Drop tunings on fixed bridges and intonation headaches

Ovibos

Ovibos

Naughty Wood Librarian
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I've been trying to get my SE Singlecut with the 'lightning' bridge (non-intonatable) to a happy place for drop-C (CGCFAD) and it's looking like it's just not gonna happen.

Currently using the D'Addario set optimized for that kind of tuning, nice chunky 60 on bottom to avoid flabbiness. Nut has been adjusted by a tech, but not having movable saddles seems to mean it's been a choice among which strings I want to be least badly intonated.

Has anyone had success with similar tunings on this bridge?

Or should I swap it out? For which?
- TonePros?
- Pigtail?
- Schroeder?
- Other?

(The PRS bridge is almost 1/2 the lowest price of an SE Clint Lowery, which would also solve the problem...)
 
Ovibos said:
What's the radius on it? The site has zero info. Do you have to get it radiused?
Click to expand...
You need to get the saddles radius done by a tech. I haven't gotten my hands on one yet, but if the Mann trems are the benchmark, this will be tough to beat. Great products. The PRS adjustable are awesome but not sure if they are available aftermarket for the SE.
 
My complaint about the prs wrap around bridge is if you take all the strings off the bridge comes off too. The studs are loose and will move as well. I thought about thread tape to keep studstight and in place but iI can't imagine that would be good for sustain.

I've been wanting to put a tone pros bridge on my McCarty for this reason.

What I really want is black bridge and black locking tuners for my McCarty. Not sure if anybody makes black lockers that would fit.
 
gush said:
My complaint about the prs wrap around bridge is if you take all the strings off the bridge comes off too.
Click to expand...

Then don't take all the strings off at once! Kind of a no-brainer, isn't it? :iamconfused:

A lot cheaper than a new bridge, and probably better than sticking a bunch of gunk in the stud threads.
 
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My Floyd Rose on my Wolfgang does the same thing, but once a year when I need to clean the fingerboard and polish the frets, it's a necessary evil.
 
gush said:
My complaint about the prs wrap around bridge is if you take all the strings off the bridge comes off too.
Click to expand...

I just use some blue painters tape to keep everything in place when I remove all of the strings. A small piece from the top of each stud right on to the bridge does the trick. ;)
 
I was able to get decent results all the way down to Drop A# on a USA Custom with the stock wraparound bridge, but I also stuck with fairly light gauges. The lowest I went was 11-52. I couldn't pick too hard or the string would kinda go pitchy but if I played it the right way it sounded great.

Don't forget you can move the overall bridge back and forward via the hex screws on each side.
 
If your going to dedicate the guitar to Drop C then get it set up for standard D tuning so that you are only tuning down your low E a full step to C. The idea that seems to be stuck in people's heads that you just need to use a heavier string gauge isn't actually true. If your guitar doesn't have a good setup to accommodate the tuning it won't matter
 
gush said:
My complaint about the prs wrap around bridge is if you take all the strings off the bridge comes off too. The studs are loose and will move as well. I thought about thread tape to keep studstight and in place but iI can't imagine that would be good for sustain.

I've been wanting to put a tone pros bridge on my McCarty for this reason.

What I really want is black bridge and black locking tuners for my McCarty. Not sure if anybody makes black lockers that would fit.
Click to expand...
I think the Mann is available in black. http://www.philadelphialuthiertools...kluson-style-3-x-3-guitar-tuners-cosmo-black/
 
ChrisCst22 said:
I was able to get decent results all the way down to Drop A# on a USA Custom with the stock wraparound bridge, but I also stuck with fairly light gauges. The lowest I went was 11-52. I couldn't pick too hard or the string would kinda go pitchy but if I played it the right way it sounded great.

Don't forget you can move the overall bridge back and forward via the hex screws on each side.
Click to expand...

The problem is that with the lightning bridge, you have to angle it to get in the neighborhood and that's what's keeping the strings (particularly bottom 3) from any kind of decent intonation.
 
solacematt said:
If your going to dedicate the guitar to Drop C then get it set up for standard D tuning so that you are only tuning down your low E a full step to C. The idea that seems to be stuck in people's heads that you just need to use a heavier string gauge isn't actually true. If your guitar doesn't have a good setup to accommodate the tuning it won't matter
Click to expand...

Respectfully disagree. The idea wasn't 'stuck in my head' - the tech and I tried with a more normal set of strings and the low string (52) was flabby and practically falling off the side of the fingerboard with any fretting.

I've actually had 2 setups done on this guitar to try to get it to happy, and that's why I'm considering a hardware fix.
 
I play in drop C for all my band songs. I use the PRS adjustable stoptail and a custom gauge string set that is 11 14 18 36 52 60. With the exception of G(.052 string), my gauge feels extremely similar to a 10-52 LTHB set, which is what I like for standard and drop D tuning. The 10-52 in standard I can get close enough with the intonation on the standard bridge. If I were recording guitars tracks, might be iffy. But for drop C with my string gauge, I definitely need the adjustable. I've used this tuning almost exclusively in my bands for about 12 years.
 
I have the SE Clint Lowery. This thing is a beast, I love it. I bought it because of the bridge, and that it was designed to be played in low tunings. It comes in drop B, which was a bit too low for me, so I've been in drop C, and love it. I haven't changed a thing other than that. I've kept the 11-60 strings too, and I would recommend you try both these strings, and whether you can source this bridge from PRS, or another vendor. The Mann one looks great, but probably costs a fair amount more.
 
Ok, I bit the bullet and ordered the TonePros for 2 reasons:
- This is a used guitar and someone's really chewed up the bridge studs so I'm gonna replace them anyway - and the TonePros comes with studs.
- I found it new on that giant auction site for $40 off!

Next step, pro installation.
 
Unless it's changed in recent years, you'll need the Tone Pro's saddles radius worked on a bit in the installation. From what I recall, Tone Pro's radius does not match PRS even though they say it's a "PRS" adjustable stoptail.
 
vchizzle said:
Unless it's changed in recent years, you'll need the Tone Pro's saddles radius worked on a bit in the installation. From what I recall, Tone Pro's radius does not match PRS even though they say it's a "PRS" adjustable stoptail.
Click to expand...

This is, indeed, the case.

Same with the Schroeder which is 11" stock.

I'll be taking my Mann adjustable to my tech in a few weeks to get the slots done.
 
Mikegarveyblues said:
This is, indeed, the case.

Same with the Schroeder which is 11" stock.

I'll be taking my Mann adjustable to my tech in a few weeks to get the slots done.
Click to expand...

I think it's converting the 12" bridge to 10" PRS SE radius. But I'll also trust in my guy's radius gauges...
 
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