Tune-O-Matic Roller Bridge Does it Make Any Difference To Your Guitar?
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- Опубликовано: 28 июн 2016
- Ok today I'm looking at fitting a Tune-O-Matic Roller Bridge to one of my guitars, see the positive results, it may not improve your sound but could improve your playing.
There are a few bridges to choose from and some may not even fit your guitar, I will do my best to show you the positive and also the pitfalls.
Also I show you where you can buy a roller bridge for dirt cheap money.
Let me know what you think :)
Cheapest: www.banggood.com/
Good Value: axetec.co.uk/
Good Value and perhaps higher quality (I assume) : www.axesrus.co.uk/
Me: davebarlowguitar.co.uk/
Intro track courtesy of: • Best Rock Metal backin...
It killed the "attack" of the notes on my LP. The old tune-o-matic seems too much better for my ears
I have Bigsbys on most of my guitars, and wouldn't even consider using a "regular" bridge. Rollers are the way to go.
That's probably going to be the next one I do which is my Gretsch G5420TG w/Bigsby. I already changed out the stock spring for a more sensitive and responsive one and it alone made a huge difference. I think the roller bridge will only add to it in comfort and reliability.
The roller bridge on my Epi LP Standard Pro has already logged double the amount of hours I normally play with no string breakage and no change in tone as some claim.
I notice there is two kinds of roller Bridges
Yes! I have roller bridges on my Les Pauls. Flying Vs are next. A massive improvement in tone. More string to metal contact, better tuning.
I replaced the bridge on my Les Paul with a roller, Love it! More string to metal contact easier tuning and better tone.
Explained a lot to me, Dave. Thanks for the upload.
I tried one out on one of my custom less Paul's..and must say it seems to help keep tune..on my stats I have lsr roller nut and roller saddles with locking tuners..and stays tuned really well even with brutal whammy bar attacks..I like them.
Guitar building is a 'hobby' I got involved with early last year. It was something I fell into in retirement. I am now building my first 'solid body' six string guitar and I have spent days trawling through ebay, AliExpress, BangGood and a few others trying to figure out the difference between roller bridges at various prices and in my very amateur way came to the conclusion that they all look the same, or very similar. I live in rural northeast Thailand and there are no retail outlets for guitar parts anywhere near here. This video has helped me tremendously. Thanks so much.
A main difference is that the allen key ones, you have to detune and move each string to get the allen key in there to adjust the intonation whereas the screw type has the screws on the front like the original bridge so you can use a screwdriver to adjust intonation without moving the string out of the way, you can leave it on the saddle. Although it seems that the overall height of it may be slightly taller than the allen key type, something to keep in mind if like to have a low saddle for low-action purposes.
Best Bridge for Les Paul Guitars Roller Bridges or Original - Tune O'Matic Roller? - RUclips
ruclips.net/video/Z-8z0kJPyDM/видео.html.
Good to hear that people are having a good experience tone wise with roller bridges, either no change or better tone. I recently came across a forum submission where the writer said he changed out to a roller bridge for a short time and then changed back again.Reason for the change back was given as a loss of tone caused by the rollers. Last year I bought a new semi hollow guitar that came with a vintage style trem and a roller bridge so I started thinking hmmm. Thanks Dave, (and the rest of the posters) for putting another slant on this topic.Cheers
I think it's subjective at best to make a claim of tone loss. The bottom line is you need a certain amount of tension to be in tune. The idea that any change because of a stretching string over a roller is going to make it less toneworthy is ridiculous in my opinon. Tension is tension.
I ended up getting the same bridge you fitted to the explorer to go on my Vintage V100, purely because the existing one didn't allow me to adjust the intonation far enough on one string to get it spot on. This type of bridge gives additional intonation adjustment for the whole bridge which sorted the problem totally. To be fair it stayed in tune before and still does now so, result!
I've started looking at your vids Dave. Interesting stuff. Many thanks.
