Swapping gold hardware for nickel (or chrome) on Sheraton Elite.

[fenrisulfr]

I want to swap the gold hardware on my Sheraton Elite out for nickel. Chrome would be OK, but the new pickups I'm getting only come in nickel so I'd like everything to match if possible. It seems the bridge and tailpiece (ABR-1 and stop tailpiece) are the hardest things to nail down. I can't find a straight answer on what's compatible. Tone Pros makes metric stuff, but they don't make an ABR-1 metric replacement that I can find. Easiest and best thing would be just to do a straight hardware swap with someone who has one as well and wants gold hardware on theirs. Anyone? Second best option would be to just order the OEM parts from Epiphone, but I haven't seen them for sale anywhere. And it seems from what I've been reading that Gibson OEM parts will not fit because they're not metric. I'd really like to keep it all Epiphone/Gibson parts if possible. Any ideas? Thanks!

[vomer]

Is the Tone Pros T3BT the one? Metric, large posts. I haven't got one but I've been looking. Their specs are confusing as they list it in inches, 2.913", which an online calculator reckons is 74mm. WDMusic add their own layer of confusion by calling it 2.95" but saying that this is the one to fit your Epiphone 335, LP, SG.

Is your Elite the same spec as (most) other imports?

[Hungrycat]

Both of my Elitists have American hardware stock, so I doubt that the metric stuff would be right.

[fenrisulfr]

Is the Tone Pros T3BT the one? Metric, large posts. I haven't got one but I've been looking. Their specs are confusing as they list it in inches, 2.913", which an online calculator reckons is 74mm. WDMusic add their own layer of confusion by calling it 2.95" but saying that this is the one to fit your Epiphone 335, LP, SG.

Is your Elite the same spec as (most) other imports?

 

The T3BT is for the "nashville" style and not the ABR-1 style. If you look on Musician's Friend you'll see that they also list metric versions of each, but not of the ABR-1 style replacements (which they call the AVR-II). Yeah it's all confusing and I didn't trust WDMusic's generic statement that "sure it'll fit 'yer Epiphone" either.

[fenrisulfr]

Both of my Elitists have American hardware stock, so I doubt that the metric stuff would be right.

 

Thanks Hungrycat this is good to know. I was wondering this too just after I posted, because I do remember that one of the touts of the Elite/Elitist series is "USA hardware", but I didn't know if that necessarily extended to the threadings... I suppose I could verify it easily enough by seeing if the tailpiece hardware from my Gibson SG (I just removed the tailpiece to install a Bigsby) fits on the Sheraton. Too bad it's chrome and not nickel or I could reuse it. So if this is the case then I can just use "genuine Gibson" parts for replacement then so that works nicely.

[OLDTIMER P]

good morning from a rainy United Kingdom.,, sorry to jump onto this old post , but this question still gets asked.

I have a 2008 Korean Tobacco Sunburst which I love, the neck feels great , more than happy with the pickups and overall guitar sits well.

But i also disliked the gold finish... After endless hours of searching for replacements and trying to sort out measurements ect, I conceded

and took it to my tech who has done some great work in the past.  OKAY ,, it cost a bit extra for his time, sourcing the parts,  and fixing/setting up ( in fairness , only charges

me what the actual parts cost ) Took away all the stress of running around and trying to do this myself , and the guitar now looks the part and plays superbly.

I would recommend this route to many people.

 

MISTER P (UK)