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OLDFART

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  1. The step increments vary from guitar to guitar. They are slight on my one Les Paul but more so on another one. If one is adjusting thin strings further than thicker it is just not right. One may find that the strings are very close to the same but there is a slight step that just has to be there, it is mathematics. A good strobe tuner tells the tale. That is one reason a Strat is often hard to intonate because they do not have the bridge tilt present on most tune-a-matic Gibson types. Ever had a Strat god awful to pull the 6th back flat enough while the 1st is up close??? One major reason the Gibson bridge has a hard tilt on the treble side, the step pattern is already present, perhaps another thing not noticed. The bridge is already heavily slanted. If you notice the pattern is in sets of three saddles with each set of thicker strings starting a little more back or flat to the string nut. If you had a bunch of strings in size progression you would see this repeat in threes right across. Some LPs like one I have has very little step difference while another one is more drastic like the pick above. The step increments vary from guitar to guitar but I kid you chaps not, this is a axiom of tuning intonation on a guitar. There is no way some strings can be physically closer than other one outside the pattern. It is what it is. Just thought that might help some get things in the ball park before they fine tune their intonation. That's all really. Never encountered so much resistance and hatred simply stating something I have known for ages as a plain truth in guitar tech realm. Please stop hating me because I am pretty. I do know a few things about guitars, what I do not know I do not speak.
  2. Pardon me with the corrected fret thing, but doesn't that all go right out the window when you bend a string? I find that variance of how hard you press a string can help get things more in tune at times if you're flat of course, pressing harder sharpens the note. It is all a fundamental flaw in the mathematics of string length and thickness to note division. A guitar is an imperfect instrument at best, but they do tend to sound rather amazing in the right hands. As for "terrorists", they can take their religious nutdom with them to their imagined paradise. As long as people believe fantasy as reality there will never be an end to the madness. Every religion has done the same monstrous things in history, every one of them. Delusion is crazy, plain and simple.
  3. If anyone is suggesting I said set intonation by ear or looks you have to be out of your mind. The stair step pattern is there on any guitar when the intonation is set right. There is variance in the height of the steps but the pattern is always the same. Believe or think what you like. It is a factual thing. You can walk in the music store and look down the line at the factory setups on the better guitars, one after another the same basic step pattern is there. Thinner strings closer and thicker further back. Just like I described and indicated. 1st closest, then 2nd, 3rd, then repeats again on the 4th somewhere between the 1st and 2nd length then 5th more and the 6th farthest away then the rest. Wow, Some of you chaps must practice misunderstanding everything so you can pretend no one knows what they are talking about. Best of luck.
  4. Depends what you like. Simple to put a GK-3 on a Les Paul bridge, requires just slipping the bracket on and putting the bridge back on and lowering it to compensate for the thickness of the plate. One does not have to screw or route anything and it can be removed with no sign it was ever there. Nice if you have a synth equipped guitar but I do not care for a lot of them myself. Piezo not my thing either. My custom Strats have GK-3's mounted w screws but no way I would do that to my Les Paul's, has to be non evasive for me. I am not much interested in using any guitar but the Les Paul's these days. Just love the things. I was a custom Strat guy for decades. i just use the GR-55 to add to my sound spectrum not really into all out synth use and such. The guitar tone is always the basis of my sound, the synth is just a blended add on. I tired uploading some pics but this site does not accept the URL of my host so not sure what to do about it. I guess who cares really.
