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Comments
"And of course most ABRs have been on guitars, so the saddles are always really badly notched, not centered—and there are no after-market saddles that are tonally the same or will fit a vintage bridge very well."
They're... Just metal parts. They can be reproduced. It's not magic.
That said, I get why someone with a nearly-all-original guitar might want a final piece of that puzzle. However, another comment that stands out is that most customers for these pieces are not putting them on vintage guitars.
I'm so glad I think things *might* have improved since the 50s!
It peaked, i tell you, we have peaked!
…….
It's an insult to intelligence.
About 25 years ago I bought a 1964 SG Special, as a birth-year guitar. It was fitted with a non-period-correct '50s style aluminium wraparound bridge/tailpiece and wouldn't intonate properly. I could have bought an adjustable replacement (probably a Badass, Schaller 455 or Wilkinson, no Faber or TonePros in those days) but I went on eBay and found a 1960s lightning-bar wraparound. It seemed quite expensive at the time but wasn't by today's standards. So yes, I can see why people want vintage parts for vintage guitars.
I still have that '50s wraparound, I wonder if it's worth a few quid?
I am an old codger. And so are you.
There is no magic, these are pieces that can be (and are) reproduced. If people out there think a 50s or 60s original bridge on their modern les paul will make them sound more like Jimmy Page they're sorely mistaken.
Of course, it's good business for those that stumbled across a stash of old parts!
I do have an old 60's celluloid guard on my Jazzmaster because it looked cool and was already a bit warped so was cheaper than a Spitfire one. Old pickups I can understand (though not necessarily buy myself) - particularly for something like WRHBs which were completely unavailable for a long time. But bridges and tuners?
Tuners is especially mad, as even bottom-of-the-barrel tuners nowadays are probably at least as good as old ones. I've yet to find a modern guitar with tuners that don't work properly, even the cheap squier bullet and yammy pacificas work perfectly.
Turned a mediocre guitar into a very mediocre guitar.
I'm of the opinion that vintage parts are likely to be worse or no better than good quality modern ones.
It seems to me that if there is any "magic" or "mojo" in a guitar it's principally in the body, neck and maybe the originality of the finish. Old wood, and all that stuff.
As I said before, I can understand someone wanting a genuine vintage part for their genuine vintage guitar. But I'm utterly baffled by the idea that fitting an old ABR-1 on your 2018 Les Paul Traditional - or whatever - is going to result in some sort of sonic miracle. It's just the Emperor's new clothes... or old clothes in this situation.
https://youtu.be/85IWlkPdO8A