Why replace Schaller bridges and tailpieces?

[PunkKitty]

I have a Schaller bridge and tailpiece on my Prospect. Why should I change them? I have a Tonepros bridge and tailpiece on my bench so I don't have to buy parts. But what advantage would it give me? The Schaller parts work well.

[schundog]

Good question; WHY?! Looks would be the only reason I can attest to on that guitar. You and I both know how good it sounds as-is; why mess with it? Others will chime in, of course, and probably have good suggestions, but I've just never found anything lacking in the Schaller hardware.

[rwinking]

The only reason I can think of is that I live in fear of breaking a string and having that little roller fall out during a gig. I do carry spares but it would be an inconvenience for me. My other bridges don't have that problem.

[ShredAndDestroy]

Schaller roller bridge has a 14 inch radius.

[DetroitBlues]

With the bridge, the rollers get too loose over time and I hate fiddling with them.

 

The tailpiece can develop burrs that snag strings and cause them to snap.

 

Also, I don't like the fact the cannot be locked down.

[111518]

I agree with Schundog. "Looks," or, in most realms of commerce, it would be called "fashion," but that term would never work in the world of guitar.

 

Not to imply I'm immune to the pull of hipness or lacking in the ability to rationalize throwing perfectly good stuff away and buying new, but, if I'm honest, this is it for me. The Schaller stuff is well made, its appearance follows its function, and it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages v. traditional or high-dollar aftermarket hardware.

 

But, it is decidedly uncool.

 

My 2 cents, or, maybe more accurately, what I see in my mirror. YMirrorMustV.

[davesultra]

I'm "OK" with the roller bridge, but prefer a standard abr or Nashville bridge. I don't like the Schaller stoptail, I find it to be pug-fugly. I also like the fact that a standard stoptail is 1 solid piece.

[FredZepp]

I've never had a single issue with Schaller hardware. But I'm used to playing Les Paul's over many years and I swapped the tailpiece out on a couple just because I felt that it was too cumbersome and oversized.

 

Several of my Heritage's already had the tonepros installed anyhow.

 

Then I recently fell into a deal on a nashville bridge and replaced that on a 150. It looks nice plays fine, but sits a bit higher than the Schaller did, which meant I had to raise the tailpiece a bit.

 

I can't say I prefer the playing feel or tone of one over the other... my Heritages always rock the joint.

[tbonesullivan]

How would the schaller tailpiece get burrs that could break strings? It is just a claw that holds onto the end of the string. There's not really any string movement there.

 

Also, the rollers don't fall out if there isn't a string on them.

[HANGAR18]

You want the energy that you put into picking the string (or whatever you do to get it to sound a note) to be transferred into and through the guitar. You want that energy that you put into playing the note to last a long time. You do not want that energy to be absorbed but rather you want the string and the whole instrument to resonate. In order for the instrument to act like an instrument, you need to eliminate those things which absorb energy because it is the energy that you put into the guitar which becomes the tone you get out of the guitar. But if that energy that you put into the guitar is absorbed, you will experience loss of tone. Everything that touches the strings has a huge effect on the tone of the instrument. Ask yourself if those things are absorbing energy or are they allowing the energy to vibrate through them so that the whole instrument can resonate in a pleasing tone? If you had a rubber nut and rubber bridge, do you think you would get any tone at all? Likewise, you want to get rid of those crappy Schaller bridges and crappy plastic nuts and replace them with parts that do not absorb energy away from the tone you want. Aluminum stop bars are nice too.

[schundog]

You want the energy that you put into picking the string (or whatever you do to get it to sound a note) to be transferred into and through the guitar. You want that energy that you put into playing the note to last a long time. You do not want that energy to be absorbed but rather you want the string and the whole instrument to resonate. In order for the instrument to act like an instrument, you need to eliminate those things which absorb energy because it is the energy that you put into the guitar which becomes the tone you get out of the guitar. But if that energy that you put into the guitar is absorbed, you will experience loss of tone. Everything that touches the strings has a huge effect on the tone of the instrument. Ask yourself if those things are absorbing energy or are they allowing the energy to vibrate through them so that the whole instrument can resonate in a pleasing tone? If you had a rubber nut and rubber bridge, do you think you would get any tone at all? Likewise, you want to get rid of those crappy Schaller bridges and crappy plastic nuts and replace them with parts that do not absorb energy away from the tone you want. Aluminum stop bars are nice too.

