Help! Guitar Parts

MonkeyZero

MonkeyZero

Mexican Mayonnaise Weiner Sandwich
I have an LTD EC 256. The LP shape and it has gold hardware. I am looking to swap it out with either chrome (silver, stainless, whatever) or black.
So I searched for parts and came across a DRASTIC price variance.
Example: https://www.seismicaudiospeakers.co...d-tailpiece-with-posts-for-lp-electric-guitar

vs

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acc...8377343-sku^306141000375000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA


What, if any, is the difference? I honestly don't see why there is such a massive price difference. With bridge and saddle does it even really matter? I know tuners will definitely make a difference depending on what I pay but this just seems really way off for no reason.

Where else should I look for quality parts that aren't over priced based on a brand name?

Thanks!
 
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The Tone Pros is a locking unit, while the Seismic Audio is non-locking. There could be differences in the makeup of the metal, and I would expect the Tone Pros to be made from better materials. But at first glance, it's a very difficult case to make. I would go with the Seismic Audio, if only because it's an LTD and you're just looking for stability.
 
believe it or not, you can get a lot of these kinds of items at amazon. you just need to know a little about what you're searching for.
 
There are at least three different kinds of posts used on ToM bridges - the original small ones that thread directly into the top (ABR-1) - I believe the post is an M4 x .7 thread and it has the little adjusting wheel that moves up and down the post which is fixed. The second is the Nashville (I'm not an expert on the vintage names so correct me if I'm wrong) - it has a M5 x .8 bushing that is pressed into the top, the adjusting wheel is fixed to the post and the whole thing moves up and down in the bushing. The third is the modern Gotoh style with a M8 x 1.25 bushing and stud.

I think the stop tail pieces are all the same and use an SAE thread in the bushing instead of metric like the bridge (but I could be wrong so check). If you are going to replace things make sure that the new ones use the same threads and spacing as what you've got.

Also, for what its worth, there are some LP folks who feel that the original ABR-1 is the best bridge and they will pull the later bushings, dowel the holes and convert. Personally I like the bushings.

Locking bridge and tailpiece have set screws that once you get the height dialed in you can lock them to the stud so they don't fall out when you take all the string off. Some also have a slot in the stud hole so you can do some rough intonation adjustment and lock them in place

And price difference occur because of country of origin, quality of materials used and "correctness" as far as a particular guitar. I'm doing a restoration on a 1977 LP Custom and it had a piece of sh*t made in Korea ABR-1 jury rigged on a Nashville stud - as soon as it came off the guitar it went in the trash (StewMac is closing those out of 7 and a half bucks each - about twice what they are worth).
 
Freeman Keller said:
There are at least three different kinds of posts used on ToM bridges - the original small ones that thread directly into the top (ABR-1) - I believe the post is an M4 x .7 thread and it has the little adjusting wheel that moves up and down the post which is fixed. The second is the Nashville (I'm not an expert on the vintage names so correct me if I'm wrong) - it has a M5 x .8 bushing that is pressed into the top, the adjusting wheel is fixed to the post and the whole thing moves up and down in the bushing. The third is the modern Gotoh style with a M8 x 1.25 bushing and stud.

I think the stop tail pieces are all the same and use an SAE thread in the bushing instead of metric like the bridge (but I could be wrong so check). If you are going to replace things make sure that the new ones use the same threads and spacing as what you've got.

Also, for what its worth, there are some LP folks who feel that the original ABR-1 is the best bridge and they will pull the later bushings, dowel the holes and convert. Personally I like the bushings.

And price difference occur because of country of origin, quality of materials used and "correctness" as far as a particular guitar. I'm doing a restoration on a 1977 LP Custom and it had a piece of sh*t made in Korea ABR-1 jury rigged on a Nashville stud - that went in the trash so fast (StewMac is closing those out of 7 and a half bucks each - about twice what they are worth).
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That is exceptionally helpful. Thank you.