I've fitted many a roller bridge to LP/SG type guitars and yes you have to watch out for the pole pieces to make sure they fit. But most suppliers generally have a few different styles and generally cater to the less fortunate who can't afford Gibsons. In theory rollers should be better than the wedge saddles, however I don't tend to find it in practice if you slots the saddles correctly and take off any burrs. The main thing I find is you eliminate that annoying piece of wire holding the saddle in place that vibrates every time you hit strings. And a bonus - if you look for the shaller type bridges, they're a little wider, so great if your intonation adjustments on your old bridge was at their extremes. One other thing - that roller you put on, personally I prefer the first style with the intonation screws at the side like the originals, not on top as it's a PITA to set your intonation with the screw under the string. But once set up, they all do the same job.
Thank you Dave Barlow. I was wondering which roller bridge to use on my Epiphone Flamecat made in 2003 made in Korea. I think what you've explained here can help everyone who is thinking about using a roller bridge. All my best to you and keep Rocking my brother in music.
Nice video mate, subbed.
I bought one from Ali express for $16 Aussie$ it also came with a new tailpiece. I just asked the seller for one to fit an epihone Les Paul and the seller said it would but also sent me a diagram with the measurements to check. It fit perfectly. Ali express have price differences between sellers for exactly the same product in all departments so it pays to look around.
Tonally I can't notice anything. The big thing for me is since fitting it the intonation is finally spot on, something I could ever achieve with the tune o matic bridge.
I swear by them :)
Love your videos brother, working mans guitars, working mans guitarist, good simple advice. Thank you.
I just acquired an EVH Wolfgang Standard with a TOM bridge. Cheap version, simple guitar. I'm thinking of throwing one of these roller bridges on it. Why not, AND it will lock in place, that's the beauty of it.
The roller bridges are better for tuning because the strings now roll
instead of scraping up to pitch, my experience and opinion.
It's a simple matter of the laws of physics - will dragging a string over a knife's edge aid in tuning - or keeping tune - more than having that same string roll over a bearing? Not exactly rocket science. I replaced the bridge on my Epiphone Wildkat (known for having tuning issues) with a roller bridge, and that guitar holds tune almost indefinitely - and that's with a Bigsby. 'Nuff said?
Tablature Butler by the same logic though I suppose holding it more securely when not bending the string you’d expect it to allow more vibration as less is able to move possibly?
It's funny because in the winter with the drastic changes in temp and humidity, I'll be sitting at the computer and occasionally hear a "tink!", where the wire of the wound strings passes over the sharp TOM bridge. I haven't installed a roller bridge yet, but since I replaced my stock tuners with some Grover mini locking tuners, tuning issues haven't been near as bad as before.
dcs10291 I understand that theory, but with a roller isn't more string contacting the roller, thus transferring more vibration? Just a thought.
@@backwoodsbrewer IMO and experience that's all I can offer, no. If it were transferring more of the vibration I'm pretty sure that would effect both sustain as well as tone. On my LP the sustain time actually increased by a few seconds and tone wise there's no change at all that I can hear at all. The one thing I can say though is the life of my strings has already doubled so far and they are still staying in tune. Of course the G, B, and A strings are always the ones that go and I'm just getting to the point of them not being as crisp sounding and as easy to stay in tune so a change is due but I've also played double the amount of time as normal at this point.
I also made sure though I had a quality nut before that change which is normally (I think) were most peoples problems actually come from.
I actually put one of those on my Gibson SG. Not exactly the best fit but it does the job. I didn't need to change out the posts, just the saddle piece.
I haven’t used the standard bridge but I have a guitar with the roller bridge and I like it because I can palm mute every string
Note the black rollers on one of the bridges. Get the model with brass rollers, much better, rollers don’t jam. Black ones sometimes do.
Please subscribe as I got lots more to share with you about this :)
Stew Mac carries a couple of roller saddle options with tone pros
And Schaller. Cheers!
