Bridges and Tailpieces

Here are some pics of bridges and tailpieces, to show the variations in angles and distances. You can also play 'spot the guitar maker'!

Pic 1:



This has a wound 3rd, hence the step between strings 1,2 and 3,4,5,6.
The 3-screw mounting on the pickup should be a clue as to the make of guitar.

Pic 2:


This has a plain 3rd. The hardware is the same as on a Gibson, but it's not a Gibson. Note the very short distance between the bridge and tailpiece.

Pic 3:


Hollow-bodied archtop, with wound 3rd. The top is sycamore. The bridge has a piezo pickup, but it is moveable to allow overall intonation adjustment.

Pic 4:


Another hollow-bodied archtop, with wound 3rd. The floating bridge can actually be mounted fairly straight because of the built-in compensation angle.
Excuse the lump of foam (a piece of old mouse-mat!) but I hate the ringing noises that come from from these spare bits of string!

Yes seen all those types of bridges, nothing new!

None are Westone though.

Maybe you should put this in the Non Westone section.

Westbone wrote:Yes seen all those types of bridges, nothing new!

None are Westone though.

Maybe you should put this in the Non Westone section.

Done!
Split off from ORIGINAL POST.

Here's a nice twist on the Nashville bridge.

Yet another variation with nylon saddles

Now here's a rare one

Weird, yet beautiful.

Thanks for the pics Mr Westbone.
The 'Nashville' bridge with the rollers shows some precise engineering - impressive. I expect it needs regular maintenance, perhaps lubricating? I've never used a Bigsby; I've always wondered how effective it is. I bought a second-hand Fender Strat as soon as I had enough money (I was a Hendrix fan in those days) and there was no better 'tremelo' at the time.
Nylon saddles - I remember seeing them years ago. Is the bridge the wrong way round?
That rare tailpiece does look quite good, surprisingly.

The Bigsby is more correctly referred to as a "vibrato" rather than a tremolo, and it is as smooth as a baby's bum to operate.


It's a beautifully simple and precise design...at least on the MIJ Gretches.
As with the "licensed by" versions of the Floyd Rose's and Kahler's of the world, anything less than the original is usually a disappointment and can lead to tears.

My '64 Gibson ES330 was equipped with nylon saddles. One cracked about a year ago as I was adjusting the intonation screw so I decided to replace the ABR-1 bridge entirely since it was badly corroded. The new one came with nickel saddles. Changed  the sound completely! I replaced them with new nylons ASAP. Ahh, much better.

Bigsby,as Barry mentioned "smooth as a baby's bum"
Each shaft has needle roller bearings.

When one comes around cheap enough I'll stick it on one of my walnut Rainbows. A B6 type version so no holes in the top.

Here's a take on a Bigsby B6. This also has needle roller bearings and works great. Very sensitive, arm length! Also a roller bridge.

There are so many switches and plates on the front of that guitar that you can't see much of the wood. There must be a load of wires inside too! It still looks really good though, oddly.

David_A wrote:There are so many switches and plates on the front of that guitar...

All absolutely necessary in order to contact the Mother Ship!

 

Only 3 switches, more on a Thunder IA..

Interesting guitar in that it's stereo/mono.
The top horn switch does the bass string pups, bridge/together/neck and the bottom switch the treble strings.
So you can mix the pickups either way.
The slider switch is stereo/mono.
You need a stereo lead and a splitter box to use it to it's full potential. Two amps are interesting. At the moment the the slider is wired for mono only, otherwise it won't work with a normal lead.

Never seen this model anywhere, not even in the Ibanez catalogues.

David_A wrote:There are so many switches and plates on the front of that guitar that you can't see much of the wood.

Really! Should have gone to Spec Savers.....

My father-in-law's shergold bass was stereo /mono,  the only time I've played such a setup and it was a blast!  Bass amp for the low and guitar amp for the high strings,  good fun.