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I'm going to guess that you have the Nashville style bridge - the posts will look like this

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and...ashville_Tune-o-matic_Studs_and_Bushings.html

In that case almost any Nashville style bridge will work. The one thing that I suspect but haven't confirmed is that some are different heights than others - StewMac gives a lot of dimensional information but usually they don't give the height from the top of the adjusting wheel (the bottom of the place where it sits) to the top of the saddles. Basically what that means to you is that you'll need to reset your action height at the same time you set the intonation. The good news is that all ToM's are 12 inch radius so you should be good with that.
 
These are them. Lol. Gross gold.
71a7670c95194501eace327e71b3575c.jpg


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Man, on close up they're really nasty! This is my beater "LP" though so I really just play it and change the strings every now and then.

After I swap all of this hardware (and during) I'll give it a good scrubbing and set up.

I may even rattle can it. Just kidding.

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MonkeyZero said:
Man, on close up they're really nasty! This is my beater "LP" though so I really just play it and change the strings every now and then.

After I swap all of this hardware (and during) I'll give it a good scrubbing and set up.

I may even rattle can it. Just kidding.

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The gold might come off with a liberal application of NEVR DULL.
 
I once took a sanding sponge and took the gold off of some tuners and in the end it left some gold around the tight edges. Makes for a really cool reliced look.
 
OK, that is a Nashville style bushing and posts. Measure the spacing between your posts and check the specs on the one you want to buy. There seems to be some very slight differences between models, but they are generally around 2-15/16 on centers.
 
Freeman Keller said:
OK, that is a Nashville style bushing and posts. Measure the spacing between your posts and check the specs on the one you want to buy. There seems to be some very slight differences between models, but they are generally around 2-15/16 on centers.
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Much appreciated!

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I have kind of the opposite problem as you do. The guitar that I'm working on is a funky old pretty much original Lester, but some bozo put a modern shiny gold cheap bridge on it. They mickey moused the ABR studs to work in the Nashville bushing by wrapping paper around them. I've got all the right parts to make it original but I can't find a weathered gold bridge - I'm still looking in all the vintage parts sources. I would be interested in buying your once you get your guitar converted to whatever you want to put in it

IMG_4392-2.jpg
 
Freeman Keller said:
I have kind of the opposite problem as you do. The guitar that I'm working on is a funky old pretty much original Lester, but some bozo put a modern shiny gold cheap bridge on it. They mickey moused the ABR studs to work in the Nashville bushing by wrapping paper around them. I've got all the right parts to make it original but I can't find a weathered gold bridge - I'm still looking in all the vintage parts sources. I would be interested in buying your once you get your guitar converted to whatever you want to put in it

View attachment 40346
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Absolutely! I'll be dismantling it probably later this evening. If you pay shipping I'll just send em to ya. No extra charge!

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Ok I'm getting around to dismantling the bridge and saddle. Is it going to be hard to get the part that's in the body out or do they just pull out?

BTW, I know I said I'd do this a few days ago.
Ask Howie how slow I am at stuff. All he wanted was a t-shirt.

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MonkeyZero said:
Ok I'm getting around to dismantling the bridge and saddle. Is it going to be hard to get the part that's in the body out or do they just pull out?

BTW, I know I said I'd do this a few days ago.
Ask Howie how slow I am at stuff. All he wanted was a t-shirt.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The "part that is the body" is the the bushing and you should leave it in place (it is pressed in and can be pulled if necessary but don't do it). That's why we went thru all the talk about three different kinds of bridges - it is the size of the threads in the bushings that is important. Yours should be a metric M5 thread and when you get your replacement bridge the part that screws into the bushing should be M5 (your new one will be chrome instead of gold). You'll still have the old gold bushing but that's life.

That was part of the point of my picture, my guitar has the M5 bushings, someone had made an M4 stud fit by wrapping paper around it.
 
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