HamburgerShins Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Hello everyone and yes I do realize there are already threads about this topic I was just wondering if someone might be kind enough to clarify for me. So, I recently bought a light aged 57’ gold top repro. and I’m just kind of struggling with it. I had a standard gold top that I was in love with. It just growled if you know what I mean. Then I started looking at the reproductions and man they just look so damn cool so, I bought one. Thing is I had to sell my standard in order to afford it so I’m stuck with what I got. Problem is I am not really loving the way it plays or sounds. Specifically, I have a really hard time getting pinch harmonics to ring out clearly. On my standard I could play them up and down the neck really only having some trouble at the very far ends of the neck. I say trouble but I didn’t really have much to speak of. With this new guitar it’s just…well I feel like there’s something wrong with some part of the bridge installation. Also the growl, sustain really I think, is absent in a not so good way. There’s a more acoustic timbre to the strings that sort of shirks the OD in a way that’s not very Les Paul like to my ear. It’s got the direct mount bridge posts you see on the older stuff and this is really the only blaring departure from my standard. The pickup rings are tall as hell and the pickups seem happiest nearly an eighth of an inch down inside the rings but that doesn’t seem like it would be the culprit insofar as the issues I’m having. So I guess I’ll be swapping the standard abr-1 for a TP6 that seems more like what my standard had. Does anyone have experience swapping the direct mount bridge posts for the bushing mounted variety? I can’t seem to dig up any specifics on that particular endeavor which has me concerned I’m making a mistake. I’m fairly certain it’s the bridge posts but any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 What year was your standard? the ABR-1 is the bridge. The TP-6 is actually a tailpiece with fine tuners and didn’t normally come on standard models You might be talking about the Nashville bridge which is common on standard models. The mounting posts on the Nashville thread into bushings whereas the ABR-1 mounting posts thread directly into the wood Are you using fresh strings on the new guitar? Fresh strings help a lot with pinch harmonics. Also if you’re using the rhythm pickup you won’t hear the harmonics well through the amp. You should always use the bridge pickup for harmonics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Well to be honest, I believe your lack of.......pick harmonics are due to the lower output pickups not the guitar itself. The tp6 I had on mine actually killed the tone in my guitars. Yes they are handy for fine tuning but that comes at a cost by taking the natural character of the guitar away. I actually love my r7 goldtop.....it does ring out more acoustically unplugged and has a lower output pickups than my other Gibsons....but to me I like it. but if your new to you goldtop isn't cutting it....well I would try a pickup swap. ..but if your not going to keep it.....I would sell it or return it if possible and get your self a standard if you would like it better. sorry it is t working out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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