LHW Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Greetings, All! Let me start by saying that I've never, ever, modded a guitar before. I just bought "off the rack" and left it at that. However, after seeing that the majority here seem to prefer some type of mod to all their guitars, I find myself more and more curious about it. A few days ago, at a forum I only lurk at (have not even signed up), I noticed that a bunch of people were cheering on a couple of brass pieces for Epi LPs. These are the ones in question: SOLID BRASS Nickel locking Tuneomatic bridge, locking Saddles- ALL BRASS! and SOLID BRASS CURVED Chrome Locking Stop Tailpeice- Hand Polished I was wondering if anyone here has tried these, and/or if you think they're worth the $60 to swap out the OE on an Ultra-III. Can anyone provide some feedback / info on these? Thanks! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Will the onboard tuner still work when you change the bridge ? Great Question!!! LHW, Ya know??? I really hope someone gives you a good solid answer. I also, would love to know. I hear the same type of things all the time and I do wonder. It does make sense that something denser would change the tone and probably the sustain. It likewise, makes sense that something more resonant like aluminum would also make a difference. I see that you can now buy Floyd Rose tremolos milled out of titanium for $600. (not joking) I'm sure they are quite nice. In about a half century of playing guitars I have seen some great innovations. Frankly, my personal greatest realization is that if you are happy with what you have ......play on. If not, and you can afford it, try something else. Others are often help in the technical sense. It is good to hear what they have to say. Fact is, we and the way we all play, are unique. I could make all kinds of jokes here. Yes!!! If your guitar has a 20 degree grain directly under your toggle switch your truss rod will be stiffer. I have heard some great guitars sound really crappy because they were not set up properly and were in the hands of someone who did not know the difference. I have also heard some cheep guitars, that should have been firewood, sound like the angles were singing. Guess what made the difference. It was someone's brass nuts. (kidding) Anyway, if you can afford it, give it a try. By all means, as you are a well known member of this forum, let us know what you think. We will be listening. You might just start a new trend. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfine Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Warlock--do you like the guitar the way it is? If so, a good rule of thumb is--"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Regarding brass hardware, there was a huge trend for it back in the '70's, especially on Fender Strats after they switched from a steel bridge block to cast Mazac (pot metal). Steel would have been the proper replacement on those--not neccesarily brass. It's a relatively soft metal and tends to discolor pretty badly unless it's heavily chrome-plated. The only guitar I ever improved with brass parts was a '59 Tele that had badly-rusted original threaded steel saddles--I replaced them with brass ones, but all I was doing was putting it back to early-'50's specs. A lot of guitars got ruined in the '70's by guys who wanted to customize them--to be fair, a lot of '70's guitars were high-priced garbage and needed help, but it often went to extremes. I was guilty of it myself--I ruined a perfectly good '67 Gibson SG Standard in about 1970 by having it refinished, the neck shaved down, and the Maestro Vibrola replaced with a stop tailpiece. Stupid--if I had that guitar in original condition today, it would be worth $5000-$6000--in the shape I left it in, maybe $500. If you insist on customizing your Ultra, don't do anything that can't be undone--like I said, if it ain't broke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 If you insist on customizing your Ultra, don't do anything that can't be undone--like I said, if it ain't broke... Great advice! Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHW Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Thanks for the replies, guys! Much appreciated! :) The cost isn't that big of deal...it's basically the same as buying two Blu-Ray discs, so, meh. I'd just hate to waste it, if you know what I mean. I don't dislike the sound of the Ultra-III at all. It's just that from what I've been reading, I'm thinking that the brass parts might enhance it even more. Especially the acoustic pickup. Unfortunately, there's no place close by to talk to folks about this. The local guitar shops are rather lacking not only in their selections, but their customer service as well. And the closest GC is over two hours away... As for the tuner, that's a good point, and one I don't have an answer to. I'm not familiar enough with the dynamics to even venture a guess on that one. Which may turn out to be the one thing that keeps me from even trying it. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx_ gunner Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Thanks for the heads up on those parts. I will have to spend more time over at GF's site to see what else they have for my newly acquired Epi Les Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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