  5. Dude, there is a simple bracket that fits on the bridge posts where the GK-3 mounts, there is no screwing anything into the guitar and and no issue at all with the string height adjust. My action is lower than factory specs and my hex pickup is setup exact for the best tracking. That bracket as I stated allows for no possible way of having bridge adjustment screws facing the pickup, period. That is also not workable for me as my bridge pickup is in the way of reaching the screws much less I simply do not care for it on that side of the bridge. If I could not flip it around I would just opt for a different bridge piece. If one has a front facing ABR type and it works for you then have at it. Whatever works for your style and use is all that matters. This was never a post of telling anyone what to do or use. As for playing keyboards I cannot see how that has anything to do with expanding the guitars tone spectrum using a guitar synth. I use mine to track tones and sounds under and blended with my std guitar tones which no keyboard player can possibly do. There is no way to really explain in detail the tones possible having two PCM engines, and COSM modeling on the synth of the control and range of possibilities one simply having a flawless 12 string beautiful sound with piano, strings and so on blended with your std tones or some futuristic mind blowing weirdness adding to the over all wall of sound possible. I use two independent rigs for my std guitar and pedalboard and the fullrange rig for the synth. I do not always use the synth but it can be quite fun having that potential. There is no way I would screw mount or sticky tape a synth pickup on my Les Paul's. The simple bridge bracket requires nothing but adjusting the bridge height down 2mm to allow for the thickness of the bracket. Plus the new controller design clamps onto the strap button and body with pads to not harm the finish. Now I will say using a synth is not for everyone and I never really recommend getting one. As it is not suited for most players. It is a very involved programming learning curve comprehension way too complex for the plug and play type player. I am a heavy fusion player and I love having that rather infinite tonal expansion to my sound if and when I want it. I wish pictures were easier here. i have no upload mine into a 3rd party storage yet to call the URL for the pic. I have some pics of the GK3 mount and bridge issues but have not had the time to mess with it lately. Anyway, in 2015 for the Les Paul player with the bridge type the new GK-3 has a simple slip on mounting bracket which causes no alteration to the guitar.
  6. maybe you can seek medical help I do suggest a remedial reading comprehension brush up as all those points were covered and like most things immediately confused and jumbled. If you have a ABR front screw, wonderful, if you can reach the adjustments with no issues, wonderful, if you have problems either change the bridge or flip it as it does not matter to the function. That is called a point, if that is "screw loose" then I doubt we agree on much of anything in this world. If your strings are hitting the screws behind the saddles then you have too much an abrupt bend down to the stop piece which is not desirable nor necessary, neither is the myth and lore one's stop piece has to be screwed hard down to the body, it simply does not, and on some Les Paul's with a greater neck tilt without doing the old "top wrap" method the angle bend is too great abd the strings hit the bridge edge. If you cannot use the high set bridge screws then perhaps get another bridge, they are relatively low price for any model made.
  7. Sorry been busy actually messing with some new gear and playing. Do not have the time to sit on this site and argue non points. Simply not a fuss, or a fuzz, you guys just keep insisting things which I already pointed out. BECAUSE, it simply makes no difference. (Which way the slanted type saddles face or screw sides, make no difference to function or purpose. Unless of course it does not work, then you can flip them.) I offered the information simply to pass on relative facts to others who wanted to know or perhaps can accept someone may know something out side the fish bowl. And you chaps have been the ones arguing about screws. Screws to the front, regardless of the bridge make are just more problematic to adjust than to the rear of the guitar, as would be actually be a more normal ergonomic position. Ever seen a Fender face front??? Like I said if you have a LP with a greater neck tilt and your pickup has to be set higher OR you want to install a GK3 guitar synth pickup, you simply cannot have screws on the front side, period. If your strings are hitting the adjustment screws, then per the first post you have your setup wrong. Strings need to clear the edge of the bridge if the screws are sticking up above the bridge edge, which my eyes are probably not that bad, then what a horrible design flaw and may I say, bad engineering! Same with that chap who refuses to admit his intonation is not right by the simple issue of the stair step pattern which is mathematically just how string thickness and length equates. Argue it with other guitar tech knowables like Dan Erlwine if you like. Not sure if he is an engineer but perhaps you can insult him for the sake of the your ego and little friends here.
