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which nickel ABR 1 will fit on the nashville studs?

Bluespower

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Feb 26, 2003
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I'm sure this has been hashed over 1000 times.....
Is there is a good answer to this..... I tried the GF nickel ABR1 that fits into the existing bushing but it doesn't quite fit on the ABR1 after that.

I screwed the new posts in to the existing bushings and the ABR 1 holes don't quite fit over them. the over all spacing is too narrow. The Nashville fits fine with it's own posts but the GF ABR1 doesn't fit on it's own posts. the bushings are a little too far apart for the GF. very small differnce, but I don't want to bend or force anything.

-> Who else makes a nickel ABR1 with brass saddles that will screw in to the Nashville bushings?
 

Bluespower

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Just found out that nobody makes an ABR1 that drops right on to the Nashville bushings. They (ABR1) are narrow by 1/64th...

oh well

maybe I'll go the traditional ABR1 and plug the holes.... maybe...
 

BobV

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Not so fast; it's not a clear cut rule. Hope is not lost. Depending on the year it's entirely possible to get an ABR bridge that has the same spacing. Things change, and change they do.

It's often been reported here that the Allparts "old style" (which is now called out as the "vintage" style) bridge is a wired-ABR bridge which drops onto Nashville studs.

Others have found that either the stud spacing is a bit off, as in your case, or the spacing is just fine but the holes are not the same size (as in my case twice now).

If the spacing is off, there are offset conversion posts that thread into the big Nashville inserts in the guitar top, and an offset thinner threaded section to shift slightly for the Nashville bridge. can't put my finger on it at the moment but its BF or Brown or something (could be more helpful, I know).

If the holes are not the same size, but the spacing is okay (which appears to be the case for recently manufactured guitars) then either the Allparts bridge will drop on, or you might have to ream out the holes in the new bridge to accommodate the Nashville posts. I found out (the hard way) that the "PW" (hmmm, Ping Works?) Nashville bridge on my '09 LP Standard Traditional has thinner posts (and smaller bridge holes) than the bridge that came on my '11 LP Studio 60's Tribute, so reaming had to be done to different sizes in order to modify an ABR bridge to fit the Nash studs. My favorite for that task is the Gotoh ABR bridge which does not have a wire (the saddles are retained by either a spring clip on older ones or a lock-nut on newer ones); it's still narrow enough to crank the tailpiece all the way down when you string up. I used a tapered reamer until a drill bit that matches the size of the stud would fit - I did not try to enlarge the hole by cutting with a drill bit.

So far I'm talking about dropping a new bridge onto your old Nashville studs. There are many other options that involve pulling the bushings and either plugging/drilling or tapping in replacement hardware to mount an ABR where a Nash used to be.
 

latestarter

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Yeah, not so fast....here's my last shot re Faber/Nashville/ABR. Essentially, it does NOT fit a Nashville spacing. The simple answer is Nasville spacings are wider than ABR's so the centres are out, meanign the posts are out etc etc.

Chiming in late on this but I have been in a cyclical discussion with a vendor about the Faber ABRL and it replacing my Nashville bridge in a Traditional.
Here's my summary from tonight...you're missing all the photo's and evidence I gave but assume it's as I state here:

"In summary:

- The Faber bridge is in spec at 2 and 29/32 spacing, and fits an ABR-1 bridge spacing perfectly
- The Faber locking screws work 100%
- The BSW kit is correctly installed to accept the Nashville bridge inserts on my Les Paul
- The Faber bridge states it can replace both an ABR-1 bridge AND a Nashville bridge
- The Gibson factory stud spacings for a Nashville bridge and an ABR bridge are .5mm (1/32) different from centre to centre – the Nashville being set wider apart
- The Faber bridge, as a result of the above point, cannot retrofit onto Nashville spaced guitar as only one screw will ever have enough “give”

I’m not sure what more I can provide here. Using your logic below suggests the Gibson guitar bridge spacing centre is out of spec…which it isn’t. I actually believe that Faber have got this one wrong – this bridge cannot fit a modern Nashville spaced guitar."


