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Thanks Mapleflame!!

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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On the Pigtail post here last week, Mapleflame posted that if you replace the ABR-1 posts with 6/30" x 1 1/2" Stainless Steel screws(cut the head off after you get them set to the right height) your tone will really improve.
Well.. it ain't no joke! Wow!! I've done a number of my guitars in the last day and it's improved everyone of them.
Anyway, just wanted to say THANKS to Mapleflame for that suggestion!!
 

MapleFlame

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Your welcome, and coming from an amp tech from the gods and a great guitar repair guy, I am glad it worked for ya. I have been helped tremendously from guys here that is fo sure.
 

MapleFlame

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Go to Home depot and get Phillips head stainless steel screws that are 6/32 size and 1 1/2 inches long. Cut the head of the screw off right at the base grind it to a really round crown. and install them in place of the Historic or Gibson stud for the ABR-1. Not to be confused with the stud for the Nashville bridge. It's the screw pole the holds the ABR-1 and thumbweel.
 

DANELECTRO

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Feb 24, 2003
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6,317
The previous owner of my '91 Classic removed the studs and replaced them regular screws with the head of the screw intact. He put spacers under the bridge to set the height and tightened the screw down against the bridge to hold everything together. I guess it was his way of locking the bridge tight to increase sustain.

Anyway, I converted it back to a proper ABR setup by using a stainless steel screw with the head removed, just as TM1 described. Here are a few tips on doing such a repair:

- The cleanest way to cut a screw shorter is the use a Dremel with a cutoff wheel. A hacksaw will shread the end of the screw damaging the threads.

- Once the head is gone, of course there is nothing left to drive the screw with. Don't use pliers or you'll tear up the threads. You can make a drive for the screw by binding two nuts tightly against each other (use two wrenches). This locks them to the stud which you can now screw into the wood using a nutdriver. Once the stud is at the proper height, use the two wrenches to break the nuts loose and remove them.

abrstudinstallation1gs0.jpg


abrstudinstallation2pm6.jpg


abrstudinstallation3iq6.jpg
 

Electric Lloyd

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Feb 5, 2005
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Mapleflame, is this because the stock posts don't thread to the bottom of the hole? I've been thinking of buying some 6/32 threaded rod & installing them tight to the bottom of the holes, then cutting them to be just flush with the top of the bridge. Is what I'm describing the same basic principal? I know my posts do not bottom out in their holes.
 

MapleFlame

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Mapleflame, is this because the stock posts don't thread to the bottom of the hole? I've been thinking of buying some 6/32 threaded rod & installing them tight to the bottom of the holes, then cutting them to be just flush with the top of the bridge. Is what I'm describing the same basic principal? I know my posts do not bottom out in their holes.

Stainless has better sonic abilities, and as you say, with the post screwed down even father creates more surface area for vibration. Not all the holes are drilled a little farther past the original post length. If you cut the pole the same size as the original, it's defeating the purpose. Also the tilt factor of the bridge will be reduced.
 

chux06r9

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Aug 23, 2007
Messages
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MapleFlame- This is a great tip. I have never taken these studs out of the guitar. About how much thread engagement into the guitar is typical with the stock studs? How much more should you achieve with the stainless studs? I think you are saying that if the stock studs are already at the bottom of the tap hole that you should tap deeper. That's the tricky part. Thanx for any more info.

Also, Danelectro your pics and the tip with the two nuts and socket driver were fantastic!!! Thanx
 

toxpert

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Jul 2, 2005
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I did that to my 68 GT. I bought stainless steel screws; screwed them all the way down and tight into the holes; then cutoff the screw shaft with a Dremel cutoff wheel.

My 68 has the brightest, most articulate tone of my lesters. I never thought much about the stainless steel sonic properties as I was doing this...I was just retrofitting proper sized studs to fit a ABR back onto the guitar.

Makes me think about doing that to my R7 and see if the lower register of the low E string improves....???!
 

TM1

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Makes me think about doing that to my R7 and see if the lower register of the low E string improves....???!

It sure will! My R-0 has more tone now than ever. Nice round lows, punchy mids and a smooth, sweet topend. It sounds alot like the "Fresh Cream" Lester now..
I can't believe how much of an improvement two .39 cent a piece screws made. I also did my ES-339, R-7 Custom, `62 Hist.SG/LP, FB VII and a Casino.
 

MapleFlame

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Makes me think about doing that to my R7 and see if the lower register of the low E string improves....???!

It sure will! My R-0 has more tone now than ever. Nice round lows, punchy mids and a smooth, sweet topend. It sounds alot like the "Fresh Cream" Lester now..
I can't believe how much of an improvement two .39 cent a piece screws made. I also did my ES-339, R-7 Custom, `62 Hist.SG/LP, FB VII and a Casino.


Just had a go huh. Now that's some 6 X.39 cents of pleasure. I am sure it was easy to do this in the shop and on a nice bench.:dude:
 

TM1

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Just had a go huh. Now that's some 6 X.39 cents of pleasure. I am sure it was easy to do this in the shop and on a nice bench.:dude:
Yeah, took about 15-20 minutes for each guitar after I did the first one rather slowly to make sure I didn't run into anything weird. I used a power screwdriver to run them in and then measured the height, cut off the head with my Dremel and rounded it, thumbwheels & bridge on and adjust the action. It's interesting to see how loose some of the holes are at the first 1/2". The deeper the thread went the tighter it got.
 

el84ster

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Sep 10, 2001
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1,420
This is why I love this place, thanks for posting this.

BUT, I have to say that I didn't like the change to my R8. It was too bright, and seemed to take out some midrange. It was meatier with the stock brass screws. So, be aware it may not be best for every taste/guitar.
 

Steve Craw

Formerly Lefty Elmo
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
5,292
Uh oh....gentlemen, break out your tools...

Well, I broke out my tools last night, and installed stainless posts for the bridge. It's a simple mod, and only took about half an hour from start to finish. It seems to have given a little more sparkle to the top end, which is always welcome in my world. Thanks Mapleflame and TM1:2zone
 

roadrunner

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Mmmm, very interesting...:hmm

Were the posts on the old guitars stainless steel?
 

MapleFlame

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Mmmm, very interesting...:hmm

Were the posts on the old guitars stainless steel?

brass coated with nickle they were. The point of doing this mod is not just for metal content, but it is for the length and the ability to go deeper into the maple top.
 

darkwave

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Sep 17, 2001
Messages
357
I did something similar a year or two ago to a '77 Ibanez Destroyer. I got the guitar as an overspray with all of the parts changed. It had a Nashville bridge on press-in bushings (which were way loose) and didn't have enough travel to intonate properly.

I dowelled the holes with mahogany and installed larger stainless screws (#8?)which fit the lerger holes in the Nashville bridge. I also added lock screws as on a TonePros bridge. It's a VERY solid installation now. Not stock, but this guitar was far from that to begin with.

-Douglas C.
 
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