Anchor Studs Or Not For LP Style Bridge??

[zozoe]

Greetings~ As you can see from my pics, my guitar doesn't have those anchors, & is probably more like original LP's,,, Is there any real sustainable benefit for me to switch over to anchors? Is there any one particular brand that reigns supreme?

Thanks all & happy holidays!!

 

[CB91710]

The cork-sniffers will tell you that what you have is better for transmitting tone into the body.
Personally, the anchor studs are a good idea for replacements for imported bridges, but I really have no problem with the Nashville bridge posts.

 

[irocdave12]

Most will tell you thats a step in the wrong direction. Many times people are buying the parts to convert the Nashville anchor types over to accept the ABR-1 bridge like you have so you probably don’t want to do the opposite. What you probably will want to do and be able to gain some benefit from is the mod of changing to longer stainless steel studs. That will give you a noticeable improvement and make for a much sturdier bridge that won’t eventually start to lean because the posts bent. If you wanted to go one more step you can get a locking bridge but I got away from using them myself and found not having everything as tight and locked together as possible made for improved sustain

 

[1allspub]

The original ABR-1 design with the posts directly into the wood (like you already have) is widely accepted as the superior design from a tone perspective (and I agree with this---and for clarity's sake, I am not a cork sniffer). The replacement hardware that you show above that allows a Nashville bridge equipped guitar to have an ABR-1 bridge mounted to it was really just designed as a band-aid to make it possible to do so (mostly for cosmetic reasons because people tend to think the ABR-1 looks better too).

Were you to install them in your guitar you would effectively be downgrading your guitar... and were you ever to go to sell it, you'd most likely take a price hit (and have to answer a lot of confused questions as to why you did it in the first place).

IOW, leave your guitar alone!

 

[rjwilson37]

Yep, you're already where you want to be with those type of bridge posts.

They have the ones you are showing above to replace anchors that have posts that screw into the anchor.

 

[Roxy13]

That's how they did it on the vintage guitars. Almost all of my Japanese guitars have the posts directly into the wood as well. I do have guitars going back to 1973 and I've only had to replace a few posts and we are talking about 40-50 guitars I've had that way plus the ones other people bring over for this or that.

 

[Blues_Verne]

The more moving parts (with tolerances on top) you have between the strings and the hog slab, the more vibration energy gets lost, hence LESS sustain and definition and tone. Go for it...

 

[Banastre]

Drilling (widening) the post holes to add anchor bushings can lead to problems. Cracked/chipped finish, a slip or drop of a reamer (I'd be wary of using a drill) and maybe a rising anchor that would need attention later.
I went with the 'deeper' mod mentioned. Took a stock ABR post down to the hardware store and got a couple stainless ones that I cut (don't want those poking out the back!!!). More secure, more sustain and not likely to bend over time.

 

[MP4-22]

The more moving parts (with tolerances on top) you have between the strings and the hog slab, the more vibration energy gets lost, hence LESS sustain and definition and tone. Go for it...

That's guitar nerd BS... I'd be more worried about the type of speaker in my amp and a fresh set of strings.

 

[efstop]

Doesn't physics say the more vibrations absorbed and damped by the body, the fewer vibrations there are to excite the magnetic fields?

 

[zozoe]

Great & thanks for all the affirmations & advice.... So, is what I have, the Nashville you speak of?
peace

 

[CB91710]

Great & thanks for all the affirmations & advice.... So, is what I have, the Nashville you speak of?
peace

You have the original ABR-1 type.

 

[JMP]

If you’re current setup is functioning as it’s designed to, don’t mess with it.

 

[CB91710]

ABR-1

Nashville

The adapters that you shared are intended to replace the Nashville studs and provide a single-piece connection between the thumbwheel and the body.
You already have that with the ABR-1, and it is considered to be the preferred configuration.


There is a 3rd bridge configuration that Gibson began using on the Original Series in 2019, and that is the Nashville studs/adjusters with the ABR-1 bridge and saddles.

 

[Blues_Verne]

That's guitar nerd BS... I'd be more worried about the type of speaker in my amp and a fresh set of strings.

YES, you're right about your assesment. Sometimes it might help your understanding if you try to experience yourself before you misjudge others. Just sayin'