Replacement Gibson ABR1

Sg335man

Hello, as a new member I would like to find out especially from pros and luthiers there take on replacing Gibson ABR1 Tune O Matic bridges including the posts and wheels.  My 60 reissue L/H 335 built in 89 has a replacement TonePros AVR 11 in 2004.  The Bridge has now sank concave making tuning and intonation difficult.

I was more than disappointed to find out the Bridge was made in China or Taiwan Ping Works.  Some BS they told me yrs ago? I need to find a well made US I guess Bridge?  The tough part anything decent made totally in the US will be costly. Also the tone saddles material etc? Lots to choose from.  I am not to interested in the locking side.  However the Graphtech ResoMax looks interesting unfortunately you can find one?

Any advice or help would be very well received   

PonchoGreg

Hello and welcome to the forum. I can recommend the Faber hardware (both bridge and tailpiece). They do all sorts - ABR, Nashville etc - do you should be able to find something that suits. DV247 stock them iirc.

Gotoh also make good hardware at various price points.

Neither of these will be made in the US though if that's important to you. But the quality will be there and they are not too expensive.

guitars4you

PonchoGreg said:

Hello and welcome to the forum. I can recommend the Faber hardware (both bridge and tailpiece). They do all sorts - ABR, Nashville etc - do you should be able to find something that suits. DV247 stock them iirc.

Gotoh also make good hardware at various price points.

Neither of these will be made in the US though if that's important to you. But the quality will be there and they are not too expensive.

Same comments from me regarding welcome to the forum and fully endorse Faber 

ICBM

Choose on quality not country of manufacture. I can second the recommendations for Gotoh and Faber.

It's also worth checking the tailpiece height adjustment - many Gibsons have a neck angle which is too steep to allow the tailpiece to be fully down without putting excessive pressure on the bridge, unfortunately. If the strings are touching the back edge of the bridge, it's too low. (Not because this actually puts any more pressure on the bridge, just that it indicates too much of a break angle.)

If necessary I would raise the tailpiece rather than top-wrapping it as seems to be currently fashionable.

Sg335man

Thanks for your advice and welcome.  I have looked at the Faber German made I believe. Overall I am of the opinion the use of China Taiwan manufacturers cut to many corners. It’s quality that I feel has been compromised in today’s world despite the high cost of parts/instruments.  

My 59 Gibson SG yes the parts are looking old but the bridge has not bent concave? It still works and intonate’s?  Callaham in the US make replacement Tune O Matic bridges, however once they reach the U.K. the price gets close to 200 quid? I guess that’s the price you pay for quality. Kluson or Schaller I think made my original 335 Bridge but well could be China etc these days. WD Parts own the Kluson Brand now. But not sure where there products are made? Price says China etc. 

Shame nobody in the U.K. can make parts like this? Mind you, shortly we will have no steel. 

p90fool

Maybe a Nashville conversion? It is, after all, the reason they were invented.

Jimbro66

Another vote for Faber. I fitted one of their ABR-1 bridges and lightweight tailpiece to my '82 Gibson ES-335 and they are excellent quality. They're also easy to fit without specialist tools. Edit: Faber also do a replacement Nashville bridge as mentioned by @p90fool if you need a slightly wider range of intonation adjustment.

Three-ColourSunburst

I bought a wrap-around bridge direct from ABM Guitar Parts, and the quality is excellent.

https://abm-guitarpartsshop.com/ABM-GUITAR-PARTS:::256.html?language=en

pumkin

WD music have a good selection of replacement bridges ... they're also ,I think ,the only dealer supplying Kts titanium parts if that's of any interest to you . I put a set of titanium saddles on my 336 and it was a great improvement.... (a la Jon Herington.... ) 
https://www.wdmusic.co.uk/hardware-parts-c1

bodhi

Agreed - Faber bridges are in my opinion a nice upgrade from the stock Gibson ones.

Just make sure you know what you're replacing.  IIRC, for Faber bridges ABRH = ABR-1 and ABRN = Nashville.

SteveRobinson

Sg335man said:

 I have looked at the Faber German made I believe. 

I wouldn't bet on it

I stand corrected
https://www.faberguitar.com/About-us

Sg335man

Thanks All for your help advice.  Great to see one of best luthiers guitar techs around, Mr Steve Robinson here.  I am looking at Callaham Guitars made in VA USA.  Of cause anything made in the States costs? 

bodhi

https://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/callaham-cnc-billet-steel-abr-1-bridge.html

Sg335man

Thanks for that.  Having checked out the Faber I wonder if there’s such a difference? I also am
unsure if the saddles have to be different L/H for the neck radius?  But I guess I can switch them for that!  Food for thought....£200 almost, a lot of money for Callaham but I guess your paying import duty and vat etc...

ICBM

Usually you need the low E and A saddles reversed, and the other four facing forward, so you’ll need to reverse them for left hand. That’s easy on an ABR-1, luckily - just pop the wire off, take the saddles out and refit them the other way round on the screws.

SteveRobinson

I think that the Faber saddles may be captive, the body of the bridge is peened over above the intonation screws?

digitalkettle

SteveRobinson said:

I think that the Faber saddles may be captive, the body of the bridge is peened over above the intonation screws?

You just need to remove the tiny circlip and it all comes apart...bit fiddly but works well.

Note that the saddles come with a shallow notch in the centre.

bodhi

Yeah, the Faber saddle screws are held in place with little circlips (I think you call them).  Bit fiddly indeed, and you don't wanna lose one (or one of the little washers) if you don't have spares.

stickyfiddle

+1 for Faber. Great bridges

Sg335man

Hi and thank you all for your advice.  I decided to try the Faber “Tune Lock” and Stop Tail.  Ordered from “Glued for Music”. I was well impressed with how quick Faber responded to my questions even over the weekend. I think paying 190 quid for the Callahan bridge from the States was to costly. 

It’s been interesting this exercise? Just very disappointed trying to get info and help with some of these products.  Graphtech in Canada great communications but no product here? TonePros sounds like some Investment Bankers are milking every penny they can!  I could be wrong.  But no communication at all.  What’s worse some of the retailers and distributor s cannot offer any answers to any questions.  

I just hope the these small manufacturer companies and resellers do well?  We should all support them. Wish somebody here in the U.K. could manufacture parts we all could support?