Which version of the Tune-O-matic?

[hi13ts]

I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio and I want to know which version of the tune-o-matic it uses. I know there are 3 main types: the standard with slim thumbwheel posts, the modern with large screwdriver posts, and the refined standard with screwdriver slim thumbwheel post. It looks to me like it's a standard tune-o-matic with the slim thumbwheel posts that require you to slacken the strings to adjust it, but I've never seen a refined standard. Pictures of these will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Gibson CS]

if you post a picture we can help you

[ibis]

If it has a screwdriver slot in the post it ain't no Gibson.

 

The main ones Gibson use are the ABR-1 (slimmer) and the Nashville (mid seventies introduction).

[tonydownhill]

The screwdriver slots in the posts are found on Epi's.

[L5Larry]

The visually identifiable differences between the ABR-1 and the Nashville are thus:

 

The ABR-1 is narrower (front to back), and has a retaining wire running across the top of the saddle screws holding them in place.

 

The Nashville is wider (front to back) without the retaining wire. The saddle screws are kind of "crimped" in place.

[DoubleSixx]

Abr:

 

 

Nashville:

[Thundergod]

hey man maybe a pick of the guitar would help us figure out what kind of bridge you have there... did you buy it new? what year is it?

[hi13ts]

It's a 2008 model new, and by the pictures, I'm concluding that it's an ABR-1 bridge because it has slimmer posts and those little depressions on the saddle to hold the strings. Thanks for the information, everyone.

[3th3r]

It's a 2008 model new' date=' and by the pictures, I'm concluding that it's an ABR-1 bridge because it has slimmer posts and those little depressions on the saddle to hold the strings. Thanks for the information, everyone.[/quote']

 

Hmmm. You should really post a pic. I don't know of any moderns Studios that use the ABR-1 bridge. AFAIK they all use the Nashville bridge. You sure you have a Studio? You sure you have a Gibson?

[hi13ts]

I will post a picture in the near future, and yes I'm sure it's an authentic Gibson Les Paul Studio, I've been around Gibsons for a bit too long to not know . I'm almost certain it is an ABR, because my saddles have those little depressions and the thumbwheel posts look puny and slim, but I'll post a picture some time later.

[cudamax2343]

I will post a picture in the near future' date=' and yes I'm sure it's an authentic Gibson Les Paul Studio, I've been around Gibsons for a bit too long to not know . I'm almost certain it is an ABR, because my saddles have those little depressions and the thumbwheel posts look puny and slim, but I'll post a picture some time later.[/quote']

I've been around gibsons for a bit too long to not know, Ha, really. If you know its a studio, and it say's studio, it's most likely a counterfeit with the oversea's bridge/metric threads. That's not USA Gibson style, nor did they ever install the larger post screw driver slot height adjustment.

But you have been around gibson's long enough to know that, right.

[hi13ts]

What are you talking about? All Gibson Studios have the "Studio" engraved on the truss rod cover. And the bridge on the Les Paul does not have large screw driver posts, it has slim thumbwheels. I just wanted to know what version of the tune-o-matic the Studios come with, and by comparison of pictures and descriptions, I've concluded that it is the ABR bridge. There's no need for you to be sarcastic.

[LynyrdSkynyrd-14]

there the same way with me:-&

[Ignatius]

It's a 2008 model new' date=' and by the pictures, I'm concluding that it's an ABR-1 bridge because it has slimmer posts and those little depressions on the saddle to hold the strings. Thanks for the information, everyone.[/quote']

Hey hi13ts--

 

I think you really should post some pictures. As everyone is trying to tell you, the new LP Studio comes with the Nashville bridge as far as I can tell. If you have one with an ABR-1, then something is odd about your guitar. Given that you have bought it new and it then is still under warranty, you might want to verify this ASAP.

 

If you look carefully at the pictures that DoubleSixx posted, you'll see that both the Nashville and the ABR-1 have the thumbwheels to adjust the height of the bridge so don't use that alone as the way to define which bridge you have. And the "Studio" logo on the trussrod cover means nothing; those can be bought online and put on virtually any Gibson guitar.

 

As far as I can tell, the Nashville is superior to the ABR-1; that little wire that runs the length of the ABR-1 bridge and holds the saddles in place is a major design flaw. If your guitar is supposed to have the Nashville, you should make sure you have it.

 

Ignatius

[hi13ts]

Thanks for the information Ignatius. It was made an early '08 as far as I can tell by the serial number. I will contact Gibson to sort this out. I can see now that the Nashville bridge has the larger post with the slim thumbwheel screws attached to it's large post! It very well may be a Nashville! But what's a bit confusing for me is the "thread" on the saddles. My bridge does have a small depression on each saddle that the strings lay on top of, it is not crimped. And by the pictures posted above, the Nashville bridge does not seem to have those small depressions on the saddles. I bought this Les Paul at an authorized dealer, and it has all the authentic "features" (Gibson logo decal instead of perloid for the Studio, tilted headstock, etc.) but I can understand the confusion, so I will try to get up some pictures. I will contact Gibson and ask, thank you all for the information.

