question about tail piece set up on les pauls

[Al Russo]

tune-o-matic bridge w/ tail piece. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the tail piece should be set up so the strings don't make contact with it. I was checking my guitars and noticed one of my pauls has the strings touching the tail piece. I was wondering if i should adjust the tp so the strings don't touch it...thanx ..

 

[Monroe]

It's OK for the strings to touch the tailpiece, but you don't want them to touch the body of the bridge, only the saddles.

 

[Al Russo]

ok...so what you're saying is that the strings, when breaking over the saddle notches should cleanly pass the bridge w/no contact of the body of the bridge...I had screwed up my initial question. I meant exactly what you just told me..thanx. The strings on this particualar guitar do make slight contact w/the bridge after they pass the saddles. I take it, that i need to adjust the bridge so the strings just pass above it...thanx again...Al..

 

[dwagar]

I take it, that i need to adjust the bridge so the strings just pass above it

no, just raise the TP to clear the strings.

 

[ReWind James]

Or wrap your strings over the tailpiece. I've got one that the bridge just sits naturally high on the guitar with a proper setup. Funny neck/body angle maybe? Anyway, I top wrap that one and am able to keep the tailpiece all the way down to the body now. I'm not normally a "wrapper" though. Just that one... and it works well.

 

[Al Russo]

Re: question about tail piece set up on les pauls

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Russo
I take it, that i need to adjust the bridge so the strings just pass above it

no, just raise the TP to clear the strings.

it must have been an off day for me...i meant to say just what u told me...thanx for the help...

 

[BobV]

do search here on "tailpiece height" and you'll get more answers than you bargained for. just remember with a wider Nashville bridge you don't have the option of cranking the tailpiece all the way down; with an older style ABR-1 bridge you might get away with it.