Every Gibson guitar should be like this...

Every Gibson guitar should be like this...
Todays video we are talking about the ABR 1 that has been around since the 50s. Gibson stopped using these for years and thankfully, have returned to using them on their standards, classics and custom shops!
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Info & References

00:00 Intro
00:30 What is a Tune O Matic?
1:56 History and creation
2:33 The Legend Ted McCarty
3:44 ABR 1 vs Nashville Style
6:10 What makes ABR better
7:20 How to make your guitar an ABR 1
8:39 Why modern ABR 1 is better
8:53 Which way the screws face

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Guitar Related

Camera and Lighting Related

[SteveSterlacci]

Any questions about my Les Paul in this vid, check out the whole story and what exactly it is

[guitartec]

The part that gets hammered into the guitar is called the anchor. As you point out, the early ABR-1s did not have anchors- the height post went directly into the wood. The reason they stopped doing that and started using anchors was because some player rest their hands on the bridge, thus, causing it to lean forward and throw the intonation off. Also, it often damaged the finish and elongated the hole making the post become loose. The anchor stabilized the bridge and that coupled with a Nashville TOM stabilized the bridge totally. It is virtually impossible to hear a difference in tone with or without anchors, so anchors became the norm. Originally, the saddles were called "saddle inserts" and the base of the bridge was the saddle, but the nomenclature has changed over time.

[willdenham]

Seth Lover invented the Gibson PAF humbucker. McArty was president of the company and wanted a solution to the noise.

[clarkdolan]

Great job Steve!
I like the TonePros bridge because of the screws that lock down the bridge and tailpiece make things more stable. I took it a step further….. once I got the action the way I wanted….
I measured the space between the body and the threaded disc the bridge rests on with a block of feeler gauges, measuring with a micrometer… took a length of 1/2 inch brass stock, drilled center to match the post,
.002 proud, locking down the disc so that bridge can’t move!
The thin threaded posts become
much more stable and ring more.that plus the TonePros…..
Thanks for all you do! Clark

[BramClaes]

A significant disadvantage of the ABR-1 style bridge is that if you're unlucky, it might develop 'post-lean' over time. Basically the posts lean towards the headstock, damaging the inside of the guitar. The studs of the nashville style bridge prevent this

[guitronics]

I have a '76 Les Paul Custom, that I bought new. Stock, it had the studs screwed directly into the top of the guitar. I noticed that, while playing, the bridge moved slightly. I asked around, found out about the Nashville T-O-M, and had one installed. The bridge quit moving. I threw the original bridge in the garbage.The only difference between the two bridges is - The original (ABR 1?) was a bit smaller, and had the wire retainer. The Nashville Tune O Matic is larger, has extended "travel" of the saddles allowing more adjustment, has the same sized threaded "rod", and, most importantly; has the metal "inserts" which are either pressed into, or hammered into the drilled out original holes. I would hope that they're pressed in! So you are saying that, the inserts are causing "deadness?". I don't believe that any of the Nashville bridge differences make any difference. My guitar has incredible sustain. You state that you get better tone, and a feeling of springiness. I submit that the springiness is caused by the bridge's studs moving! Why would Gibson change from adding the inserts, (added labor!), to just drilling a hole? I think I know the Someone now needs to do a comparison between the aftermarket "set screw" mounted tailpiece, and the crummy "Loose metal bar loosely coupled to it's mounting posts" design.

[johncollins]

I agree with your mod. Makes total sense to me. I modded my epi SG special with a p90 bridge pickup so I have fun playing acdc getting a mix of Angus/Malcolm type tones just by flick the selector switch from p90 to humbucker to a mix. The mod doesn't require much apart from removing tiiny corners from the standard humbucker route using a small sharpened flat screwdriver blade as the p90 sits on the body with a foam packed underneath. Took me an hour and is easily converted back to stock.

[lumberlikwidator]

The original version of the ABR-1 did not have the saddle retainer wire. The saddles were held in place by string tension. The retainer wire did not appear until sometime after 1960.

[agtronic]

Having the intonation set on a guitar is paramount to an instrument being playable, it is not something only professionals should be concerned about. Also a good thing to learn how to set yourself. Intonation needs to be adjusted when you change string gauge also. Just my $0.02.

[mehegama]

On electric guitar the acoustic resonance contributes almost 0 to the tone as the magnet only picks up the vibration of the metallic string and not anything that comes out of the wood. This wood resonance might be audible acoustically but does not really affect the string vibration and if it does, it does not do it in a meaningful way.

[anthonymumford]

I have an Orville les paul with the abr, and it has a lovely sweet and lively sound. I have a Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique which had the Nashville bridge and sounded awful. I changed the bridge to a Gotoh with large posts and it still sounded dreadful. recently I changed the bridge again to a Tonepros TPFA bridge with aluminium body and brass saddles. also with large posts.
I can't believe how good it sounds now. Nashville and abr bridges are made from zinc alloy. I don't know why they sounded so bad on my guitar, but I am now a big fan of aluminium bridges with brass saddles. my Gibson has been given a new lease on life.

[noternunstoned]

it gives that little bit of support, I like putting an extra thumbwheel on each of my vintage ES 335 abr-1 bridge posts and screw it down to the body,

[whiteninja]

I find it depends on the guitar, really. I changed the whole TOM setup on my 2010 LP to a Faber kit, with the iNsert posts. And it really transformed that guitar for the better. My 78 Custom had a collapsed bridge so I changed that to a Faber ABR1 (didn't change the posts) but had problems with intonation. Changed that to a Tonepros Nashville style and its much better now. It resonates beautifully even with the Nashville bushings so I don't feel the need to convert it to the conversion posts. Same fir my 86 Custom, the bridge is great as is, no need to change it. So, as I said, in my experience, it depends on the guitar...

[JamesMurphyProducer]

I was a bit confused after watching this, because you never really just come right out and say it… But what I’m getting is that you prefer the ABR1-style stud mounting, but as for the actual bridge saddle section, you prefer the Nashville… Is that right? thx

[jcbak]

My only problem with the ABR-1 is the damned retaining wire which can often rattle. Yes, you can try bending it, place nail polish on it, etc. But sometimes nothing you do works. The only solution is a bridge without the wire.

[MonkeyFeat]

I've played both and I personally don't hear any difference. It's personal preference in my opinion. I prefer Nashville.

[joshmoore]

As far as maxing out intonation on the Nashville... Just flip the bridge saddle and that gives you enough travel to intonate it. I had to do that on my G string.

[edwardmackinnon]

I have an ESP that had those AB1 type bridges - Sounded thin and sustain was ok - switched out for the Nashville type for a more founded / ridged connection to the body and massively improved the sound and sustain.
Whatever works I guess.

[gregorio]

Not 100 percent sure, but machine parts can rattle. The abr 1 is good, but those thin screws will flex-that may be why the Nashville bridge came to be.

[bluzzjazz]

Sitting at about 50 guitars, I have every bridge/tail piece imaginable. The thing that has always bothered me about my Gibson's, is intonating the B string. I've had to reverse the saddle to get that last little bit of string break and move it all the way back to get close.