 

Keep drinking that Kool-Aid, Rockabilly, oops, I mean, Danny..... No disrespect meant to either, I really like both Daniel and Danny, but either I just don't have the ears to hear a noticeable difference in hardware changes like this, or I subliminally refuse to hear the differences due to the financial sacrifices I would have to make to make such changes!!

[t0aj15]

While I agree about changing to a bone nut will/does improve tone & sustain I find no fault what-so-ever with the Schaller bridge or tailpiece. The Schaller pickups though are a whole different story, I switched those for SD 59's long ago.

[Gtwibs]

I've said before, I have no issues with the schaller bridge, tailpiece and pickups in my H150. Ever since I received the guitar i've thought it one of the best playing and sounding guitars I've ever owned, so I'm not going to change anything. I may indeed be missing out on some improvement, but I'm not going to change things just to find out when I'm perfectly content with it as is.

 

Meanwhile, the H157 I had had swapped out the bridge and tailpiece and seemed to have much less sustain, but who knows, it could be due to other factors.

 

If you're not satisfied with your guitar, by all means switch out to other hardware!

[HANGAR18]

 

Keep drinking that Kool-Aid, Rockabilly, oops, I mean, Danny..... No disrespect meant to either, I really like both Daniel and Danny, but either I just don't have the ears to hear a noticeable difference in hardware changes like this, or I subliminally refuse to hear the differences due to the financial sacrifices I would have to make to make such changes!!

 

I like Tone Pro bridges.

[barrymclark]

You'll get lots of reasons. …but remember these are personal reasons for other people.

 

Personally, I've had them and even opted to have one put on a guitar that didn't have one before.

 

If it sounds good to you and there isn't anything about it that gets in your way, I'd say leave it unless you just gotta have a TonePros or whatever brand.

 

While I will certainly from a physics standpoint agree that a more solid bridge will allow energy to more easily pass to the body and back, you do have to remember that more mass requires more energy to move. …but that's not a reason good enough for me to go with one bridge over another. All mine currently have compensated wood bridges because they give me the sound I want. Don't much care they go about doing it.

 

 

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[ledzef]

This is the original bridge that came off my Blues Deluxe. Even though it doesn't say Schaller I'm assuming it is with the "Made in Germany" stamped on it. It has the more traditional look. I'm just curious if the reason the guys went with the different hardware was to give Heritage guitars a different look from Gibson since old Henry wanted to shut the guys down? Maybe one of you fine people attending PSP could ask Marv or Ren?

[Kuz]

Bottom line for me was Schaller bridges & tailpieces are big and VERY heavy.

 

I have tried all the aftermarket stuff (Gibson, Tone Pros, Resosonic, Calaham, ect...) and the winner by a LARGE margin is Faber Locking ABR Bridge & Aluminium Stoptail.

 

Not to offend anyone here, but Faber's quality and better locking system blows everyone else away (including Tone Pros).

 

YMMV

[HANGAR18]

Bottom line for me was Schaller bridges & tailpieces are big and VERY heavy.

 

I have tried all the aftermarket stuff (Gibson, Tone Pros, Resosonic, Calaham, ect...) and the winner by a LARGE margin is Faber Locking ABR Bridge & Aluminium Stoptail.

 

Not to offend anyone here, but Faber's quality and better locking system blows everyone else away (including Tone Pros).

 

YMMV

 

I'm willing to try Faber the next time I find myself needing to replace a bridge.

[Kuz]

I'm willing to try Faber the next time I find myself needing to replace a bridge.

1. Better solid (not pot metal) metal.

2. No tiny Allen wrench screws to loose.

3. You aren't tighten a screw into the bridge or stoptail post so you aren't ruining the threads.

4. Faster and easier locking mechanisms

[Spectrum13]

1. Better solid (not pot metal) metal.

2. No tiny Allen wrench screws to loose.

3. You aren't tighten a screw into the bridge or stoptail post so you aren't ruining the threads.

4. Faster and easier locking mechanisms

5. Studs locks the tail piece to the body unlike tone pros where the studs lock to the tail piece. The studs will not rock in the threads.

6 saddles are available in titanium as well as brass

7 ABR-1 design so the strings have greater clearance off the bridge so less need to top wrap the tailpiece

8 Superior bridge screws threading into the body rather than the anchors

[Kuz]

5. Studs locks the tail piece to the body unlike tone pros where the studs lock to the tail piece. The studs will not rock in the threads.

6 saddles are available in titanium as well as brass

7 ABR-1 design so the strings have greater clearance off the bridge so less need to top wrap the tailpiece

8 Superior bridge screws threading into the body rather than the anchors

 

Absolutely correct!!!