Special II GT as "first guitar"?

[Barcham]

All I really want is the factory equipped gold plated t-o-m bridge and tail that Epiphone puts on the standards, unless it would be worth it to put some "other" gold bridge (rolling saddles, brass saddles etc etc) and some "other" gold tail (brass, curved etc)...and of course some knobs to replace the ugly amber's.
I just personally think the chrome/nickel bridges/tails etc are kind of ugly on any guitar that has any gold or cream pieces on it.

You cannot get the factory parts anywhere. They are made by Epiphone or one of their subcontractors and are not sold as separate parts. You might find someone selling their original parts on eBay, or here in the Member Classifieds, which they've replaced with better quality parts. And there are always the usual parts of unknown quality or origin from some Chinese vendor on eBay.

 

[LessPol]

So it's impossible to buy any Epiphone LockTone(TM) tune-o-matic bridges/stop bars new?
What would you suggest that is atleast as good as the original Epiphone bridge/stop bar?
Is it worth getting the curved stop bar/tailpiece? Is it worth getting a solid brass stop bar/tail?
Is it worth getting a roller saddle bridge? Is it worth getting a bridge with brass, or graphite or some other "special" saddles?

I honestly mainly want to replace the bridge&tail for aesthetic reasons, but since I cant get the gold plated Epiphone pieces, and if its worth it, I might as well get some "better" bridge and tail.


Is ABR-1 a brand, or just the style of bridge?

 

[Barcham]

ABR-1 is a style of bridge, not a brand. Stock Epi parts are far from the best quality out there and if you want a gold finish, they tarnish very quickly. If you want or need to replace them, you'd be much better off going with a quality bridge like Gotoh.

No point or need for a roller bridge unless you plan to install a Bigsby or other tremolo unit.

 

[LessPol]

Theres not a single benefit of roller saddles unless using a tremolo of some sort?
What about brass, or graphite or some other materiel saddles?

What is the point of the curved tailpiece/stop bar? Is it worth getting a brass or other material tail/stop bar? Or what gold plated material would be best?

What brands should I be looking at besides Gotoh and TonePro and Graphtech? What materials? Brass? Graphite? Anything better?
Would any of the gold plated bridges and stop bars from guitarfetish be as good, or better than the Epiphone locktone stuff?
Also, what exactly is a Nashville bridge? A brand? Or a style?

 

[Barcham]

A Nashville bridge is also a style, not a brand.

A roller bridge is totally pointless without a trem.

The tailpiece is curved to follow the radius of the bridge which is curved to follow the radius of the fretboard.

You won't go wrong with any brand name part from any reputable company. The world got along just fine before there were Teflon and graphtech saddles available and most people still get along just fine without them.

Just about anything on the market will be just as good or better than the stock parts.

 

[LessPol]

I mean if graphite or brass etc saddles make the guitar sound better and lessen the chance of frequent string breakage I might as well right? Abr1 or nashville?

I know most tailpieces/stop bars are slightly curved, but I saw a brass (I think) tail/stop bar on guitarfetish that was really curved, like on purpose. Also, if Im going to change the tail/stop bar just because I want it gold, I might as well get a "better" one. Is stainless the best? Aluminum? Brass? Hell, titanium? lol. Heavy one? One of the "light weight" pieces?

 

[Barcham]

Gotoh 1511 in gold. You won't get anything that will do the job any better.

STEWMAC.COM : Gotoh Tune-o-matic Bridge with Studs/Bushings

 

[Pflug]

I've purchased parts from Guitarfetish, everything has been up to my expectations- the stuff fit and worked and some stuff an upgrade from cheaper factory pieces, others at least as good as mid to low price factory guitar components. Decent stuff if you're changing mainly for appearance, replacing a broken or missing part, or working on a budget project

You do, however, need to take the product descriptions on their site with a grain of salt- some of them are a bit over the top. Their "best, custom handcrafted exclusively for us" stuff is generally perfectly useable but a step below most standard name brand counterparts

Expect the stuff from them to be decent but you may be disappointed if you expect a huge upgrade or "every note to bloom with buttery goodness" whatever that means LOL

 

[LessPol]

Gotoh 1511 in gold. You won't get anything that will do the job any better.

STEWMAC.COM : Gotoh Tune-o-matic Bridge with Studs/Bushings

That's a good cheap suggestion, thank you. Should I go ahead and get some "string saver" saddles or w/e they are called when I order the bridge and tail?
Also, is it worth "top wrapping" the tail/stop bar? Ive read generic posts claiming its better for the strings and sounds better, but I have no clue.

 

[Barcham]

In general, when you see people claiming that something is 'better', they usually mean it's better for them. Or at least they think it's better. My guitars have always had regular saddles and I have never top wrapped a guitar because I think it looks ugly and if anything, it puts more stress on the strings, not less.

 

[Sinistas]

I started on a Special II, and wish I hadn't sold it. Would have been a cool platform to mod and make into a backup.

 

[stringbender11]

I've used these guys many times: Welcome to EY Guitar Parts - EYPARTS,Best Price,Good Quality

They're much cheaper than GFS & the vast majority of stuff I've ordered has fit perfectly.

 

[stringbender11]

In general, when you see people claiming that something is 'better', they usually mean it's better for them. Or at least they think it's better. My guitars have always had regular saddles and I have never top wrapped a guitar because I think it looks ugly and if anything, it puts more stress on the strings, not less.

^Totally agree with this. 'Better' is a very subjective term. People often convince themselves something sounds drastically different because that's what they want to believe.

One way I got all my guitars to truly sound better though was by starting lessons around 3 months ago.

 

[LessPol]

I started on a Special II, and wish I hadn't sold it. Would have been a cool platform to mod and make into a backup.

Im still considering picking up a used Special II GT with killpot and tremolo just to fool around with as my dropD "brutal"/"metal" guitar lol

 

[LessPol]

I originally wanted a Special II or Special II +top because I wanted a cheap guitar untill I saw this video of the GT: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YNdRdHcR1w]Epiphone Special II and Explorer GT Electric Guitars - YouTube[/ame]

I am still kinda interested in finding a used Special II GT for a really good price even though I just bought a brand new Ltd Standard lol