Compton Compensated Bridge

[Quietly]

Just fitted a Compton Compensated Titanium Bridge to my 2007 LP Standard and the difference it has made in tone is amazing. Intonation is great and the bridge is both comfortable and perfect for muting. Wayne Compton makes the bridges to fit exactly the customers guitar specifications and with a perfect radius getting a low action is so easy. I think apart from tonal benefits as in much sharper almost bell like, there is also an increase in volume but that could be the pups being closer to the strings after fitting and adjusting the height of the Compton. In fact I had to lower the pups. I have no commercial interest at all with Compton but I really rate their bridges and recommend you check them out at http://www.comptonbridges.com/

 

 

I did a quick sound sample before and after on the LP Standard which you can hear on http://www.gerrycooper.com/songs

 

Photograph before and after

 

 

 

[Blackie]

I don't by it .......I think an LP or SG is perfectly fine with out your product and you can carry your *** and product away.

[Quietly]

I don't by it .......I think an LP or SG is perfectly fine with out your product and you can carry your *** and product away.

 

It isn't my product and I stated I have no relationship with Compton. I am not asking you to buy it just saying that it worked for me. Neither am I suggesting that LP's or SG's are not perfect as they are, so I am not quite sure why the agressive attitude but I have no intention of responding in a like manner.

 

On most forums its called sharing information and experiences.

[Quietly]

I might have entered a lions den by posting this and certainly it was not my intention. If we accept that different woods have different tonal qualities then I hope we can accept that different metals also have different tonal qualities. This is another example and I also have nothing to do with Detempleguitars either. http://www.detempleguitars.com/temp/CATALOG_ITEMS/saddles_read.php

 

Here is a nice quote:-

 

Michael DeTemple says --

 

"Why Titanium? When it comes to guitars I have been a traditionalist for as long as I can remember. From repairing guitars for Ernie Ball at age 14 to the restoration and upkeep of some of the greatest player's instruments of today, I have always found tradition to be the greatest guideline in determining the best approach to any given problem. For me to decide to use a different saddle metal on a very traditional electric guitar such as a Strat®, Tele® or Les Paul is really a stretch. However, our test results with Titanium have been so impressive that I’ve been forced to change my mind.

[Blackie]

No I am just drunk and boxing your ears mate

[retrosurfer1959]

No personal experience but thanks for sharing - never found anything made out of titanium that I didn't like yet.

[Blackie]

also you come off quite the salesman for this product.......so sorry f-ck your product ...won't never be on any my Guitars

[Quietly]

No personal experience but thanks for sharing - never found anything made out of titanium that I didn't like yet.

 

 

Me neither until Wednesday this week although I had read about how good they were. Last year I purchased a brass one that I installed on my Gretsch Country Club and that was also good but like the color mellow yellow. Titanium is in another ball park for tone, amazing material.

[brundaddy]

I'm suspicious of long-term intonation from a bridge that doesn't have adjustable saddles.

[zigzag]

How do you set intonation?

[Quietly]

I'm suspicious of long-term intonation from a bridge that doesn't have adjustable saddles.

 

I will certainly let you know how it works out but as the bridge is fixed I would not expect any variation unless of course you changed the string size which clearly would alter the intonation. I use 10-46's and the bridge was made to spec for that size of strings.

 

Rest assured if there should be any long term problems I will certainly let you all know although as I said before apart from wanting to change the string size I cannot think of what else could change the intonation.

[Quietly]

How do you set intonation?

 

 

I sent the the length from fretboard side of the nut to the centre height spindle for both the 1st and 6th string. Also confirmed the string size I used, the radius of the fretboard and the distance between the strings on the bridge.

 

Here is the information I sent with my order for the 2007 LP standard:-

 

Distance from fret board side of nut to height adjust spindle on bridge

62.4 centimetres = 24.5669291 inches 1st string

62.9 centimetres = 24.7637795 inches 6th string

Bridge size between posts 7.4 centimetres = 2.91338583 inches

Fretboard 12” radius.

10-46 strings and the distance between 1st and 6th strings on my LP Standard bridge is 5.1 centimetres = 2.00787402 inches.

 

In answer to you question you cannot set the intonation the bridge is manufactured to your guitars dimensions to give you correct intonation. Down side is that if you change the string size you cannot adjust the intonation without purchasing another bridge.

 

Hope that helps.

[zigzag]

I was thinking of that for my 335. I use 11s on it. If I can't set intonation on individual strings, then that bridge is useless.

[Quietly]

I was thinking of that for my 335. I use 11s on it. If I can't set intonation on individual strings' date=' then that bridge is useless.[/quote']

 

 

Clearly that bridge would be but if you gave Compton the measurements of your 335 plus the radius and your string size then they would make the bridge for your guitar. That is how I understand it but by all mean contact Wayne Compton via his web site

 

http://www.comptonbridges.com/

 

Like I said I am not envolved with them at all, not on any commissions or deals so by all means take the information I have supplied as being purely how I have found the product. Certainly it wouldn't be for everybody and I respect that, looks good and sounds superb is my own experience but hey its all about horses for courses.

