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Nashville v.s ABR Bridge - Models & Years

dcdefend

New member
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Messages
29
I am curious about the use of ABR and Nashville bridges on Gibson Les Paul guitars. Are the bridges used with different guitars or different time periods? I have 3 1993 Les Pauls - Pre-Historic & Classics. All 3 have ABR bridges and posts (studs into wood, no metal bushing). I have a 2102 Deluxe and 2014 Traditional. Both have the metal bushings in the guitar bodies. Lastly, I have a 1991 Studio Lite, it has the metal bushings.

So were the bushings (I guess this is for the Nashville bridge) used on Studios, but not Classics from this period (early 90s) since they were cheaper or less "traditional" models? Then I guess the 2010 era Gibson USA models had Nashville bridges? But if a Les Paul Traditional was supposed to be more 50's era in design, but not a Historic Model, seems they would have used the more traditional system, no bushings?

I am hoping someone can sort this out.
 

Axis39

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
83
The 'Nashville' Tune-O-Matic was introduced in 1975 (according to Wikipedia).
 

EFLOW

Active member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
596
The big Nashville bridge is not sexy imho....

I prefer the Gibson ABR-1, here on my upgraded Les Paul Tribute GT


les_pa26.jpg
 

zombiwoof

Active member
Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
3,565
Another question is when did Gibson start using the supposedly inferior but cheaper PingWorks Nashville bridge instead of the original Schaller Nashville?. Guys who like Nashvilles say the Schaller has more mass and sounds better. Schaller invented the Nashville.
Also, anyone notice that they have gone back to the ABR bridge on the Traditional LP's, but the version with 4mm mounting holes so it fits on the Nashville posts/bushings, which are retained from the past Nashville equipped Trads?.
Al
 
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