Question for those with this experience, please...

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clasbtenn

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I am putting together a private stock order, but undecided as to use either a 2-piece bridge/stoptail arrangement or a one-piece wrap over bridge. If I go wrap tail, I would get one that has individual saddle adjustments for intonation. I am interested in knowing if the two piece bridge has a more desirable tone then the wrap-type, which it imparts to the guitar.

The guitar will be basically either a McCarty, or a fat back 24. I am just waiting on some quotes to make my decision.

Those of you who have tried both types of bridges from PRS, would you mind please offering your thoughts on which might be the way to go, and why you feel so?

Thank you all for your thoughts. :)

Stephen
 
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clasbtenn said:
I am putting together a private stock order, but undecided as to use either a 2-piece bridge/stoptail arrangement or a one-piece wrap over bridge.

The guitar will be basically either a McCarty, or a fat back 24. I am just waiting on some quotes to make my decision.

Those of you who have tried both types of bridges from PRS, would you mind please offering your thoughts on which might be the way to go, and why you feel so?

Thank you all for your thoughts. :)

Stephen
Click to expand...

If memory serves, you use pretty light gauge strings. If that is the case, you'll need to get one that has the ability to intonate. I tried 7s on the one piece wrap and could not get the intonation set. I had to go to the adjustable bridge.
 
Jim, You are correct, but what I am asking, and I may have poorly worded it in my initial post, is there an advantage of having the 2 piece bridge and stop tail over a wrapped bridge, tone-wise?. If I got the wrapped, then yes, I would get one which I could adjust individual saddles for intonation. :)
 
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Aside from easier string changing, is the tone of the 2 piece different, better, whatever then the wrap tail?

Can you hear a difference between the two bridge types, which you prefer? :)
 
clasbtenn said:
Jim, You are correct, but what I am asking, and I may have poorly worded it in my initial post, is there an advantage of having the 2 piece bridge and stop tail over a wrapped bridge, tone-wise?. If I got the wrapped, then yes, I would get one which I could adjust individual saddles for intonation. :)
Click to expand...

Dave is right, the two piece is an easier string change.

As for tone, I'm a gain guy, so I'll say I don't really hear a difference. If you look at it from Paul's subtractive angle, I would think the two piece would have a bigger effect on the tone. I can't answer whether that's good, or bad.

I'm sure you'll get some real input though! :D
 
It's difficult to say, the two guitars that I have each bridge on are not exactly the same so they will sound different just by the nature of the guitar itself, bridge aside.
I have the two piece on a 594 and It has more of that vintage vibe over the other, but that also has a lot to do with the LT pickups, scale length, etc.
personally, the prs two piece is my favorite bridge on any brand guitar.

I would suggest going to a shop if possible and play a couple of sc245s that have the respective bridges. That way the other specs of the guitar will at least be similar enough that you can get a better read on the bridge itself.
 
Unfortunately, where I live, there isn't any product around.
But, I thank you for the info.
 
I just realized I don't have any two-piece bridges on any of my PRSi. My LP Deluxe has one, but I don't play that any more, for obvious reasons, and obviously tone differences in the bridge would be swamped by all the other differences between a PRS SC and the LP.

Great, now I need to acquire a two-piece bridge SC PRSi just to taste the difference. Dang you enablers! :mad: :D o_O
 
I just heard a video of a McCarty-Paul's Graphite guitar on youtube with a wrap bridge.
It sounded really good to me.
 
I've owned several guitars with the one piece bridge and it sounds great. Great sustain, especially on my McCarty. I would expect to get a slightly more vintage tone with the 2 piece versus the one piece. Not sure about sustain differences.
 
hmmmm... I never knew the Paul's one piece bridge had brass string inserts. Too bad you can't buy it separately.
Sorry to go off topic.

While ultimate tone might be your goal, just having the flexibility of a 2 piece with adjustable saddles for different string gauge would be worth it for me. If you go with a one piece with adjustable saddles "to be able to accommodate different string guages" seems to me, to be defeating the purpose/tone of a (solid) one piece bridge in the first place - it's not solid anymore. A solid one piece limits your options. Again, hard to say with tone. I have single and 2 piece bridges and the variances of everything else (wood/pickups/body style etc.) negate any real bridge to bridge comparison unfortunately.
 
I have had a 2 piece bridge on my SC58 and now have a MC58 with 1 piece wrap around bridge. I did not notice significant sustain/tone in one over the other.

My MC58 rings like a bell unplugged if that's any help. It also intonates PERFECTLY with 10s.
 
It's a Private Stock, so it'll sound good no matter what. The two-piece is slightly more subtractive, but gives that familiar something that an old Tune-o-matic has. A simple way to approach it may be to think of the wraparound as more modern and the two-piece as more vintage. Which one is desirable totally depends on personal taste. The decision may be whichever one is in keeping with the vibe you want. I'm sure the PS team will be able to give some great insight on it as well.

Thinking more in terms of practicality:
  • If you're going for the McCarty control layout, I'd go adjustable wraparound to preserve more space around the switch. But you could go with the 509 layout and avoid that issue.
  • I can't imagine string changes being any easier than the PRS two-piece. I'm a convert.
 
After playing a decent number of PRS guitars with both the two piece and the wraptail,I came to the conclusion that in my opinion the wraparound bridge has more sustain and a more direct and focused tone. The PRS wraptails are awesome.
 
Thank you! I must use extremely light gauge strings, so what you are describing sounds like a way to help support the lighter gauge strings better, .Milchschnitte
 
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