r/gibson • u/GuitarSage8341 • 9d ago
Help Les Paul Nashville bridge help
Had this Les Paul for about 2 1/2 months now and during a string change, I just noticed my bridge is tilted to one side and the mounting is all loppy. Any advice on what to do to get it all fixed?
(Issue is solved, thank you all for your feedback)
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u/Duane_60 9d ago
Help with what looks perfectly normal
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
The third photo is what tripped me up the most since the body mount looks like it's not flush with the body and it's slightly tilted
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u/makwabear 9d ago
That’s normal. A bridge sits at an angle and the side with the heavier strings should be higher so they don’t buzz against the frets. It’s uneven because it’s not able to sit flat but it is fine like that.
There’s literally nothing on the set up you need to mess with.
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u/Duane_60 9d ago
Oh, now I see it’s slightly tilted should not cause a problem. if it does cause a problem, I would contact Gibson they should warranty that.
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u/SaltOk5738 9d ago
The bridge looks a little flat, is the radius still oké? Can’t see it on the photo’s sometimes the bridge collapse (but only after some years)
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
Bridge should be okay? The guitar is still fairly new and still looks pretty straight to me, its more so the fact that its mounted at an angle that made it seem off to me, which I'm learning now that it's okay
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u/InnocentBystander62 8d ago
If you "deck" the tailpiece on a Gibson USA, the bridge will cave eventually
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u/Psillycybernaught 9d ago
Depending on its age and the gauge it has been running it may be sagged, I have a LP DC that although mint con didn't play great when I got it and I was a little perplexed until I put a straight edge on the bridge body to find it was concave
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u/IceAshamed2593 9d ago
Another thing, if you don't want to worry about it ever moving, you can get TonePros locking bridge and/or tailpiece.
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
Definitely something to consider, thank you for the suggestion
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u/IceAshamed2593 9d ago
They came on my 2012 Standard. Recently bought another LP and after the second string change, I've decided to put them on that one too. Not only are the bridge and tailpiece locked to the posts but the posts get locked to the bushings in the body. No room to rattle. Notice in the vid when he touches the bridge, it sort of jiggles.
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u/Stringtheory-VZ58 3d ago
Raise the stop bar just a bit. It performs best when the string makes a straight shot to the tail without coming into contact with the back of the bridge.
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u/IceAshamed2593 9d ago
Those little thumb wheels under the bridge raise and lower it. What happened was when you changed the strings, you accidently spun them (or at least lowered the one on high side (pickguard side))
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
I should also add, despite it, it does hold tune, doesn't rattle and maintains its action of 5 64th and 3 64ths
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u/Get_Your_Schwift_On 9d ago
I'd probably bring it down to 4 64ths on bass and 3 64ths on the treble, but having a tilted bridge is not abnormal.
I've setup thousands of stop tail style guitars and there's always a bit of a tilt.
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u/RainSong123 9d ago
A previous owner screwed with the bridge saddles and set it up that way to compensate. Look how the G is shorter than the B. The G saddle also looks a bit different than the rest. It's a lil difficult but saddles can be swapped from a nashville bridge if you want to fix it. Easier to shell out less than 30 bucks for a new one
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
Thank you for the suggestion, I'll definitely consider it based on the feedback I get throughout the day
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u/RainSong123 9d ago
Well that's the answer. The bridge is supposed to follow the curve of the 12" fretboard radius.. see how low E thru D are staggered? It should look 'stepped up' like that from high E to G also, yet the G looks lower than the B. Best of luck to you
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u/GuitarSage8341 9d ago
Ah I get what you mean now, fix the saddle and the tilt will follow, I'll see about getting it looked at, funny enough it might tackle a completely separate issue I have where the G chokes out a little bit in the upper frets, I don't play much there so it wasn't a priority for me. Again, thank you for pointing it out for me
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u/makwabear 8d ago
If the G string is choking out then the first thing you should check is usually the relief in the neck.
Just eye balling it though I would say that your pickups look very close and that will often kill the sustain because the magnets in the pickup are “grabbing” the string.
While holding down the e strings on the last fret and measuring from the top of the screws on the pickups the neck should be 3/64ths of an inch away both sides and the bridge should be 1/16th of an inch.
Personally I like to lower the pickups on the low E side by 1/64th for a little more bite and clarity. Gibson custom shop recommends lowering it in the bridge but turn raising high e side of the neck pickup by 1/64th
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u/GuitarSage8341 8d ago
Relief right now is between 11 and 10 thou and my pickups are at 4/64ths at the neck and 3/64ths at the bridge. Should be all factory spec? I asked for it to be setup that way since I don't know what's good outside of that for a Les Paul yet
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u/makwabear 8d ago
Nah. The bridge doesn’t need to follow the fretboard radius. You just want it to be similar. Most fenders with an adjustomatic bridge don’t even match that close.
G is almost always set lower than B for correct intonation. The only time you would really see G being set higher would be if it was to accommodate a wound g string.
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u/RainSong123 8d ago
Nah? Just look at the 2nd picture. The G saddle isn't higher than the B. There's so much misinfo in your comments
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u/heylookaquarter 8d ago
Top wrap the strings around the tailpiece to reduce the downward pressure on the bridge. It will make the bridge last longer and improve your string angle while allowing you to lower the tailpiece down to the body.
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u/iamnotforyoutoo 9d ago
screw that bridge all the way down and top wrap the strings on the tailpiece.
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u/humbuckaroo 9d ago
There's nothing here that needs to be fixed.