  8. Yes I know that for **** sake. And yet you can just flip it around. Screws on the pickup side do not work for my guitars, period. You cannot mount a synth pickup bracket against those screws. If you cannot flip it then, one can always buy another bridge which faces the back if you have to. Most Les Paul's are different from model and year to year. One has to do what works for their personal guitar. I have no disagreement with there being different types of bridges (I did try to point that out several times) merely having screws on the pickup side does not work all that well in comparison. For my use not workable at all. I merely flipped the one on my Epiphone around and it works just fine.
  9. Someone gets it. I merely provided the information for those who wanted to know the issues of the Les Paul bridges. As for "newbie" yeah playing 41yrs, with engineering background and actually knowing real things, makes you a stupid teenager who does not have a clue. I did mention the different screw side bridge types in post one, I am very sorry so many have poor reading skills or cannot get past a two line twitter say nothing. If you think something is incorrect do show it and then step back and realize one of two things, you are agreeing with the same thing said, or you have misunderstood the information/words. By the way kids, the front mount screws (towards) the pickups does not work for me at all. AND once again it does not matter which side the screws are on, EXCEPT, for the matter of access. My Gibson LP bridge screw adjusts face toward the stop piece and are just fine. My Epiphone Custom, however, does not work for me w its screws facing the pickup, two major problems, I am not going to lower my pickup down just to turn the screws for adjustment which is ludicrous. Two, if you install a GK-3 synth pickup like I use you simply cannot have screws on that side of the bridge, period. I find in most cases having screws facing the pickup is more problematic to access than on the other side. And you can simply flip the bridge around as it poses no real issue to do that. The saddles are pretty much the same distance when you flip it, just a minor intonation tweak. As I mentioned if your pickup has the slanted/straight edge saddle it makes no real difference which way they face. Many newer replacement designs do not use the slanted saddle anyway. As I explained the reason why some are turned differently is merely needing more adjustment range on the screw for some guitars. It simply does not matter across the grand scope of bridge issues on the Les Paul, direction of saddles (if slanted and edge sides), screws on either side of the bridge, or if your stop piece is hard down to the body. Anyway that function indicates it HAS to be is OK for the Les Paul. So information given. Use it, lose it, misunderstand it or whatever. As Always just trying to add something viable rather than one line insults or not comprehending anything.
  10. The only thing I do not get is what you are talking about. I was talking about the saddle screws either facing the bridge pickup or the stop piece side. Makes no difference which way, merely a matter if you can reach them for easy adjustment. My Les Paul faces the stop piece and it is a new one. My Epi faces the pickup side. Makes no difference to how you set the stop piece. They simply do not have to face the neck and you can see countless guitars with them on the stop piece side. In fact right down the line at the music store every one was facing the stop piece. I simply said as long as you can turn the screws without obstruction it does not matter. I use a guitar synth pickup so mine have to face away else they cannot be reached and also the pickup is in the way as well. Like I said if you actually read what the words say, the info is correct and I put it here in cases someone like me is wondering why of the bridge saddle slant and edge sides and so on. I am aware some like their stop piece hard down the body and that does not matter either. What does matter if you are hitting the strings on the bridge edge as they slope down to the stop piece, If they touch the bridge edge, that is not correct setup. Which is why in some cases a "top wrap" is necessary to clear the bridge edge. Ask Gibson or someone like Erlewine, I am right Chaps. That is just the straight up skinny. Have a happy Les Paul day.
  11. The step pattern on the bridge is what proper intonation looks like. The steps may vary but the order and overall position of one string to the next remains the same. Any guitar properly intonated will have these steps on the saddles. The 1st will be closer than the 2nd, and the 3rd following the 2nd. Repeats again on the 4th closer the 5th and the 6th the furthest away. That is basically why the Les Paul bridge is offset mounted with the treble string side slanted towards the neck. Sorry just how it is. I was just in the musics store today and right down the line you can see this pattern guitar to guitar. Even w minute adjustments the basic step pattern remains as it just relates to the string gauges and mathematical divisions of strings to produce an octave. If your bridge saddle positions do not resemble this pattern you are just not in tune. Maybe use a good tuner other than your ears. As far as anything else sometimes I wonder what it is some think they are reading or comprehending. Often agreeing to the issue as if their response means something different. Or quoting something which has nothing to do with their point. Few members of Mensa. Everything I explained in the opening paper is correct. Any knowledgeable tech like Dane Erlewine is going to say the same things as that is the straight up FAQ.