So this is where I am at. I like the Faber stuff I've brought - maybe a dozen bridges to date. But I really think there's an issue here, and surely I cannot be the only who is seeing it?

Thoughts from you folk?
 

Don

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I put an ABR1 on the Nashville studs on my Gary Moore LP.

I reamed the holes in the ABR1 from the bottom (I did not enlarge the top opening of the holes) so that they were the same size and roughly the same taper as the holes in the Nashville bridge and it fit beautifully.

The same bridge fit on the Nashville studs and later, on the Faber BSWKIT studs on my ES-135 as well.

The spacing was not an issue at all.
 

Deluxe Reverb

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Apr 2, 2002
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Yeah, not so fast....here's my last shot re Faber/Nashville/ABR. Essentially, it does NOT fit a Nashville spacing. The simple answer is Nasville spacings are wider than ABR's so the centres are out, meanign the posts are out etc etc.

Odd... I've tried a couple of the Faber ABR1s for Nashville studs on my '61 SG RI and they slipped on perfectly. The guitar still wears one of them with titanium saddles.
 

latestarter

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And they call it a 61 reissue?

Some dimensions have slack so I'm not surprised it works for some. I might take some photos....show what I mean. Many don't believe me.
 

BobV

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The Tone Pros site mentions that some bridges are machined with a conical hole and some slop/tolerance built in so they might fit where they're not designed to go.
 

zombiwoof

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Feb 22, 2003
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There are two different Faber ABR-type bridges, one fits regular ABR posts and the other fits on Nashville posts (unless they've recently changed that).

There are a number of ABR-type bridges that fit directly on Nashville posts. I like the Allparts "Old Style Tunematic" (I think they call it something different now). It is great quality (made in Japan), is reasonably priced (around $25-30 depending on where you buy it), and has the ABR look.

http://www.allparts.com/Nickel-Tunematic-Bridge-p/gb-0520-001.htm

Don't buy it from Allparts directly, they charge full list price. Buy it from an Allparts dealer, who sells it in the $25-30 range. It's here at Guitar Parts Resource:

http://guitarpartsresource.com/gbridge_abrgibson.htm

(first one on the top row at the left).

I've also seen it at other dealers for even less (on Ebay for instance).

Also, Gotoh makes a "narrow" tunematic bridge that also fits on Nashville posts, the only difference in it is that it doesn't have the wire to hold the saddles, instead it uses small hex nuts. I like the look of the Allparts tunematic better, but it's a matter of taste.

Just don't buy the Korean ABR bridge that some sell (Stew Mac for one), I've read it isn't of the same quality as the Gotoh or Allparts bridges.

I used the Allparts bridge to replace the Nashville on my SG Classic, and it worked out great. Because it is narrower than the Nashville, I was able to lower the tailpiece quite a bit without the strings hitting the back of the bridge, and the tone improved on the guitar, too.

Al
 

latestarter

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Because it is narrower than the Nashville, I was able to lower the tailpiece quite a bit without the strings hitting the back of the bridge, and the tone improved on the guitar, too.

Al

Thanks for this....the reason above is why I was looking to change also.
 

Bluespower

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Thank to everyone for your info.

the Gibson LP Studio 60's Tribute I picked up two weeks ago was built in Aug of this year. ..... Stew Mac tech told me yesterday that no one is making "drop in" ABR1 for nashville spacing. ? .

I sent the GF ABR1 with brass saddles back, as it doesn't fit over the Nashville spacing.

I'll call CV this morning and see what I can find out. Also Guitar Resource and Allparts.

I'm considering plug and fill to add a legit ABR1 but it changes the "factory" guitar, so this is a last resort. I realize that this is what changes the tone, but the guitar sounds great already with the p90s and the chambered body, so I'm not so much about changing tone as about stop tail height and appearance. (Top wrap is too high for me.)
 
Last edited:

zombiwoof

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Thank to everyone for your info.

the Gibson LP Studio 60's Tribute I picked up two weeks ago was built in Aug of this year. ..... Stew Mac tech told me yesterday that no one is making "drop in" ABR1 for nashville spacing. ? .

