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Brass vs steel abr-1 posts

cherryburst96

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May 10, 2020
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Hi, getting ready to convert my Standard with Nashville bridge to ABR-1. Is there a noticable tonal difference between steel and brass posts and/or thumbwheels? Acoustically and plugged in. Are steel posts less likely to bend under string tension? I use 11-49 and have a heavy hand. Cheers!
 

J.D.

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May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Steel is unquestionably less likely to bend.

Lot of debate here over the years over tone differences in ABR-1 post material. I've played this game and personally can't hear much if any differences, assuming they are seated into the wood good and snug.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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14,537
Steel is unquestionably less likely to bend.

Lot of debate here over the years over tone differences in ABR-1 post material. I've played this game and personally can't hear much if any differences, assuming they are seated into the wood good and snug.

This has been my experience. I hear no difference. Couldn't measure any either but steel is less likely to bend.
 

Triplet

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Mar 13, 2006
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1,675
I tried brass on one conversion. Snapped the bastard off at the base. Had to dig it out around it to get needle nose on it. Had to redo that hole. Stainless...
 

Bruce R

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Mar 2, 2007
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..... getting ready to convert my Standard with Nashville bridge to ABR-1....

A Nashville bridge has 1/4" bushings into the body, so are you removing those, plugging with wood, matching the finish, then drilling new holes for the posts? Lots involved.

Larry Corsa/Faber, and perhaps others, make ABR-1 bridges with larger holes to retrofit on Nashville posts.

https://faberusa.com/product/3032nsw-tone-lock-bridge-ez-aged-nickel/

Or you can just buy $12 conversion posts like these:

https://www.philadelphialuthiertool...n-gibson-guitar-with-nashville-bridge-nickel/


Have you thought about those options? When looking straight on you can't see any difference. Just a thought.
 
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Don

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Dec 1, 2001
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5,732
I used Faber BSWKIT studs and ABRN bridge on my Les Paul. They are solid, sound good and were pretty easy to install.
 

Coda

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Aug 17, 2010
Messages
115
I have 2 inch brass posts installed on 3 LPs. They sounded less shrill than steel 2inch posts.

I do have recurring the nightmare where they all snap off. So far so good (several years)
 

Sol

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Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
Back in 1998/9 I was considering converting my '92 standard with its Nashville bridge to the more historically accurate 1950,s spec abr-1 bridge with all the work involved in the conversion.
Any online criticism of the Nashville bridge, however small had me convinced that I just had to be playing a lemon without this essential conversion.

It was complete nonsense, obviously, but these things have a way of really messing with your head.


After buying the abr-1 for the conversion I realised that the Nashville posts were only a little wider than the post holes of the abr-1. It occurred to me that with a small diameter round file and a Dremel, I could make the reissue abr-1 bridge fit over the Nashville posts, with a nice snug fit, giving me the vintage look, and a chance to hear the tone difference between the abr-1 and Nashville bridge while preserving the originality and integrity of my Les Paul.

If I'd gone ahead with the work, I can't help feeling that 20 yrs on I'd probably regret changing a guitar that was perfectly fine before I came along.
 

Minibucker

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Jan 12, 2003
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6,372
If I'd gone ahead with the work, I can't help feeling that 20 yrs on I'd probably regret changing a guitar that was perfectly fine before I came along.
Along those lines, I had an R7 that was always kind of dead sounding, even with pickup changes. I tried both 2 inch brass and steel posts, liked brass better but it didn't really wake the guitar up. I got a 2013 R8, and out of the box the neck resonated like no Les Paul I've ever owned. I feel no need to try different posts, even out of curiosity.
 

Triplet

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Mar 13, 2006
Messages
1,675
Back in 1998/9 I was considering converting my '92 standard with its Nashville bridge to the more historically accurate 1950,s spec abr-1 bridge with all the work involved in the conversion.
Any online criticism of the Nashville bridge, however small had me convinced that I just had to be playing a lemon without this essential conversion.

It was complete nonsense, obviously, but these things have a way of really messing with your head.


After buying the abr-1 for the conversion I realised that the Nashville posts were only a little wider than the post holes of the abr-1. It occurred to me that with a small diameter round file and a Dremel, I could make the reissue abr-1 bridge fit over the Nashville posts, with a nice snug fit, giving me the vintage look, and a chance to hear the tone difference between the abr-1 and Nashville bridge while preserving the originality and integrity of my Les Paul.

If I'd gone ahead with the work, I can't help feeling that 20 yrs on I'd probably regret changing a guitar that was perfectly fine before I came along.

I think you're missing the major point of the conversion. It's not the ABR bridge piece that sits on the thumbwheels that make the difference - that is largely cosmetic. It's the yanking out the shallow bushing and plugging the holes and drilling for the threaded rods at a significant depth into the body that makes a difference. I did it to my '92 Standard and it made a completely different guitar. Would it have been the same for your guitar? Maybe, maybe not.
 

