Paul’s guitar bridge -technical question

[BWV548]

I’m curious, how would you get the Paul’s Guitar bridge to properly intonate if you use a custom string set?

 

[Black Plaid]

You would need to get the adjustable saddle bridge.

If you really wanted to use that bridge, you'd have to file it down to the correct relative placement.

All that said, it's Paul's Guitar, he doesn't use custom string gauge sets, so it doesn't matter that it can't use them easily. =)

 

[dogrocketp]

You could get a Schroeder boat tail adjustable aluminum bridge. I have it on a P90 SE single cut. Pm me if you want one, I have an extra I would be willing to part with.

 

[BWV548]

You would need to get the adjustable saddle bridge.

If you really wanted to use that bridge, you'd have to file it down to the correct relative placement.

All that said, it's Paul's Guitar, he doesn't use custom string gauge sets, so it doesn't matter that it can't use them easily. =)

Thanks for that. Helpful.
Btw, wasn’t asking as a way of being critical, but as a practical question, should I....

 

[BWV548]

You could get a Schroeder boat tail adjustable aluminum bridge. I have it on a P90 SE single cut. Pm me if you want one, I have an extra I would be willing to part with.

Thanks for the offer!
I’m not “there” yet. Just doing some thinking.
Which either does or doesn’t usually end well, depending on perspective and criteria for “well”.

 

[Black Plaid]

Thanks for that. Helpful.
Btw, wasn’t asking as a way of being critical, but as a practical question, should I....

Ah, sorry, I thought I was being clever and anticipating the next post. That's what I get for trying to be clever!

Swapping out the bridge should be pretty painless, if you can afford to play with it, I would totally say go for it. The difference in tone should be fairly minimal. It'll be a bit heavier, but not as much to be a significant difference in feel.

 

[garrett]

It may intonate fine anyway. You'll just have to find out by trying.

Jason Schroeder and John Mann both make nice adjustables, as does PRS.

And I bet @]-[@n$0Ma☩!© will gladly take your Paul's bridge...

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

It should be noted that the intonation can be micro-adjusted with bias toward the high or low end by turning the set-screws at either end of the bridge (don't do it under full tension). Unless you're swapping-out strings that are wildly outside the linear progression of increasing size, I'd be willing to bet the PG bridge will accommodate everything from .009 to .052.

For example, regular '10's' can be .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, and .046. Heavy-bottom '10's' are the same for the lighter 3 and .030, .036, and .046 for the heavier 3. By adjusting the heavy side of the bridge (E, A, D strings) to a longer scale while shortening the lighter end (G, B, E strings) just a hair - to offset impact to the G - you'd very likely come away with a set-up that works great. If, however, you're going from a .036 A-string to a .056 E-string, all bets are off unless you take a Dremel to the bridge. Even then, you'd probably have to remove enough material from the low-E that the entire brass insert would be removed.

Just my $.02.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

It should be noted that the intonation can be micro-adjusted with bias toward the high or low end. Unless you're swapping-out strings that are wildly outside the linear progression of increasing size, I'd be willing to bet the PG bridge will accommodate everything from .009 to .052.

For example, regular '10's' can be .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, and .046. Heavy-bottom '10's' are the same for the lower 3 and .030, .036, and .046 for the lower 3. By adjusting the lower side of the bridge (E, A, D strings) to a longer scale while shortening the higher end (G, B, E strings) just a hair - to offset impact to the G - you'd very likely come away with a set-up that works great. If however, you're going from a .036 A-string to a .056 E-string, all bets are off unless you take a Dremel to the bridge. Even then, you'd probably have to remove enough material from the low-E that the entire brass insert would be removed.

Just my $.02.

I think I saw a video somewhere that said the brass insert as a small rod that was embedded into the bridge. But I may have dreamt it, so don’t quote me!

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I think I saw a video somewhere that said the brass insert as a small rod that was embedded into the bridge.

Makes sense.

But I may have dreamt it, so don’t quote me!

Too late.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Just thinking in construction terms, it makes sense that these would be inserts.

Maybe @Shawn@PRS could tell us, if he’s allowed?

 

[CyFan4036]

They are inserts but I don’t believe they are serviceable parts. Your intonation should be just fine.