Dave Ali Express had like 14 variations of this bridge. Might get the right posts if you look though these bridges. Thx for the info.
Nice video.
I bought a
Schaller Roller Bridge STM for my Washburn WV16- G11 absolutely the best thing ever for tunning. I paid $77.44 threw Amazon.
Watkins Glen NY waving 🤘
A guy at guitar center told me it wouldn't make any difference if you don't have a bigsby. I don't think he's right. Less friction equals better tuning. It's just not the norm. He seemed to be pretty informed but I have one on another guitar and it stays in tune twice as long and it's a cheap one. Im getting a Schaller for my main guitar. It's a little over 40 bucks but looks to have longer length to intonate. If it makes your guitar stay in tune for even one more song playing live it's worth it to me.
There's no much in it, I updated mine due to string breakage issues mainly, the bigger bridge brightens the tone a bit, increases sustain and helps with tuning stability especially with new strings.
Great & helpful vid. Looking at putting a roller bridge on my Epi Johnny A. Thanks.
Glad it helped
As soon as you showed the installed unit. Yep I reversed my D and G saddles the same wouldn't top wrap however.
The $35 'Golden-Eagle' Roller-Bridge I put on a Bigsby Equipped 'SG' sat lower than the T-O-M and the strings clear the back of the bridge plate.Same thing on a Les Paul Studio w/out a Bigsby...No MORE BUZZING on either axe from over-wrapping any longer as well.The Les Paul Stop-Tail is flush with the Maple top as well, 'Golden-Eagle' ROLLER BRIDGES ROCK!
The V grooves cut strings while playing.
I replaced my bridge on ESP with the third type you showed.
Pros: Tuning remains comparatively sturdy, almost no string breaking so wastage of money is stopped.
Cons: It takes so many hours to get correct intonation! You loose bell like harmonics which you got from your older bridge.
Good video.
Good to know on the harmonics. Thanks.
Got here because an LTD giving me the string braking problem. It has been terrible to find a solution, so I'll have to give this a try
@@propsab Best wishes, but be careful. This involves quite delicacy and mechanical movement to replace a bridge with its posts. New posts might be smaller in diameter or larger. So be careful before doing this. Keep in touch if needed so.
@@shashanksherkar392 Thanks!
I have that model of hamer- its a fantastic guitar-the tuners are some of the best feeling own branders and the pickups are just hot enough for my rec. i found it for £195 in my local music store and in comparison to the other 2nd hand £200 ish ones i tried it was head and shoulders above the rest- the only thing that came close was an iceman but the neck was just a bit too narrow for me.
Hi. Anyone knows where to find a piezo equipped roller bridges? Fishman invented Tune-o-matic Powerbridge Pickup, but it does not come with roller bridges
Glad to see you like these roller bridges. I'm building a guitar with a Bigsby clone and I'm sure it's better to go with a roller type bridge...less friction. Thanks for the video!👍😎🎸🎶
I tried a roller bridge on my 2012 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro and I realized too late that the radiuses didn't match, there's a Schaller roller that's got a 12" radius however so I'll have to try that next ($55 on Amazon). Right now I have locking tuners w/ a TP-6 tailpiece and holy crap, it's such an amazing setup. My action is obscenely low; I usually go the nickel/dime route but it's even lower than that. And not a single bit of buzz. Bends aren't fretting-out either, I've never seen anything like it. Not only that but the strings are clearing the stock bridge and not touching the back. The TP-6 is a Guyker brand I picked up on Amazon for $30. Can't wait to get that Schaller roller on there and see if it really makes a difference.