  12. Glad to help. I am not a teenager with no experience myself sorry man, but it is what it is. Any guitar of any type will show the same step pattern on the strings in variance of how much the step is apparent but always due to math and physics the thickness of the strings to the length and scale is a constant. I wish pictures were easier here. Be glad to show how all guitars have the same relative step as that is just string thickness to length and musical note mathematics the Greeks discovered ages past. I have no mean to insult anyone but things are what they are and opinions are all fine and good but as usual there are facts and numbers involved with reality.
  13. Exactly what I have detailed. It is a matter of travel to adjust and makes no difference in general. Newer replacement bridges tend to eliminate the slant completely. Adjustment screws on either side is merely a matter of reaching them for easiest adjust, it does not matter.
  14. You're not understanding the basic design and math of string thickness, it is all relative examine any guitar properly set up you will see what I have said any tuner will produce the same stair step pattern across the strings. Your intonation is off, check it on a strobe, it is a solid thing not open to opinion. The stair step thing has to be there else your strings are the same size.
  15. FOR THOSE PONDERING THE HOW AND THE WHY OF LES PAUL BRIDGE VARIANTS: Well, another issue has come to mind as I journey into the land of all things Les Paul to comply w my latest and greatest obsession. The variants on the std Les Paul tune-o-matic bridge: Being rather a fanatic on intonation setup and having a fair level of tech savvy experience much less an IQ high than my shoe size (see various forum experts). We see on various Les Paul bridges that some saddles have a slanted and a straight edge side. For some reason I keep seeing mixed saddles on many bridges from the factory with 1,2,3 slants to the back and 4.5.6 slants to the front. After much bewildering investigations I have finally solved the issue for those perplexed as I was on the matter. When I require a solution to an issue I do not stop until I solve the issue being a part of my Engineering background and my 40yrs of playing and tech work. So don't hate me because I am pretty, I am just putting what I have found for those who might want to have some actual source of factual basis rather than anything goes or what you like answers: Here are the points: 1.) Why the slant side? Ergonomic design would indicate the slant side fits the stop piece side of the bridge to follow the downward slope of the strings as they come off the bridge down to the stop piece. Why the straight edge side? Ergonomic engineering would once again indicate the hard edge end would be better for intonation accuracy to end the string length on a absolute edge. 2.) Why are some mixed and why some from the factory mixed? Simple really, in the needed distance to adjust for intonation one might need to flip the saddle to have a little more travel on the screw adjust as you get near the end of thread travel. So this is why one tends to see 4,5,6 with the saddle slants to the neck and 1,2,3 with the slant to the stop piece. A simple resolve of the issue. 3.) What is optimal? Many uber experienced tech guitar mavens will set the slants to the stop piece, which is the indicative intent of the slant profile. Now if you need more travel on the saddle adjust on your particular guitar (as no guitars are generic the same, even the mighty Les Paul). You may need to flip the saddle to get some more screw travel. Does it matter? Hard to discern on most tuners if there is a slightly better more stable note definition on the hard edge verses the slant. I suggest it is slightly better but I also doubt the average guitar player can tell an "ear" difference. But, if you are a fanatic for getting things perfect, like I often am, the optimal is slant to the stop piece as the ergonomic slope of the string suggests. If you need to flip some, seems to be no real big issue in doing so. I have documented that most Les Paul's have 1,2,3 slants to the stop piece and 4,5,6 to the neck as that is the usual intonation adjust. Many replacement bridges and my newer Les Paul have stopped using the slanted bridge pieces all together opting for the hard edge which again suggest the intonation is better on the edge side. The better replacement bridges control the string length more accurately for a better intonation result. Does it matter? Probably not to the "ear" of most "players" (see youtube in