Sol

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Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
Along those lines, I had an R7 that was always kind of dead sounding, even with pickup changes. I tried both 2 inch brass and steel posts, liked brass better but it didn't really wake the guitar up. I got a 2013 R8, and out of the box the neck resonated like no Les Paul I've ever owned. I feel no need to try different posts, even out of curiosity.

The point being that it's not always the bridge that is the issue..
 

Minibucker

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Jan 12, 2003
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6,372
The point being that it's not always the bridge that is the issue..
Agreed. Put it this way, I've never had a guitar that went from being a not very good instrument to a very good one with a hardware change. I can see how a guitar's playability can be severely affected by a bad or broken/malfunctioning piece of hardware. I've tried to diagnose or improve a guitar that I wasn't getting along with from the hardware at times. But if all the mechanics and functions seem right on, electronics are good, strings are relatively fresh....and something about the tone just isn't doing it for you, I think changing hardware or materials (and maybe even pickups) will just be different shades of what's not doing it for you...like a brighter-boring compared to a darker-boring. At least in my admittedly limited experience.
 
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Sol

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Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
I think you're missing the major point of the conversion. It's not the ABR bridge piece that sits on the thumbwheels that make the difference - that is largely cosmetic. It's the yanking out the shallow bushing and plugging the holes and drilling for the threaded rods at a significant depth into the body that makes a difference. I did it to my '92 Standard and it made a completely different guitar. Would it have been the same for your guitar? Maybe, maybe not.

Yes I take your point,and it's well made, but I found that maintaining the originality of my' 92 standard, has not only preserved the instruments historic context and its future value, but also the unique sound of the Nashville bridge, that itself will place it to a time in Gibson's history.

I can switch between my Nashville and ABR-1, and I assure you there is a tonal difference, not as different as that you have with a complete vintage conversion, but by the same token you cannot return to the guitar Gibson made back in 1992.
 

Minibucker

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Yes I take your point,and it's well made, but I found that maintaining the originality of my' 92 standard, has not only preserved the instruments historic context and its future value, but also the unique sound of the Nashville bridge, that itself will place it to a time in Gibson's history.

I can switch between my Nashville and ABR-1, and I assure you there is a tonal difference, not as different as that you have with a complete vintage conversion, but by the same token you cannot return to the guitar Gibson made back in 1992.
I've mentioned this before but I actually like the Nashville bridge if it's a good solid unit, like the original Schaller-made ones, or a more recent Gotoh-made smaller one (if you want too approach the look of the ABR more). If I got a guitar that came stock with is and it played well, I'd definitely keep it that way or at least not look to covert it to ABR-1.
 

Sol

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Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
Agreed. Put it this way, I've never had a guitar that went from being a not very good instrument to a very good one with a hardware change. I can see how a guitar's playability can be severely affected by a bad or broken/malfunctioning piece of hardware. I've tried to diagnose or improve a guitar that I wasn't getting along with hardware at times. But if all the mechanics and functions seem right on, electronics are good, strings are relatively fresh....and something about the tone just isn't doing it for you, I think changing hardware or materials (and maybe even pickups) will just be different shades of what's not doing it for you...like a brighter-boring compared to a darker-boring. At least in my admittedly limited experience.

Thank you for expressing it better than I could
 

Minibucker

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Then of course someone like Joe B could pick up a guitar that I thought was a turd and make it sound like Gabriel's Horn without changing a thing, so it's all relative.
 

Sol

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Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
A Nashville bridge has 1/4" bushings into the body, so are you removing those, plugging with wood, matching the finish, then drilling new holes for the posts? Lots involved.

Larry Corsa/Faber, and perhaps others, make ABR-1 bridges with larger holes to retrofit on Nashville posts.

https://faberusa.com/product/3032nsw-tone-lock-bridge-ez-aged-nickel/

Or you can just buy $12 conversion posts like these:

https://www.philadelphialuthiertool...n-gibson-guitar-with-nashville-bridge-nickel/


Have you thought about those options? When looking straight on you can't see any difference. Just a thought.

These are the options I'd have loved when I went to work on that abr-1 with a file and Dremel, thanks for the links bro.

I hope the OP feels that we've put the options open to him in a way that is helpful.
 

Triplet

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Mar 13, 2006
Messages
1,675
Yes I take your point,and it's well made, but I found that maintaining the originality of my' 92 standard, has not only preserved the instruments historic context and its future value, but also the unique sound of the Nashville bridge, that itself will place it to a time in Gibson's history.

I can switch between my Nashville and ABR-1, and I assure you there is a tonal difference, not as different as that you have with a complete vintage conversion, but by the same token you cannot return to the guitar Gibson made back in 1992.

I'm with you. All guitars have their own personalities. I might say though, if a '92 Standard ever becomes a collectors item - I have lived much too long.
 

gmann

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May 26, 2003
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6,147
I'm with you. All guitars have their own personalities. I might say though, if a '92 Standard ever becomes a collectors item - I have lived much too long.

Beats the alternative tho huh!!
 
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