I put those exact bridges on both of my Gibsons USA. They fit perfectly on the posts already on the guitars. I did need to use the posts that came with the bridge on my Epiphones, a Firebird and a 335. I have had them in use for a year. A guy was bitching that the resale value would go away. I don't care, I'm not selling them. Finding a nut is a other story. Plastic nuts are junk, my Stratocasters go out of tune with the tremolo. I put a roller nut and just the saddles. They never go out of tune, I wish they had these years ago when I had to block tremolos. I tossed Bigsbys in the trash bin.
if it's any help in the specs of the guitar ( go to the manufacturer of the guitar page ) will give you the info . the difference is USA guitar upscale Gibson etc use Standard threds, Japanese,Korean etc. use metric measure. on older USA guitar always use Standard many newer USA guitar are likely to use either so get the specs from web site of manufacturer of guitar. hope this helps been playing for 52 yrs. give or take a month so I've been thru a lot of axes.
I just came to YT see if any vids about these things. Then Dave's vid came up, hit like after 3 sec. 🤣
I tried these for a while on an epiphone dot but found there was an annoying click when bending the first three strings as the rollers are much wider than the first three strings so they rock across the top of the rollers, in the end I changed back to a Nashville style bridge that was heavier than the original epiphone bridge and im really happy with it now.
Hi Dave, you said that you upgraded the Axetec Roller Bridge in this video, what did you upgrade it with and did you need to modify the guitar in anyway? I have the same BRLP04 and was thinking of upgrading it as well. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks for the videos, I've learned loads from you.
I updated the stock abr type bridge for a roller bridge, there are a few to choose from (just google), most of them will fit Gibson or similar type guitars as measurements are pretty much the same, you need to check the post size though.
I have put them on all my l.p. more tone, sustain, no string breakage. If you bend a lot a normal tom will saw your strings in two
Are there two versions of the roller tune o matic bridge that looks like traditional Gibson bridges versus the more modern roller bridge at 2:28? I was wondering if the more traditional looking roller bridge had a version for flatter fretboards and another one that is more round, hence the three versions mentioned at the beginning. Any insight would be appreciated
Why theses arent used on any guitar with bigsbby? Points of contact with this or the sharpe edge one cant be too different.
Actually they should be used on those Guitars because the strings will simply turn the Wheels
Roller bridges are fantastic to play, especially with distortion. On clean it seems like they suck some of the tone out. My single coil sounded more dead like a humbucker or something.
Epiphone les paul came with saddles like guillotine blades,Vanson roller bridge and Tusq nut transformed it,No tuning issues and no hang ups or strings snapping.Best £25 I ever spent.
I'm having the same problem with the Epiphone Tony Iommi SG. The "guillotine blades" have been filed down but still doesn't tune that great. I'm thinking about a Tusq, a roller bridge and maybe some grovers.
Awesum
Roller Bridge dudes
2rdn2 The new nut and bridge will transform it mate.Though why we should have to mod these new guitars is a question for the company I think.
I like the Tusq bridge saddles.
Prices seem to vary a great deal on this piece. I seen em from $17.00 to &150.00.
Heres something to consider on gibby and epi... the tail piece is to low... to much pitch on strings from bridge to tail .... creating excessive stress... raise the tail piece .... reduce the string pitch... this will stop strings from breaking... the side effect of doing this is also reduces string tension on the finger board... easier playing.. longer string life...
I guess everyone forgot, or maybe to young to remember why people stopped using rollers bridges, etc years ago. I agreed with all the reasons. The tone suck can be explained simply by the fact you are adding many more interface surfaces between the string and the body of the guitar. Secondly, the rollers often are not rolling! The coefficient of friction is greater where the roller shafts are making contact to the saddle body than the string sliding over a non roller saddle if the slot is dressed properly. Also, the roller shafts get gunked up rapidly from a less than ideal environment. Anyone remember this decades ago?
Added a roller bridge to my Epi Les Paul from StewMac and it was the best upgrade. Super stable tuning and great for sustain too!
I mounted some cheap Allparts rollerbridge on my Epi LP w/ tremolo and it does the job but steals some tone. Did you notice any sonic difference with StewMac?