general). Personally, I tend to put slope to the stop piece and adjust screws to the stop piece. If you have to flip them makes no huge difference. Mine were bugging me because at my intonation settings there was no reason to have the thicker strings reversed. Which by the way the mathematical physics of string length intonation indicates thinner strings will have closer(sharp) saddles to the nut and thicker strings more back(flat) from the nut, All intonations on all bridge guitar guitars should resemble a dual stair step appearance with varying degrees of the steps but from 6 to 1. I tried to make a simple diagram but apparently need to draw and insert it as the spacing goes crazy on the window when posting. Will see if I can get that done if this gets any reads. 1st always closer and 6st always further away. The amount of step is slightly different to each guitar and the string gauges but all guitars will have a slight step arrangement else you simply are not intonated properly. (to try and describe the proper step pattern, from the 1st to the 3rd small steps down and the 4th to the 6th again with the 4th starting more between where the 2nd and 4rd saddles are positioned. It is a matter of string thickness to mathematic physics of string length and note division (ancient Greeks). ADJUSTMENT SCREWS TO NECK SIDE OR STOP PIECE SIDE: As to the screw adjusts facing the bridge pickup or the stop piece: Simply a matter the old style vintage faces the stop piece newer face the bridge pickup which they call the Nashville thing. It simply does not matter as to the function just if you reach the screws easy. I tend to prefer to the back of the bridge as that is more normal for me having played Strats for a long time and the adjust just seems easier access. STRING "TENSION" and the mystery of the stop piece height: There is lot of back and forth on this matter of of one needs to have the stop piece hard screwed to the body or does it matter? Indeed the more down the stop piece the greater the tension on the strings if you like a spongy feel like a Fender Trem thing then less tension is probably your thing. Seems to pose no real issue having the stop piece hard down to the body tension wise. Many prefer it. But, there is the occasional Les Paul model that has a more angled neck tilt (up to 5 degrees) and the stop piece is just not going to go hard to the body. Does it matter. Probably not. A simple vibration test on the thicker strings indicate you can feel the string vibration on the bridge itself but when checked on the stop piece there is no discernible vibration one might need to ground to the body. I have both Les Paul types of hard to the body and one that cannot and I actually prefer the one that it is not hard down. So tone wise I do not think it matters at all. One can get into an argument of woods, resonance and sustain but in general laws of physics are what they are and they are not matters of opinion. The consensus of proper adjust on the stop piece by notable guitar repair and tech mavens is that one does not want the strings to touch the back of the bridge edge as they travel down to the stop piece. So wherever you need to set that stop to get the strings as close to the bridge edge is where it needs to go. If you check the solidity and stability of the stop piece on most Les Paul's I have seen the device is very firm and stable and there is no evidence of string vibration on the stop piece that needs to be grounded to the body. And if such a grounding is done and you are bending the strings against the bridge edge that is not desired in the grand scope of doing things properly. So bottom line if the pieces are firm and stable the stop piece goes where it goes and it is not a requirement to hard tighten into the body. There is also the old vintage trick of "top wrapping" if you want to hard tighten the stop piece but do not want to hit the strings on the bridge edge. The only issue I find with the "top wrap" is it looks a little funky to me and Gibson abandoned the practice after the first years of the LP. I also feel engineering wise and ergonomic issue that the string is better served having some sort of guide nitch verses just the round of the stop piece. Which two things there, in time the string I am sure will make its own nitch in the stop piece top and before that occurs, vibration would indicate the string does not dead into the stop piece as well grounding the vibration for better sustain. So there you have the Info I have found and researched. Use it or lose it.
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