How high are the bridges on your Vintage bursts?

Wilko · Jun 3, 2010

I know I like higher bridges, and was wondering how high some of the burst bridges are off the top of the guitar. Is there enough room under there for two, three or maybe four thumb wheels?

On the '56 I just redid, the top of the ABR (not the saddles) is .65" treble side and .67" bass side off the top of the guitar near the posts.

lpnv59 · Jun 3, 2010

On all my 50's Les Pauls I've been able to fit 2 thumbwheels. Never had enough room for three that I can recall. The space between them has varied a bit but not too much. On my '60 I'd guess I have about a turn of play between them.

jb315 · Jun 3, 2010

I notice with age that the bridge seems to need to be higher, from when they were new

27sauce · Jun 3, 2010

jb315 said:
I notice with age that the bridge seems to need to be higher, from when they were new

Huh?

Wilko · Jun 4, 2010

Bridges get LOWER over time. That a measurable, repeatable fact.

Gold Tone · Jun 4, 2010

jb315 said:
I notice with age that the bridge seems to need to be higher, from when they were new

There's a problem with the neck. Backbow. Does it buzz too? Have you adjusted the truss rod to correct it?

dretot · Jun 4, 2010

This is my friends '60. The bridge is up pretty high and has 2 thumbwheels. I'm pretty sure you could fit 3 on it.
The guitar has medium action and plays great.

dre

au_rick · Jun 4, 2010

pardon my ignorance, but what is the benefit of more than one thumbwheel ??

BTW ^^^^ Nice axe !

Wilko · Jun 4, 2010

Many like how it makes a more solid connection to the body.

I use just one and have added longer, stainless steel bridge posts for a great sound/feel.

MapleFlame · Jun 4, 2010

Wilko said:
Many like how it makes a more solid connection to the body.

I use just one and have added longer, stainless steel bridge posts for a great sound/feel.

what did you notice with the new post, you didn't say

Wilko · Jun 4, 2010

I think it added a bit of complexity to the overtones and greatly improved the sustain/note bloom. With my ear to the neck I can hear lots of stuff echoing around in the wood. I'm really pleased with how this thing came together.

I'm positive that the neck work has helped to the tone by stiffening the neck some.

TM1 · Jun 4, 2010

I know Joe Walsh uses three thumbwheels on his guitars that he uses specifically for slide.

Tom Wittrock · Jun 4, 2010

Here's one from 8-5386.

Full size:

au_rick · Jun 4, 2010

sacrilege I'm sure, but has anyone ever seen a Les Paul with holes drilled behind the bridge so the strings go thu the body like a telecaster ?
Surely this would add to the transfer of vibrations into the wood ?

Tom Wittrock · Jun 4, 2010

Late 1960 .... 0-7448:

Tom Wittrock · Jun 4, 2010

au_rick said:
sacrilege I'm sure, but has anyone ever seen a Les Paul with holes drilled behind the bridge so the strings go thu the body like a telecaster ?
Surely this would add to the transfer of vibrations into the wood ?

Forum member Dutch53GT has this beauty:

BurstWurst · Jun 4, 2010

On my 59, I reckon I could get 2-3 thubwheels under the current wheels, on each side.

BurstWurst · Jun 4, 2010

jb315 said:
I notice with age that the bridge seems to need to be higher, from when they were new

"Bridges get LOWER over time. That a measurable, repeatable fact."

You're both right. JB observes that as his ABR has collapsed over time, he's had to raise the thumbwheels to compensate. Wilko's looking from a different perspective, describing the movement of the bridge as it collapses. I remember un-collapsing my ABR-1 when I was just a kid, right after I acquired the guitar. Used a vise and several small hardwood blocks. Man, was I nervous doing it. But, seems I got it just right. Amazingly, it's never collapsed again. Even through the years I was using .012-.056 sets. As you can see, I got tired of searching stage floors for missing saddles and wired my bridge to prevent lost saddles. Been that way for thirty years now.

Joe Ganzler · Jun 4, 2010

Here's Gladys - room for two, but not for three:

Wilko · Jun 4, 2010

BurstWurst said:
"Bridges get LOWER over time. That a measurable, repeatable fact."

Wilko's looking from a different perspective, describing the movement of the bridge as it collapses.

No. As the guitar gets older, the neck moves "up", so the bridge location lowers.

There's really not much getting around that.

How high are the bridges on your Vintage bursts?

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