Please school me on Schaller bridge replacements

[Presc]

I've always wanted to swap the Schaller bridge on my H535 for a more traditional bridge, at the very least for aesthetic reasons. The guitar is in the shop for a headstock crack repair, and I realized I might as well get around to doing it. The 535 is the only Gibson-style I own and I'm not well versed in Gibson bridges, so I've got a few questions.

 

1) The guy at the shop simply offered to install an OEM Gibson ABR-1. I understand there's also the "Nashville" style bridge; what is the difference?

 

2) Is the OEM Gibson unit decent or should I get something "better" (TonePros, Callaham).

 

3) Is this an easy, drop-in swap? I'm not particularly good at working on guitars, but if it's a simple swap I'd do it myself rather than pay for bench time.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[SouthpawGuy]

I wouldn't install the ABR, Heritage uses Nashville style bridges. A Gibson 335 is not the same as a Heritage 535.

 

I had the hardware replaced in my own '96 535, the replacements are Gotoh,

 

photo ...

 

 

.

 

 

[GuitArtMan]

An OEM ABR-1 will not work as the Heritage uses Nasvhille bridge style posts. Unless he uses a conversion kit (Callaham, Faber, others) or plugs the stud holes and redrills for ABR-1 posts it's not going to work.

 

ABR-1 style bridge:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_Tune-o-matic_bridges/ABR-1_Tune-o-matic_Bridge.html

Nashville Style Bridge:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_Tune-o-matic_bridges/Nashville_Tune-o-matic_Bridge.html

 

A Nashville style bridge in standard (not metric) should drop right in. You can also go the TonePros route, many feel this is a superior bridge.

 

If you go the Callaham route you will need the Nashville conversion studs. This involves pulling the anchors from the body and replacing them with the nashville converions studs.

 

I'm suprised your tech offered to put an ABR-1 on there - this is not a simple task.

[bolero]

hmm I have two ABR-1's I have dropped onto my Heritages, seem to work fine?

 

 

the posts don't come all the way up thru the top of the bridge, but they stay on there & appear to intonate ok? what is the problem with them?

[Presc]

Thanks for the replies so far (and nice guitar SouthpawGuy!). Given that Gibson uses the ABR-1 on 335s, I think his assumption was that the guitar would be drilled for an ABR-1 rather than a Nashville (which is apparently incorrect). Our main focus was on the neck repair, and we only quickly discussed the bridge swap. They were fairly busy when I came to drop it off and are calling me back with the final work order and estimate, so I want to be sure what I want to do before that.

 

If it's the case that a Nashville bridge in standard is an easy drop-in for the Schaller, I'll just do it myself. I assume the tailpiece should also be metric as I plan to swap that as well?

 

I see that some come with pre-notched saddles. Is there any downside to going with the pre-notched saddles, and if so, is notching easy to do yourself?

 

Again, thanks for the help, much appreciated.

[bolero]

I found this doing a quick search....food for thought if it's true?

 

"I think you all have missed the fundamental problem with the Nashville bridge and why the abr sounds better most of the time. The Nashville bridge anchors are about 3/8"-1/2" long. Gibson drills the holes for them almost 1" deep. This allows the bridge post to screw into the anchor and if needed drop below the bottom of the anchor in the hole. The issue with this design is that very little of the anchor is in contact with the wood. It sits on the lip of the anchor and a bit of the side walls touch. The void below it creates a place where tone transfer is lost. Fabre has a great solution for this by making replacement studs that are the full 1" long. No lip either. The get threaded into the factory hole until the hit bottom. This give tremendous tone transfer. This mod is easily done at home with a $3 tap from the hardware store and of course the new studs.

If you are a fan of the abr, they make one to fit the wider spacing of the Nashville posts. But even the Nashville bridge sounds great once the original posts have been replaced.

"

[AP515]

This may not be a total derail, is there a difference in hardware to do this if the guitar is an H-150? I've been wanting to switch to something like TonePros on mine. Which one shall I order?

[H]

I've posted this so many times, I think it should get pinned to the top of this section like the serial number post!

 

Metric bridge

Imperial tailpiece

 

Gotoh GE101 and GE103 set.

 

Tonepros LPNM04 set (T3BP bridge, T1ZS tailpiece) - the 'N' in the code denotes nickel.

 

The same parts fit any Heritage model with a Schaller stop-tail and roller bridge. It's a straightforward swap which will take you all of 20 minutes including removing and reloading strings.

