bridge studs.


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## AJ6stringsting (Mar 12, 2006)

I had problems intonating my 1971 Medallion Series Flying V.
The G string on the old ABR bridge was set as far to the top as possible and couldn't move further.
So I got a Wilkinson roller bridge, the posts on the bridge was elongated and could be moved forward and locked on the bridge post.

Not only did it solve my intonation problem, the sustain and "punch" was stronger and the harmonics ( both natural and pinch harmonics) improved.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

I just ordered a bridge, tail piece and tuners last night. I don't really like gold hardware, and this guitar came with gold. Replacing it all with black. I got it within reason, but it was still out. The bridge is a Wilkinson roller bridge. Should be here today so I get to tear down, clean up nicely and rebuilt. This is my "learn to work on a Les Paul" guitar so the outcome is important, but not as much as the putting together and setting up.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Don't forget this specialist tool for pulling the stud sockets


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

@BlueRocker I watched a video where the guy used a little metal tube/rod inserted into the middle of the stud and tightened against it. It's the simple things. Thanks for a good idea. I have plenty of different sized and threaded nuts, bolts, screws.....etc in a drawer in the garage.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

It is metric for my Epiphone perhaps M5. Make sure you get one long enough.


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

You can do it with the bridge post, like this.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

I assume that the tail piece is a different size anchor (larger diameter)? Being my first LP "job", I don't have the previous knowledge. I won't start pulling it apart until the new parts arrive.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Verne said:


> I assume that the tail piece is a different size anchor (larger diameter)? Being my first LP "job", I don't have the previous knowledge. I won't start pulling it apart until the new parts arrive.


Mine were both the same. I tried the solution that @BGood mentioned - it seemed a wittle wonky. The bolt worked flawlessly, and you can put a wrench on it to avoid damaging the studs with a screwdriver.


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## superfly (Oct 14, 2021)

I have recently replaced the tune-o-matic on my Fender (yes, a TC-90 Tele) with a Schaller roller bridge, and it was the best thing that happened to that guitar since I bought it 10 years ago...

Here's the story: I wanted to try out a wider string spacing at the bridge, because of a vintage Strat I tried and really liked it. Since getting unnotched saddles/bridge limits the options of fine tuning the spacing, I went with the Schaller STM bridge, that has rollers and is adjustable string spacing. 

Now, the original tune-o-matic had a metric M4 screw extending into the body (Cort made?), and I didn't wanted to drill for the Schaller's bushings that would take the original Schaller adjustment screw, which is M5 to maintain originality of the instrument. I did some thinking and bough an M4 screw which has an allen head (that looks like a square when looked from the profile). The head itself has enough surface for a good contact with the bridge, and I placed a wooden pin in the allen slot that extends in the Schaller's centering holes, to keep it in place.

I have no idea if it's the quality of the M4 screw's metal (it is a spare part for adjusting expensive photographic gear, so it must be strong I guess), the quality/surface of the contact between the screw and the bridge, the bridge metal and quality of manufacture of the bridge itself (it's a german made thing of beauty), or all of those combined, but unplugged, this guitar sounds like a completely different instrument, and it's not only audibly louder, but the quality of the timbre is changed too, became more woody and articulate and you can clearly hear it through the P-90 too. It now sounds more like a semi-hollow body guitar, which it is...

I would replace any stock tune-o-matic with the Schaller STM, if only to see if the change in tone would replicate...


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