Threw in the towel and ordered the parts...

[claven2]

FWIW, I can't say I blame you. Vintage-style Kluson clones are not the ultimate in precision and reliability. The Grover Deluxes are much better. When I did the same swap on my Casino, the tuning difference made it feel a bit like a different guitar.

 

[2themax]

Well finally got around to working on the 339, and what a difference. Not only does she stay in tune but it really plays like a dream with the D'Addario 9.5's.

The tusq nut was hair wide which was an easy fix, but once installed the slots were perfect out of the package. It was a Graph Tech XL 1/4" Epiphone (PQL-6060-00).

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The GFS roller bridge fit perfect, hard to beat for $24​

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While I had it on the bench I tried to level up the pup rings, not a lot to work with on the neck ring. But the angle is considerably better now, closer to parallel with the the strings.​

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Got her setup nicely and played her for while tonight, really pleased with the upgrade. It's a sweet axe and glad to have it back in the lineup.​

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[kevinpaul]

The tuners just tune. The strings, nut and ? can make it not stay in tune. The first thing I do is put new strings on. That solves any and all problems.

 

[2themax]

Trying to keep on the high road here

For anyone that didn't get a perfect 339 out of the box or can fix every tuning issue with new strings...

The Grover tuners took care of the tuning problem. Since I had the axe on the bench it was easy to swap out the stock plastic nut and try out the GFS roller bridge, both simple and inexpensive upgrades. Btw: The roller bridge made intonation a breeze.

One thing with the Graph Tech Tusq nut, on the high side it was a little lower than spec with the 9.5's but it doesn't buzz and plays nicely. The high E string height is about .010 at the 1st fret (under Gibson spec but above Erlwine's).

With the lighter strings the truss rod is about neutral tension. One note of caution if you remove the pup rings - the wiring is pretty tight so it's best to be gentle and not stress the leads.

Very sweet guitar, Epi has a winner here.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

I LOVE that roller bridge. Was it a direct drop in? If so, I may be ordering one of those babies...not because my bridge isn't intonating but because it looks so bad ass!!!

 

[2themax]

It dropped right in, I actually used the adjusters that came with the bridge. They seemed a little tighter than the stock. Same thread and spacing. It's about the same dimensions as the Gotoh bridge, so you get a little more saddle adjustment.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Was it this one?
Roller Bridge Chrome plated fits Les Paul

 

[2themax]

Was it this one?
Roller Bridge Chrome plated fits Les Paul

That's the one...
FYI: Using USPS shipping with GFS is always a better deal.

 

[ShelbyDude]

Glad you got it all sorted out. I really believe Epiphones quality has improved quite a bit recently. Even with that though, there will still be some guitars that need a little something more to make it just right.

 

[claven2]

Out of curiosity - why the roller bridge? Normally I think of RB's when a term system is used. The a non-term setup, a decent quality ABR or Nashville bridge with good quality saddles is usually what I opt for.

 

[2themax]

Out of curiosity - why the roller bridge? Normally I think of RB's when a term system is used. The a non-term setup, a decent quality ABR or Nashville bridge with good quality saddles is usually what I opt for.

The stock bridge had one saddle maxed out and the intonation was still off. The Gotoh bridges have a little more adjustment and are better made. When I was looking at prices I saw this roller bridge from GFS with the same specs as the Gotoh. Looked cool and I've never tried one, and there were a lot of comments about reduced string wear by eliminating the sharp angle. So it sparked my interest, and I'm glad that the Golden Age didn't fit because the GFS unit was about 1/2 the price and really looks to be of like quality in comparison to the Golden Age or a Gotoh ABR.

My '07 Epi LP has a Gotoh bridge on it, the adjuster post clip fell apart on the stock one and I decided to upgrade it. I was impressed with the quality of the Gotoh bridge in comparison.

 

[claven2]

The Gotoh stuff is good, the Faber stuff leaves it behind in the dust. If you ever see one in person, you'll see what I mean