Advice on tailpiece height and string feel

[Ralff]

I done some searching on google and the site, and all I have come up with are threads on the tailpiece and tone, whether to screw it down and top wrap, arguments for and against, etc. My question is a bit different. I am a bit of a noob at luthier type stuff, so bear with me.

I have a LP Traditional, and have my tailpiece as low as it will go without the strings touching the bridge (in fact, a couple of strings may be lightly touching), and the tailpiece is still really high. I'm not looking to get the tailpiece flush with the body, and to be honest I don't really care that it's high, but the strings feel very loose. I think "slinky" is a word many use to describe it. I'm not a big fan of it, and would like the strings to feel tighter. The action is already pretty low.

What are my options here? The bridge is a tone pros and the saddles seem fairly tall. I didn't measure it, but just eyeballing it, screwing down the tailpiece completely and top wrapping would have even less of a break angle, presumably hurting instead of helping. Maybe change from 10s to 11s? I thought about a smaller bridge, but I would have to raise it to keep the strings off the fretboard.

Thoughts/advice/flames?

 

[DPaulCustom]

A pic or two might give an idea what's goin on, from the side, showing both bridge & tail as they are ATM

 

[Ralff]

Never posted a pic before, so I hope I did this right.

Yes, I have differing knobs. I'm trying to figure out which ones I like the best.

Looking at it, the break angle seems more than I thought it was.

 

[ihavenofish]

raising and lowering the tail will not change the "feel" in any significant way. it does change the downforce on the bridge, which is where the theoretical change in sustain comes from, but you don't general "feel" this, unless the break angle is so low the string pop out of the saddle.

if the strings feel too slinky, get heavier strings, or raise the action.

 

[GitFiddle]

...
if the strings feel too slinky, get heavier strings, or raise the action.

This ^^^


Try a couple different brands or types of string than what you are using now. Certain guitars like certain strings better than others. I have some guitars that feel better with EB Slinkys and others that feel and sound better with GHS Boomers.

 

[Ralff]

That's kind of what I was thinking. Thanks for the info.

Slightly off topic, but when properly set up, will heavier strings need higher action?

 

[DPaulCustom]

In a word, yes, but it shouldn't be much.
A heavier string will "wobble" (for lack of a better word) more, giving more chance of fret buzz

 

[emoney]

It's probably been said, or at least implied, but it already looks as if the tailpiece is a bit low,
due to the strings resting on the back of the bridge.

Still, explain more what you are experiencing when you say the strings feel "loose"? I'm
having a tough time wrapping my head around how heavier gauge strings will help in this arena?
Also, what are you comparing this guitar to, i.e. another LP, a different make/model all together,
an acoustic?
If the guitar is in tune and intonated there should be sufficient tightening of the strings
to avoid any loose feeling, or at least it seems like that would be the case?