Tune-a-matic bridge for a Manhattan?

hansmoust

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X170 said:
I'm thinking of replacing the wood bridge on my X170 with a tune-a-matic. Been looking at this one at StewMac:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_ta ... uitar.html

I'm not sure if the string spacing is correct for a guild. Any other suggestions as to where I can get a replacement that will "drop in"?

Hello X-170,

Unfortunately Guild doesn't use 'standard' bridge post spacing ( = Gibson spacing) on it's wooden archtop bridges. The only good quality 'tune-o-matic' type bridge that will fit on the original base, is the one made by ABM. That's because it accepts different widths.
The one offered by StewMac is a good alternative for a reasonable price and you should not have any problems with the string spacing. The only thing you probably need to do is to modify the bottom of the wooden base, so it will conform to the curve of top of your guitar.

Good luck!

Hans Moust
 

hansmoust

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X170 said:
I'm thinking of replacing the wood bridge on my X170 with a tune-a-matic. Been looking at this one at StewMac:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_ta ... uitar.html

I'm not sure if the string spacing is correct for a guild. Any other suggestions as to where I can get a replacement that will "drop in"?

Hello X-170,

Unfortunately Guild doesn't use 'standard' bridge post spacing ( = Gibson spacing) on it's wooden archtop bridges. The only good quality 'tune-o-matic' type bridge that will fit on the original base, is the one made by ABM. That's because it accepts different widths.
The one offered by StewMac is a good alternative for a reasonable price and you should not have any problems with the string spacing. The only thing you probably need to do is to modify the bottom of the wooden base, so it will conform to the curve of top of your guitar.

Good luck!

Hans Moust
 

rwmol

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Hans, I emailed a request for more information on this 2400 bridge but haven't received anything back for a week. Perhaps they don't sprechen sie Englisch.

I would really like to get this bridge but I imagine it would have to be ordered direct from ABM. Not sure.

Any idea how I can order this bridge. I have a Luthier in town but he doesn't seam to want to order something that's not in a catalog.
 

parker_knoll

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why not use a Bigsby bridge? It's not adjustable, but the built-in compensation seems to work fine and you cut your own slots, so no issues with string spacing. And only $24 from Stewmac.
 

LEFTY

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I have a gibson tuneamatic on my Gretsch Country Gent, and it works well with the Bigsby. Helped the intonation considerably, also.
 

dbirchett

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Interesting topic, especially since I have been spending the weekend doing just that.

Previously, I have added a gold, Guild Bigsby to my X-170 and have been using it with the wood bridge. I was using Flatwound 12s with it but wanted more sustain from the strings so I went to D'Addario 1/2 roundwounds, 12s. Then I decided I didn't want to use that heavy of a string so I went to 10s but now the bridge wants to see a wound 3rd. I had a stew-mac tune-a-matic (Gotoh) and a Guitar Fetish roller bridge to try and discovered that neither would fit the Guild bridge base.

I then tried both of them using the base they came with and they were much too high, raising the strings too high off of the fingerboard.

The tune-a-matic is a lower profile bridge than the roller, and the base has legs rather than being solid and straight across like the GFS base so I used the tune-a-matic with its base. First I sanded down the feet of the bridge to where they now are angled to a point on the inside, using a power sander. Then I contoured the feet to the top and that has finally reduced the height of the bass to a playable point. The alignment of the strings is OK with the pickups and the fingerboard. So it seems to work fine. Plays really nicely. I had thought about buying a Gretsch bar bridge to try but I am sure that it would be too high, from what I remember about my old Tennessean.
 

Squawk

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db -

Most sets of flat 10s have a wound G - D'Addario and others produce round 10s with a wound G as well.
 

dbirchett

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Squawk said:
db -

Most sets of flat 10s have a wound G - D'Addario and others produce round 10s with a wound G as well.

NOW you tell me. :lol: Actually, I wanted to go to an adjustable bridge anyway, I just didn't realize that it would be so much trouble.
 

Squawk

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dbirchett said:
NOW you tell me. :lol: Actually, I wanted to go to an adjustable bridge anyway, I just didn't realize that it would be so much trouble.

Once you have the Bigsby, the wooden bridge should be replaced anyway. However, for a fixed end-mounted tailpiece of just about any kind, I think the wooden bridges are preferable. In fact, I bought one of Hans' OEM X170 bridges to replace the TOM that came with my Korean Epi Zephyr Blues Deluxe. This very large jazz box has a Frequensator tail, and by replacing the bridge, I went from "tinny" to "woody" - much better.

Hope you saved that wooden bridge!
 
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Squawk said:
dbirchett said:
NOW you tell me. :lol: Actually, I wanted to go to an adjustable bridge anyway, I just didn't realize that it would be so much trouble.

Once you have the Bigsby, the wooden bridge should be replaced anyway. However, for a fixed end-mounted tailpiece of just about any kind, I think the wooden bridges are preferable. In fact, I bought one of Hans' OEM X170 bridges to replace the TOM that came with my Korean Epi Zephyr Blues Deluxe. This very large jazz box has a Frequensator tail, and by replacing the bridge, I went from "tinny" to "woody" - much better.

Hope you saved that wooden bridge!

I'm w/ Squawk. That wood bridge is no good w/ a Bigsby IMO. I have a stock X-170T w/ Bigsby bridge & wound G string using some heavy flats around 13 I believe. I't plays great. I also like the wood tone of the wood archtop bridge on non bigsbys. My X-180 has one & also my X-500. Just depends what sound you want.
 

Jahn

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Interesting timing - I have a Gibson ES135 on the way (tried to get a Starfire, but this'll do, hehe) and plan on swapping the trapeze out for a B7 bigsby and an ABM rollerbridge.

Edit - crazy junk. FedEx said my F30NT arrived at his door, not a peep from the other guy even with a email to him. Guess he liked it, hehe. His Gibby arrived last night, and everything was as advertised except that the selector switch always bounces back to the middle position - not a prob since that's a well known issue with this model and easily fixed, but he shoulda said so - but i actually feel worse for him living with that for 4 years without bothering to hear how the bridge and neck pickups sounded solo...wouldn't you be curious? Anyhow that'll be taken care of the same time everything else will be in about a month from now when the Z90 pickups will be ready - new pickups, fixed selector switch, bigsby b7, decided on a Wilkinson roller bridge, and Grover auto-locking tuners. if i need a roller nut i'll look into it but i dont think i'll need one. Howzat for something different from my F30? hehe!
 
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