I have a 2019 Les Paul Special which is far and away my favourite guitar in terms of weight, feel, playability, tones, everything.
But....the intonation drives me potty. I've tried Mojoaxe and Faber intonated but non adjustable bridges and a Stewmac Golden Age adjustable bridge, all of which got closer than the Gibson item, but not so far as to win a banana.
I liked the tone best with the hefty (but hopeless) Gibson bridge, followed by the Stewmac. The Faber is good but the Mojoaxe and me didn't gel.
So, to the point. I guess that I could just fit a bridge and separate tailpiece using the existing bridge holes and drilling two more for the tailpiece.(Or a trusty tech could anyway). Yes or no?
And would it devalue the guitar?
Save a cow. Eat a vegetarian.
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I had a proper Leo Quan Badass on my original 1957 Les Paul Special, and it sounded better to me than than the (in my opinion overhyped) lightweight original tailpiece, as well as being able to intonate properly.
Fitting a separate bridge and tailpiece will also change the tone, but you won't know how until it's done and is irreversible, as well as needing the original holes filling so it will always look like a bodge.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
One question, has the trusty tech tried to sort the intonation issues for you? I’m not saying you aren’t competent but sometimes it worth a second opinion at least?
Some replacement bridge/tailpiece combinations have fully adjustable saddles and fine tuners, if you absolutely must.
HarrySeven would probably install a vibrato system.
I suppose that somebody ought to ask what string gauges you are using.
Not sure what the golden age one is like, but i like pigtail or tone pros for a lightweight options that look good on a wraparound guitar. Or something from Schaller like the signum wraparound if you prefer a heavier bridge.
a badass or Schaller456 (discontinued) are both pretty hefty options which may work, but do change the look quite a bit
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JG
What pickups does your LP Special have and how closely are they adjusted to the strings?
Or do you mean the tone? If it's that, try the Badass or Schaller, they're heavier.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Might be worth checking this out, designed by one of Nashville’s finest session players that is obsessed with sounding in tune.
Not cheap though. Add £60+ to get it here....
That's neat. Seems to be designed for genuine '50s guitars with the more extremely angled bridge though, rather than modern reissues. And it looks a bit weird.
I don't see why one of the adjustable bridges offered by TonePros, Pigtail, Schaller, Faber, ABM or Graph Tech wouldn't work. Or the StewMac one. Or indeed Badass, although I think they're ugly.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein