Tailpiece for LP Special - the ongoing saga continues with another twist...

rlw

So I just got my LP Special back with the Mojoaxe bridge fitted and I really don't like the sound at all.  Maybe it's the new, lighter gauge Monel strings, maybe it's the tailpiece, but the sound is soooo different now.  Very mid-rich, very detailed, lots of sustain.  But I like my guitars to sound a lot darker.

Any thoughts on the next step?  I'm tempted to just put the original tailpiece back on as I loved the sound but hated the intonation which drove me crazy.  Maybe back to 10s again, although I'd prefer to stay with lighter strings.

The Mojaxe is a great bit of kit, really well made and light and it looks perfect but....

Oh, and I changed the Gibson tuners for Kluson's Grover style too, but I can't believe they're much reponsible for the change.

ICBM

Change one thing at a time until you find out...

Machineheads can be responsible for more of a difference than you might expect if they're either significantly different mass or change the break angle over the nut.

Philly_Q

Agreed the tuner change may be the reason, or part of the reason, for the difference.

I can't remember what bridge options you considered, but ABM now make them in bell brass as well as aluminium.  I have no idea how that will affect the sound but it might be worth looking into.

https://abm-guitarpartsshop.com/ABM-GUITAR-PARTS/Wraparound:::256_88.html?MODsid=e3fac9146ef20396b0eea52164673498

danishbacon

Was going to suggest ABM but @Philly_Q neat me to it. Have read enough negatives about Faber to put me off. 

rlw

ICBM said:

Change one thing at a time until you find out...

Machineheads can be responsible for more of a difference than you might expect if they're either significantly different mass or change the break angle over the nut.

Very wise advice.....I’ll now be unchanging one thing at a time .....

rlw

The tech who did the work was really surprised by how light the tailpiece is and commented that it must contribute to a totally different sound.  Back to zinc maybe..

springhead

The original 50's tailpieces are very light too.  I bought a Mojoaxe for my Special.  It's been on and off a couple of times now.  I find it doesn't make the intonation spot on (partly because the bass side bushing on mine is drilled a couple of mm too far back) but it does change the feel.  It's stiffer than the stock tailpiece - did you find that?  I think I might go back to the original (well, Pigtail replica - the original one is too worn to use but the Pigtail is identical size/shape/weight).

ICBM

I'm deeply unfashionable as usual, because I prefer heavier stopbars.

And both my original '57 Les Paul Junior and Special sounded better with a Badass than the stock tailpieces. [/heresy but true]

Philly_Q

I've got a Mojoaxe bridge on a Custom Shop LP Special.  I also fitted TonePros (steel) locking studs.  The original bridge was aluminium too and I don't notice any difference in the sound. 

My only gripe is that the bridge has to sit a long way back on the studs to get the intonation right - perhaps the opposite of @springhead's guitar.  it works fine but visually it irritates me a bit.

Winny_Pooh

First time using Monel strings? 

springhead

Mine's sitting nicely on the treble side but the bass side is out, even with filling out the "U" slot to make it deeper.  With the stepped ridge I find that it accentuates the intonation difference between E-D and G-E strings.  I think I'm heading back to Pigtail but perhaps file that one out a little bit as well.

Not sure what you can do if it's sitting too far forward, I think that would annoy me visually too.  You see that on plenty of old juniors and specials though with non compensated bridges, usually on the treble side.

springhead

ICBM said:

I'm deeply unfashionable as usual, because I prefer heavier stopbars.

And both my original '57 Les Paul Junior and Special sounded better with a Badass than the stock tailpieces. [/heresy but true]

Mine's a '60.  For years I was using a heavy, but non compensated wraparound replacement bridge.  Sounded much better when I put the lightweight Pigtail on.  More lively, resonant.  Horses for courses!

markj

Winny_Pooh said:

First time using Monel strings? 

I think that’s the problem. I fitted a Faber aluminium wraparound bridge to my Special, it sounds superb.

rlw

Winny_Pooh said:

First time using Monel strings? 

Yes. I was expecting a thicker sound.  Wrongly?

Winny_Pooh

rlw said:

Winny_Pooh said:

First time using Monel strings? 

Yes. I was expecting a thicker sound.  Wrongly?

They dont sound like anything else, they can "clank" more than "zing".
Put on a set of your old strings to sanity check first, you can always put the monels back on.

rlw

So, after living with the Mojoaxe tailpiece for a very short time, the orginal Gibson item has been put back on and the Monels have been changed for a set of Ernie Ball 9.5 - 44 Slinkys.  The horrible mid based tone has gone which is good, but the sustain is now at silly levels on the wound strings as it almost overdrives the amp on it's own.  An open E chord on the neck pickup is not pleasant at any significant volume, even with the bass and mids wound down on the amp and the tone up full on the guitar.   And the P90 growl is gone too.

Can the tuners really have this much effect on their own.  I'm thinking that the next move is to take off the locking Klusons (Grover style) and put back the standard Gibson items.  Which is a pain.

ICBM

rlw said:

So, after living with the Mojoaxe tailpiece for a very short time, the orginal Gibson item has been put back on and the Monels have been changed for a set of Ernie Ball 9.5 - 44 Slinkys.

The problem is that you now don't know if it's the tailpiece or the strings. You need to change just one thing at a time.

rlw

ICBM said:

rlw said:

So, after living with the Mojoaxe tailpiece for a very short time, the orginal Gibson item has been put back on and the Monels have been changed for a set of Ernie Ball 9.5 - 44 Slinkys.

The problem is that you now don't know if it's the tailpiece or the strings. You need to change just one thing at a time.

The theory was that the strings were almost identical to what was on there inthe first place......

ICBM

rlw said:

The theory was that the strings were almost identical to what was on there inthe first place......

My mistake... I thought you had some sort of 10s on it.

Probably the best thing to do now is to change just the machineheads, that way you'll know if it makes a difference even if it doesn't get you back to the original set-up.

rlw

Thanks.  It came with whatever Gibson use in 10-46, the 9-42 set was a step to far anyway, hence the 9.5-44 set.  I'll change the tuners tomorrow and see where I end up.

All of this started as the bloody thing wouldn't intonate properly, nor stay where it nearly was in tune for very long.  Grrr.