Explorer Tailpiece Height

[Lesspaw]

I just got an Explorer with the Antique finish. How high should the tailpiece be? I feel I have it very high to clear the bridge on the  High and Low E. Is this a concern?

[merciful-evans]

I dont think so. Some worry the string should be unimpeded between tailpiece & bridge, but it wont affect the string vibration between bridge & nut. 

[SteveFord]

Recent Explorer

You can see they put in studs for the tail piece which is why the bridge has to go up higher on the newer models.

 

Never mind, someone already posted this.  It's nothing to worry about.

Edited December 19, 2021 by SteveFord

[Lesspaw]

I was thinking to top wrap. Any pros or cons?

[SG Sydney]

On my SG Gibson Standard 2019 , I lowered the tail- piece  all the way down to the body and then played the guitar , then I raised the tail-piece a quarter of an inch higher and it sounded the same, then I raised the tail-piece a half inch from the body and it rung out beautifully ( found the sweet spot). The 6 low E string touches the back of the bridge , but the tail-piece is raised to were it sounds best , so it's not a concern if  it string touches the back of the bridge. So basically just experiment with your guitar...............

[GibSinCity]

I put one of these on a Flying-V instead of Top-Wrapping.

"TP-6 Stop Bar/Tailpiece"

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Gear/Tailpieces/PTTP-Stopbar-Tailpiece/Chrome

[SteveFord]

That's a really clever design, I've had it come on two guitars (25th Anniversary Les Paul, Lucille).

 

[NighthawkChris]

See… I’m a guy who believes you need a good break angle behind the bridge and if I have to lift it sky high, not happy with that personally. I find that at some certain point when the break angle is reduced, the string sounds “flabby”, get strange noises maybe as well. Also why you want a good break angle behind the nut for all strings. So I’m sum, I want to see break angles top and bottom. Whether or not you want the strings to ride the back of the bridge, do what you want I guess. As long as there’s a break angle the tone will be ok.

Now when a tail piece needs to be super high and the bridge also is up there, this is neck angle territory. When the neck is straight -the wood that is - and you rest a straight edge on it where it is set to reach the bridge when it’s decked, you’d hope to see the straight edge just kiss the top of the bridge. That’s a great neck angle. At the lowest bridge setting and straight neck, you have adjustability up and down on the bridge. And I would say that you would have max adjustability of the tailpiece too by that logic. So not all guitar made equal and neck angles have everything to do with how you can adjust the guitar. Definitely… no 2 Gibsons are the same thing.

[Lesspaw]

Well I can say I did the top wrap. I used to do this with a Les Paul and had to put additional string ball on the ends as a spacer for the string to go over the tailpiece without the wraps coming up and out. With this tailpiece I didn't have to do that. Come to find out Gibson now makes the tailpieces with taller arch so you don't have to add a spacer if you are are a top wrapper. This setup is working out superb on the Explorer👍