[SouthpawGuy]

Mine, both Gotoh on the 535 above and Tonepros n the 576, are the chrome version. I seem to tarnish nickel hardware rapidly.

[Presc]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

I've posted this so many times, I think it should get pinned to the top of this section like the serial number post!

Metric bridge
Imperial tailpiece

Gotoh GE101 and GE103 set.

Tonepros LPNM04 set (T3BP bridge, T1ZS tailpiece) - the 'N' in the code denotes nickel.

The same parts fit any Heritage model with a Schaller stop-tail and roller bridge. It's a straightforward swap which will take you all of 20 minutes including removing and reloading strings.

[H]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

No problem If you decide to go the TonePros route, try Marquis Distribution, CA; they helped me out with my very first swap-out. This is my latest swap-out:

 

[SouthpawGuy]

See you still haven't had that one resprayed yet .

 

 

 

 

 

j/k

[AP515]

No problem If you decide to go the TonePros route, try Marquis Distribution, CA; they helped me out with my very first swap-out. This is my latest swap-out:

 

 

Thanks,

 

I tried it. Their home page is up but the products page won't load. I think something is wrong with either them or me.

[H]

See you still haven't had that one resprayed yet .

 

 

 

 

 

j/k

Yep, I still haven't found the right shades of lime green, orange and Barbie pink for the refinish

[SouthpawGuy]

My 576 had Schaller hardware which was replaced by Tonepros

 

[bobmeyrick]

It's worth noting that Schaller make "normal" tune-o-matic and stopbar style bridges and tailpieces (see here) which are direct replacements. I believe they have made Nashville bridges for Gibson.

[Ned]

Is anyone using the Schaller fine tuning tailpiece?

[rockabilly69]

Faber insert kit and locking abr is the kit I settled with after trying all of the bridges on my H150. I like it better than all of

the Tonepros bridges. It really is a solid setup.

[jazzblues]

My 576 had Schaller hardware which was replaced by Tonepros

 

 

Hate to derail the thread, but how do you like the P-Rails?

[SouthpawGuy]

 

Hate to derail the thread, but how do you like the P-Rails?

 

Love them, have them in several guitars now, both the 576 and 535 pictured above and also a 170 which coincidentally also has had the hardware replaced

 

 

That may also be Gotoh hardware, it's been done a few years now.

 

I find the P-Rails sound good when set close to the strings, it allows the P90 part of the pickup to shine. I played the 576 for several hours yesterday and was getting some really good tones from big fat jazzy cleans to in your face rock and even cool rock'n'roll tones. The triple shot mounting rings allow for series / parallel / P90 /single coil with each pickup and they can be combined in any combination.

 

The 170 previously had the Heritage VIP wiring so it was wired using the existing mini switches.

[jazzblues]

 

Love them, have them in several guitars now, both the 576 and 535 pictured above and also a 170 which coincidentally also has had the hardware replaced

 

 

That may also be Gotoh hardware, it's been done a few years now.

 

I find the P-Rails sound good when set close to the strings, it allows the P90 part of the pickup to shine. I played the 576 for several hours yesterday and was getting some really good tones from big fat jazzy cleans to in your face rock and even cool rock'n'roll tones. The triple shot mounting rings allow for series / parallel / P90 /single coil with each pickup and they can be combined in any combination.

 

The 170 previously had the Heritage VIP wiring so it was wired using the existing mini switches.

 

They seem like a very good idea. How is the "single coil" setting? I've never been happy with humbuckers made to emulate single coils, although I'd love to have that sound available when needed.

[SouthpawGuy]

The single coil or "rail" tone is the weakest link in the P-Rail. The volume drop off from series to single coil is fairly dramatic as the P90 accounts for maybe two thirds of output of the pickup.

 

I also have P-Rails in a G&L ASAT Deluxe and the single coil does sound more authentic in that guitar, probably due to the bolt on construction with maple neck.

[jazzblues]

The single coil or "rail" tone is the weakest link in the P-Rail. The volume drop off from series to single coil is fairly dramatic as the P90 accounts for maybe two thirds of output of the pickup.

 

I also have P-Rails in a G&L ASAT Deluxe and the single coil does sound more authentic in that guitar, probably due to the bolt on construction with maple neck.

 

Yeah, that's what I would've expected due to the rail being so small, as you said. The ASAT is also a guitar initially designed for single coils though, so it should sound better! Although I have a Telecaster Custom with a neck humbucker and it's one of the best sounding Fenders I've ever tried. So many options!