@@stenbjorklund461 Honestly no, in fact it increased my sustain time and actually makes it more forgiving on hard string bends. And while the string tension itself has to be identical to stay in tune I've managed to play almost double the amount of hours so far before a string break, so far. I've only seen or heard one other person make that claim and to be honest I think it's subjective for the most part. The guys I talked to that had already made the switch specifically said there was no change at all in their tone which was something I specifically wanted to know about. At the same time though I also switched my nut from a plastic one to a TUSQ so the chances thats more reliant on the nut than the actual bridge seems to be more likely?
Iv done this with good results and now I'm wondering about changing the nut to rollers . Any ideas ?
I have a gibson style tune-o-matic on my indonesian Jackson. It sounds great. I also love the feel of it too. It doesn't bother me. I prefer it to wraparound bridges by a mile. Would a roller bridge really be better? My tone is good but could it be better?
changed mine for string breakage and tuning reasons, its looking a bit rusty and aged but still doing the job :)
I haven't had any problems with string breakage yet. I'll keep my eye out for these. :) thanks for the video
I've got roller Bridge on my leverson blade and trem great things stay in tune great 👍
Good to hear
Thanks for sharing. I was going to change the tuners on an Ibanez, but I'll try a £6 bridge first, to see if it stops it going out of tune so easily.
Replace your nut and have it cut properly by a luthier. Rarely if ever are your tuners the real problem.
thanks for the good sites
wilkinson rollers fit ABR-1 bridges that are 74mm from center post to center post. Its the only quality one that I know does without re-drilling. Basically a drop in replacement.
You have loads of great hair; you lucky fella🙂👍 Mine was Ian astbury 89 🙂ended up Francis rossi 99😞
3:17 How do you internate something like that? There's no screw to move the roller back or forewards.
the adjustment is at the top and allows the saddle to slide back or forward, I admit its fiddly but when set up pays dividends.
Do the rollers interfere with the benefits of top wrapping? and do both rollers and carved slots benefit the same from the reduced the break angle tension created by wrapping over the tailpiece?
works fine with top wrap
Tusq does have solution tusq makek the saddles out of thier boron poly materiel, but could you review. Think tusq may make better contact, rather than roller pin to frame to bolt to body?
could be a good idea, if they send me I will review.
thank you!
welcome :)
I have a roller bridge on my Les Paul, i fitted it when i noticed my bridge posts bending due to my use of a Bigsby,.It is an abr bridge with no post inserts so i did this to stop the post holes enlarging, and stopping the bridge posts collapsing into the maple cap.
Use the stringsavers, they are brilliant
I would also add..use a Graphtech nut with these for best results.
Absolutely!
Good video! If the original ABR-1 bridge causes tuning problems or dead strings, the slots are cut wrong. In fact the original saddles when cut correctly will make point contact with the strings, and should result in great tone and sustain. The downside of course is the tendency for strings to break, especially under a heavy picking hand. (light pickers need not worry) When tuning up, always tune up to pitch, never down (even with a roller bridge) The comfort of a roller bridge can not be denied, although personally I've never had any discomfort with the original.
For guitars with a Bigsby or Vibrola, a roller makes a LOT of sense. The ABR-1 is absolutely miserable staying in tune. A rocker bridge makes more sense vs a roller, no resistance at all. The Gretsch aluminum rocker bridge is vastly superior to all others, but has fixed compensation for your intonation... maybe a minus, but I've not encountered a problem (yet) with the intonation.
Can u help me find a bridge with a wider string spacing than a tuneomatic??? I had one 40 years ago that was low profile with the thumbscrews inside slots on either end instead of under the bridge like a tuneomatic. I cant find what I had anywhere on the internet, it was chrome with aluminum saddles and it had a wider string spacing.
Im trying to fix my second ea 250 motsu epi. The tunomatic they sold on it its too narrow on the fretboard bout like a rikenbac
I have Epiphone Wildkat. Came stock with a TOM and a Bigsby with a really sharp string angle. It was untuneable until it was replaced with a roller.
I totally believe in roller bridges. I have them on all of my Gibbys and Epis. Easier tuning and more string to metal contact. the tone is much better.
