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Adding a Stoptail to a 1969 335?

guitplayer

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Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Get a Towner Down Tension Bar II - which is made for guitars with trapeze tailpieces.

http://townerusa.com/product/down-tension-bar-ii/

hoFigy9l.png
Seems like a worthy try. :hmm
 

fakejake

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Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Seems like a worthy try. :hmm

I guess if you add a second set of thumbwheels, and mount that thing firmly between the top of the guitar and the second set of thumbwheels, it should work without bending the posts.
 

rob livesey

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
655
I've never seen one of these either.

What do you think Rob, worth a go?

Whilst that would make the break angle over the ABR steeper, it’s something I don’t need to do on this guitar. The fact remains that the string length behind the bridge is still the same, so the tension remains the same.

Rob
 

fakejake

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The fact remains that the string length behind the bridge is still the same, so the tension remains the same.

Rob

Could you explain what you mean by that? Are you implying that only the length of the strings behind the bridge affects tension?
Just curious! :salude
 

Gold Tone

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Apr 2, 2002
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6,825
No worry that it would bend the posts. The point of contact is such that the force would need to be massive to bend the posts
 

ourmaninthenorth

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Mar 28, 2009
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7,119
Whilst that would make the break angle over the ABR steeper, it’s something I don’t need to do on this guitar. The fact remains that the string length behind the bridge is still the same, so the tension remains the same.

Rob

I see it as actually shortening (breaking) the string length behind the abr Rob. The gizmo, whilst not being an anchor point, is certainly a pivot point.

Plus it's in exactly the place where Mr Gelber suggests the stop should be, thereby mimicking the string length behind the bridge that a stop would, again with the concession that's it's a pivot rather than an anchor point.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
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1,592
That doohickey doesn't look too far off, in concept, from the "Buzz Stop" you see dudes put on Jazzmasters that's worth a googling. Same idea, steepen the break angle behind the bridge.





In the right hands a Kalamazoo ES w/trapeze will do the job just fine.
 

rob livesey

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Feb 28, 2007
Messages
655
Could you explain what you mean by that? Are you implying that only the length of the strings behind the bridge affects tension?
Just curious! :salude

Not only. But contributes to. The length of string behind the bridge remains the same as before.

Rob
 

springhead

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Feb 12, 2016
Messages
262
The tension is set by the scale length. Break angles and string length beyond nut and bridge change the feel, or maybe stiffness - how much effort is required to displace the string by fretting or bending.

Possibly pedantic I know! But tension is a fixed thing, anything else is more feel, but still valid nonetheless.
 

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
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1,020

OKGuitar

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Jan 20, 2011
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938
Let me clarify. I generally don't advocate modding a vintage guitar. I don't control the market, so when I say the stop tail mod (done correctly) doesn't affect the market value, its isn't an opinion. It's what I've experienced over years of sales. Someone made the point that you should find one that's already been modded and I agree with that but that doesn't really address the issue of whether to mod a trap tail 335. As recently as a few years ago, I was pretty vocal about the "sanctity" of vintage guitars. Now, I'm not. There are certain mods that make a lot of sense and the guitar, after all is said and done, is made to be played. I used to rail against modding 345's for mono and removing the Varitone. Now I do the mod myself frequently (although that mod is totally reversible). Making a good guitar better is never a bad thing from a player's standpoint. For an investor, I would stick to my rule of never modding a mint or near mint guitar unless the mod can be reversed. There are plenty of player grade trap tail 335's out there for those who want a stop tail.
 

fakejake

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Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Let me clarify. I generally don't advocate modding a vintage guitar. I don't control the market, so when I say the stop tail mod (done correctly) doesn't affect the market value, its isn't an opinion. It's what I've experienced over years of sales. Someone made the point that you should find one that's already been modded and I agree with that but that doesn't really address the issue of whether to mod a trap tail 335. As recently as a few years ago, I was pretty vocal about the "sanctity" of vintage guitars. Now, I'm not. There are certain mods that make a lot of sense and the guitar, after all is said and done, is made to be played. I used to rail against modding 345's for mono and removing the Varitone. Now I do the mod myself frequently (although that mod is totally reversible). Making a good guitar better is never a bad thing from a player's standpoint. For an investor, I would stick to my rule of never modding a mint or near mint guitar unless the mod can be reversed. There are plenty of player grade trap tail 335's out there for those who want a stop tail.

Have you ever experienced that a traptail 335 suffered negative consequences from a properly done stoptail conversion? I.e. a loss in sustain, deadnotes that weren't there before, less character to the sound?
Or did all of the conversions you had done always significantly improved the respective guitars? :salude
 

VamboRool

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Nov 25, 2015
Messages
424
I'd keep the original tailpiece, but try an ABR-1 with metal saddles and see how that changed the tone.
 
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