Axomann
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2009
- Messages
- 122
- Reaction score
- 192
I was not really happy with the sound of my Gibson Les Paul 2014 and I did many tests where I basically changed the bridge and the tailpiece. During these tests I have spent many hours disabling the guitar. I have always compared it with my other Les Pauls.
This 2014 Les Paul comes with a TonePros Nashville bridge with locking system and TonePros Tailpiece with locking system too. The sound with the default hardware, compared it to my others Les Pauls, was a muddy / dark with no treble and no resonance. I thought at the beginning, that the cause could be the pickup covers and I have removed them. With this change the guitar gained more top-end treble, but this muddy/dark sound was also there.
Then I have bought an aluminum tailpiece from TonePros T1ZSA-CH with the locking system. With this change the guitar was more resonance, but now the sound was too much holly/woody for me. Maybe this tailpiece will be a good one in other guitars, but not in this LP2014. I guess the resonance chambers of the body are here the reason. I did here many tests with other zinc tailpieces with not really good results.
I have an old original Gibson aluminum tailpiece and I have also installed it. The result was better than the aluminum TonePros tailpiece, but this muddy sound was still there. At this point I was very disappointed with the sound of the guitar
I have also an old Gibson ABR-1 non wired bridge and I have installed it. You can install it without any modification, because the TonePros studs are 4mm. Then was really a surprise, in fact this is when you say “wow” what for a difference in the sound! This combination was the ABR-1 with the old Gibson aluminum tailpiece. Ok now this muddy sound has disappeared and the sound was really clear and bright. Yes, mhmm but now too much bright at the treble top-end
With these tests I realized, that the bridge was the cause of the muddy/dark sound. I don’t have an original Gibson Nashville bridge, maybe it didn’t have this problem. I don’t know.
Searching for a good bridge in chrome, I have read a lot of reviews and find good opinions about the ABM 2500c bridge. Then I bought one in chrome and put it in the guitar with the old Gibson alu tailpiece. I was very disappointed, the sound was really dark, darker as the original TonePros Nashville bridge and not sustain at all. I don’t really understand the reviews of the people who have installed it. Very disappointed with this bridge
Anyway, now the challenge was to find a bridge in chrom with the sound of the Gibson ABR-1 but with less top end treble. I bought a Gotoh G104-B because the saddles are made of zinc and not of brass like the Gibson ABR-1 are, hopping that this difference could reduce the treble at the top-end. Yes it was and this bridge is the correct option for this guitar. The sound is now very balanced and clear. You can hear it now also unpluged. The difference comparing it with the original TonePros bridge and tailpiece is like day and night!!
The last change was the installation of a Kluson alu tailpiece, because it comes in chrome and the sound is very similar to the aluminum Gibson tailpiece. Not the same sound must I say, but very close.
With this guitars I compared it.
Now with the Gotoh bridge and the Kluson alu tailpiece, the sound is very similar to the PRS SC245. Both guitars have this chambered percussion sound, but the Gibson is much clearer. Now I'm very happy with the sound, it is really percussive and bright maybe a litle hard in the middle range. An other good sound in my Les Paul collection.
This 2014 Les Paul comes with a TonePros Nashville bridge with locking system and TonePros Tailpiece with locking system too. The sound with the default hardware, compared it to my others Les Pauls, was a muddy / dark with no treble and no resonance. I thought at the beginning, that the cause could be the pickup covers and I have removed them. With this change the guitar gained more top-end treble, but this muddy/dark sound was also there.
Then I have bought an aluminum tailpiece from TonePros T1ZSA-CH with the locking system. With this change the guitar was more resonance, but now the sound was too much holly/woody for me. Maybe this tailpiece will be a good one in other guitars, but not in this LP2014. I guess the resonance chambers of the body are here the reason. I did here many tests with other zinc tailpieces with not really good results.
I have an old original Gibson aluminum tailpiece and I have also installed it. The result was better than the aluminum TonePros tailpiece, but this muddy sound was still there. At this point I was very disappointed with the sound of the guitar
I have also an old Gibson ABR-1 non wired bridge and I have installed it. You can install it without any modification, because the TonePros studs are 4mm. Then was really a surprise, in fact this is when you say “wow” what for a difference in the sound! This combination was the ABR-1 with the old Gibson aluminum tailpiece. Ok now this muddy sound has disappeared and the sound was really clear and bright. Yes, mhmm but now too much bright at the treble top-end
With these tests I realized, that the bridge was the cause of the muddy/dark sound. I don’t have an original Gibson Nashville bridge, maybe it didn’t have this problem. I don’t know.
Searching for a good bridge in chrome, I have read a lot of reviews and find good opinions about the ABM 2500c bridge. Then I bought one in chrome and put it in the guitar with the old Gibson alu tailpiece. I was very disappointed, the sound was really dark, darker as the original TonePros Nashville bridge and not sustain at all. I don’t really understand the reviews of the people who have installed it. Very disappointed with this bridge
Anyway, now the challenge was to find a bridge in chrom with the sound of the Gibson ABR-1 but with less top end treble. I bought a Gotoh G104-B because the saddles are made of zinc and not of brass like the Gibson ABR-1 are, hopping that this difference could reduce the treble at the top-end. Yes it was and this bridge is the correct option for this guitar. The sound is now very balanced and clear. You can hear it now also unpluged. The difference comparing it with the original TonePros bridge and tailpiece is like day and night!!
The last change was the installation of a Kluson alu tailpiece, because it comes in chrome and the sound is very similar to the aluminum Gibson tailpiece. Not the same sound must I say, but very close.
With this guitars I compared it.
Now with the Gotoh bridge and the Kluson alu tailpiece, the sound is very similar to the PRS SC245. Both guitars have this chambered percussion sound, but the Gibson is much clearer. Now I'm very happy with the sound, it is really percussive and bright maybe a litle hard in the middle range. An other good sound in my Les Paul collection.