I sent the GF ABR1 with brass saddles back, as it doesn't fit over the Nashville spacing.

I'll call CV this morning and see what I can find out. Also Guitar Resource and Allparts.

I'm considering plug and fill to add a legit ABR1 but it changes the "factory" guitar, so this is a last resort. I realize that this is what changes the tone, but the guitar sounds great already with the p90s and the chambered body, so I'm not so much about changing tone as about stop tail height and appearance. (Top wrap is too high for me.)

Stew Mac obviously doesn't know what they're talking about!.
They even used to sell that Korean bridge I talked about that fit on Nashville posts, that got bad reviews, maybe they stopped selling it, but all of those bridges I discussed will fit on Nashville posts. Once again, I like the Allparts bridge, but there are also other options.

Al
 

Bluespower

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Found out this afternoon that

http://www.brownsguitarfactory.com/

On the home page, it's listed under "online shopping" - "accessories" and then select #5. A bit pricey but where else can you go?

This guy sells the off set posts that can be screwed directly into the Nashville bushings and then I can drop a vintage Gibson ABR1 Tune-O-matic, or go with the tone pros AVR2, or any Tune-o-matic repro for that matter.

I'll report back when I get it all hooked up.
 

RnB

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..... Stew Mac tech told me yesterday that no one is making "drop in" ABR1 for nashville spacing...?

I'll call CV this morning and see what I can find out. Also Guitar Resource and Allparts.

I'm considering plug and fill to add a legit ABR1 but it changes the "factory" guitar, so this is a last resort.

Stew Mac obviously doesn't know what they're talking about! Once again, I like the Allparts bridge, but there are also other options.

^^...

Give LC a call at CV Guitars & get the lowdown. The Faber Conversion w/ the BSWKIT is a fine upgrade & not that costly when compared to filling holes & touching-up the areas involved! It does the job & only takes a few minutes.

Callaham has a similar 'Conversion Mod' that enables you to lose the existing Nashville inserts as well....
http://www.callahamguitars.com/g_brdgn2b.jpg
 

Don

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Found out this afternoon that

http://www.brownsguitarfactory.com/

On the home page, it's listed under "online shopping" - "accessories" and then select #5. A bit pricey but where else can you go?

This guy sells the off set posts that can be screwed directly into the Nashville bushings and then I can drop a vintage Gibson ABR1 Tune-O-matic, or go with the tone pros AVR2, or any Tune-o-matic repro for that matter.

I'll report back when I get it all hooked up.

It looks like they've improved those by offering a locking version. I did not like the original version at all. I much prefered the Faber BSWKIT.

Theoretically, the ABR1 bridge did not fit on my Gary Moore Les Paul or ES-135. In reality, it fit just fine.
 

Bluespower

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I'll see how this works with the tone pros avr2 and let you know.
 

jcsifu

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So this might be something that is common knowledge to many except me, but I'll ask anyway. I can see how the narrower ABR1 allows you to lower the tailpiece quite a bit without the strings hitting the back of the bridge, but how does it improve the tone on the guitar. I have a topwrap that lets me slam the tailpeice down all the way to the body and I feel/hear more sustain in that guitar, but I believe that is due to the conection to the body with the bridge. Is it a material difference between a Nashville and a ABR1 or a distance to the body with the tailpeice issue that makes the tone better?
 

Bluespower

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ABR posts are set directly in the wood. Biggest difference. Not what I'm doing. I want more bridge clearance. But the material also matters., Nashville seems less lively.
 

zombiwoof

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ABR posts are set directly in the wood. Biggest difference. Not what I'm doing. I want more bridge clearance. But the material also matters., Nashville seems less lively.

Also, the Nashville bridge that Gibson uses now is a Chinese-made PingWorks Nashville, which seems to not be up to the quality of the original Nashville bridge that Gibson used to use, which is made by Schaller. The Schaller Nashville is made in Germany and by most accounts is a better bridge than the Ping one. Having said that, I prefer the ABR-style bridge, despite what some think are its drawbacks (the wire, less range of adjustment).

Al
 
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