[Ignatius]

Thanks for the informatin Ignatius. It was made an early '08 as far as I can tell by the serial number. I will contact Gibson to sort this out. I thought. I can see now that the Nashville bridge has the larger post with the slim thumbwheel screws. What's a bit confusing for me is the "thread" on the saddles. My bridge does have a small depression on each saddle that the strings lay on top of' date=' it is not crimped. And by the pictures posted above, the Nashville bridge does not seem to have those small depressions on the saddles. I will contact Gibson and ask, thank you all for the information. [/quote']

That's because those are new saddles in the pictures. Gibson saddles, when sold separately from a guitar, are not notched for strings. This allows the individual luthier to set his or her own precise string spacing (unlike, say, Gotoh bridges where each saddle has a default notch in its middle).

 

Don't look at the notches in the saddles; look instead at the screwheads where the six individual saddles are adjusted: if they are held in place by a thin wire that runs over all six screwheads (and looks something like an unfolded paperclip), then you have an ABR-1 bridge. If instead, it looks like those screws are screwed into the bridge itself (so to speak), and the bridge's own material is holding the screws in place, then you have a Nashville bridge.

 

Sorry all this is so confusing; it can be hard to explain something that you see everyday. I don't know how I would describe a toothbrush to someone who had never seen one before.

 

Ignatius

[Tim Plains]

Here's pics of my Standard's tail end...it took me all of three seconds to do. Why don't you just post some pics of yours so this whole thing can get sorted out? Rather than just keep replying without any pics?..and please don't just write back saying "yes, that's what mine looks like too."

 

 

[hi13ts]

Oh, I understand now, Ignatius! It's quite hard to see that thread ontop of all the saddle screws in the pictures, but I spotted them. I haven't been observant enough on the bridges, but now since I have to set up and adjust my own instruments, I had to understand how these bridges worked. Thank you for clearing this up, Ignatius. As with the pictures......

[Ignatius]

Oh' date=' I understand now, Ignatius! It's quite hard to see that thread ontop of all the saddle screws in the pictures, but I spotted them. I haven't been observant enough on the bridges, but now since I have to set up and adjust my own instruments, I had to understand how these bridges worked. Thank you for clearing this up, Ignatius. As with the pictures......[/quote']

Great! It's good when things start getting clear in a discussion. Now you know the difference between a standard Gibson ABR-1 and a standard Gibson Nashville bridge. Things start getting weird, though, when you look up ABR-1 replacements made by other companies: sometimes the wire is gone, sometimes the saddles are plastic or some sort of space-age material, etc. . . . . My current Gotoh ABR-1 replacement LOOKS like the Nashville from the screwhead side, but it is thinner like the ABR-1. Your head starts spinning pretty quickly after a few looks at replacement bridges.

 

The whole point of all the replacements (and even of the creation of the Nashville bridge itself) is that the ABR-1 is near genius in its design, but aggravatingly short of full genius. It was a huge step forward from the old unadjustable wooden bridges of days gone by (you seem them still on old archtops), but that stupid wire on the ABR-1 will buzz like mad almost all the time, and it will rattle, and it will drive you nuts. I spent a week on one of those, trying to get it to stop making so much infernal noise--superglue, nail polish, moving the bridge around, you name it--and nothing would work. In addition, the ABR-1 bridge does not sit tight on its posts but has an equally aggravating tendency to move with shifts in string tension (i.e., it moves precisely when you are trying to tune the guitar!). The Nashville is a great step forward, but it requires a rather harsh set of modifications to older guitars, and most of us are not ready for that so we have a huge market of people trying to fix the ABR-1 problem for those of us with pre-Nashville era designed guitars.

 

In any case, here's hoping you've got a Nashville bridge and that all is well in Dorset this day.

 

Ignatius

[Tonewitch13]

Hi,  just wanted to know if the new style (Nashville?) T. O. M. bridge with the allen screw height post is available separately...

[merciful-evans]

I didn't know there was one. People are intolerant of Gibson making any changes. However I think its a great idea. Thumbwheels are ok if you don't have arthritis in your thumbs. 

[SteveFord]

It has both the thumbwheels and you can do it with an Allen, it's a great idea.

The Gibson website doesn't give a clear photo of the post so you'll have to give them a call.

[jdgm]

Gibson uses Tonepros.  

https://tonepros.com/bridges/

Edited June 8, 2021 by jdgm