 

Oh by the way I also noticed that DeTemple do Titanium saddles but I suspect the solid Compton gives far greater tonal differences because of the mass.

 

http://www.detempleguitars.com/temp/CATALOG_ITEMS/saddles.php

[daveinspain]

What happens if between string changes and maybe with some weather changes you need to do a truss rod adjustment? That is going to affect the intonation as well.... and how is it compensated? looks like a straight line going across the bridge to me... just sayin'....

 

Edit: Also, does that bridge have the groove cut into it?

[zigzag]

This bridge may be an excellent product, but it seems to me that it is just too fixed. If you made any adjustments to your neck or didn't use the exact set (brand) of strings every time, then you might have issues. I occasionally switch from a wound third string, and believe me, it makes a difference in string tension.

[Quietly]

What happens if between string changes and maybe with some weather changes you need to do a truss rod adjustment? That is going to affect the intonation as well.... and how is it compensated? looks like a straight line going across the bridge to me... just sayin'....

 

Edit: Also' date=' does that bridge have the groove cut into it?[/quote']

 

 

Hello Dave I honestly do not know but I assume before you supply the measurements your truss will be ajusted correctly anyway. That means if it goes out in the future and you adjust it back the intonation would be correct. Mind you I cannot think that any slight adjustment of the truss rod would alter the length between nut and bridge to have any noticeable effect on intonation but I honestly do not know. My concern was the same as you, as you can see by the photographs on my first post the saddles are individualy adjusted for intonation on ther Gibson and the Compton does have an almost straight edge angled across the bridge. That means to me that the intonation on each string is not 100% and the question arises can you notice it and the answer is I can't. On the sound sample I put on my site I have played the open strings and barred the12th fret and also played a compination of open and closed strings around the 12th fret which always highlights any intonation problems. So I will let the sound samples speak for themselves.

 

If I used an electronic tuner on each string I have no doubt that some strings will be slightly out on intonation on the Compton and can be adjusted 100% on the Gibson. However the real question is, is it audible or noticeable when playing?

I can only say that I cannot hear any problems at all with intonation on the Compton. If we really got into absolutes with intonation we might end up looking at the Buzz Feiton system which doesn't come on the Gibson so even with individual adjustable saddles I don't think we can ever get 100% pure, playable intonation. Perhaps what I am trying to say is we can get bogged down with exact intonation on each string but the only real issue iswhat does it sound like when you play it. If that is the important part then the Compton works great.

 

http://www.buzzfeiten.com/

[Quietly]

This bridge may be an excellent product' date=' but it seems to me that it is just too fixed. If you made any adjustments to your neck or didn't use the exact set (brand) of strings every time, then you might have issues. I occasionally switch from a wound third string, and believe me, it makes a difference in string tension.[/quote']

 

No arguement with you there zigzag and it either rings your bell or it doesn't. If you are constantly changing string sizes then this bridge is not for you but for those of us who stick with one size and one brand it really is not an issue.

[Quietly]

In answer to you Dave the string notches or grooves are cut into the bridge by Compton based on your string size and spacing.

[RichCI]

Regarding intonation issues...

 

 

I'm not saying it's the best system (it was probably used because it was cheaper) but those old bridges seem to be working out fine.

[deepblue]

Its a unique product, but im a traditionalist. I prefer the look and adustments of the TOM.

[Quietly]

Regarding intonation issues...

 

 

I'm not saying it's the best system (it was probably used because it was cheaper) but those old bridges seem to be working out fine.

 

 

Not sure that price as necessarily the main reason the fact is that even with individual adjustable bridges you cannot get playable perfect intonation. Note the enphasis on the playable which is not the same as adjust a string to open and 12fret

sameness.

[ksdaddy]

I've been playing the same Tele for 32 years. It has three saddles and many times I've had to defend it; other guitarists snort at it and ask how I can intonate it with only three saddles....

 

Compromise. My ears ain't so refined that it would matter. I can get it close enough.

[Quietly]

Its a unique product' date=' but im a traditionalist. I prefer the look and adustments of the TOM.[/quote']

 

Valid point. Worth noting that tradionally all guitars had a straight bridge although it was angled. Another interesting comment that I recently read was this:-

 

"Bob Benedetto, who is the supposedly the best archtop builder in the world right now, makes all of his bridges straight across. He believes that they have the truest intonation that way."

 

I cannot validate that but it was written by a luthier.

 

Let's be honest most of us do not like change and why change something that works fine anyway. I just hope that you will also accept that a solid titanium bridge just blows the tone into another ball park and is completely different from the TOM.

[Quietly]

I've been playing the same Tele for 32 years. It has three saddles and many times I've had to defend it; other guitarists snort at it and ask how I can intonate it with only three saddles....

 

Compromise. My ears ain't so refined that it would matter. I can get it close enough.

 

LOL they snorted at electric guitars by saying there were not real or proper guitars. Solid bodies got the same comments as in not real guitars. Nobody likes change, most of us are skeptical by nature and most of us have our own comfort zone.

 

I can understand people being skeptical about this bridge but until you try it you will never know just how much it improves and changes the tonal qualities that you get from using a TOM. Intonation is not an issue on the Compton any more than it is on a Tele.