Do they work on sg’s?
Dave! I saw in a recent FB post that you've installed the Wilkerson style roller on your Gold Top. Which one do you prefer? I've heard the Wilkerson style can be more fiddly when intonating but really would love your thoughts on the two styles. Thanks brother.
Peace!
I have a Roller Bridge fitted to all my guitars with tune o matic bridges, they are from china, you can purchase on ebay too, $6. Not sure if they are Wilkinson but probably from the same factory.
Dave Barlow - Sorry Dave, but which "style" of roller did you find you liked the best, the fatter "molded" style or the thinner one that resembles the Nashville more, the one you installed in the video? Or did it make a difference? I've seen some who complained that the fatter, or what I called Wilkinson style, were heavy and hard to adjust. You wouldn't faff with something if it didn't work so I assume their fine. Thanks for the response. Peace!
The fatter one, yes, a bit more fiddly to set up but when done its all locked into place, set and forget :)
Dave Barlow
Perfect! Thanks man :-)
Great info. Thanks.. (New Subscriber}
neat video,just a quick question. should i have the roller bridge paralell to the pick ups and not angled as std so the strings have a straight run over the rollers? looking at the range of adjustment on the saddles (and the posts) it seems like getting the intonation correct should be possible that way. thanks for the info mate,you keep making em and i'll keep watching them.
I am only suggesting a replacement bridge here so cannot comment other
than that, it shouldn't cause any issues by just replacing the bridge as
described in the video. Hope that clarify s this for you.
mudco666 I just dropped mine straight onto existing posts,angle causes no probs.
Dave I just didn't like my strings sitting on a knife blade. I put roller bridges on all my Les Paul and 335 guitars. I put roller nuts on them if possible. My guitars are for work and some are for my own fun. They are now for an investment, stocks and bonds are for that and some real estate. Not a reissued Gibson, they are a loss. Stay in tune and remember that is a guitar not a piggy bank.
I've put a Tonepros bridge on my guitar with a Bigsby since tuning wasn't stable. It's made a bit of a difference but I wonder if the roller saddles are actually supposed to roll. With the strings off they roll just fine of course, but with the strings on and tuned to pitch the rollers don't seem to move at all. Is that normal?
They roll
@@DaveBarlowGuitar Wow, thank you for replying. So does that mean there is something wrong with my roller bridge, or just that the movement is small enough that I'm not noticing it?
There's two kinds of roller Bridge can you do a video on which is the better roller Bridge?
Both are good for the purpose, however I am now using String Savers which are great.
I use this on washburn hb35 and it's worth it just for muting practicality
The idea of a roller tune-o-matic is brilliant in theory. I bought one..Schaller is very high quality however the bridge I bought.. the rollers are not on races or bearing but a screw type thread. This allows for adjustable string spacing.. again..great in theory. A roller that is actually more of a threaded nut on a threaded bolt most likely will not rotate once the pressure of a tuned string is applied to it. Applying oil may help but oil between metal parts will effect tone, sustain and resonance, not much but it will. The string will however slide back and forth over the saddle if its round rather than a standard T-O-M saddle for an increased chance of returning to tune, lubing the string at the roller surface would as well helps this to happen. Just a bit of my own theory be it right or wrong. I no longer have it but..if you wish to challenge you could mark a roller, mark the string very close to the roller and watch it as you tighten up ...does the roller move as the string mark moves? Do they roll together beyond in tune after more pressure than needed is applied or did the roller stop rolling and go to a string glide??
Some good points here, just about to record part 2 of this subject video :)
@James Hill. I'm with you on this one - not sure the roller will actually move with the movement of the string (due to downward force from the string). Maybe worth a try I suppose. I did replace the string tree on a Strat which had the typical bent metal wing tree (a particularly cheap one) that snagged the high strings. That did help, but a) It was downstream of the nut and b) not sure it actually rotates - more likely the string just rolls over the gentle radius. A roller bridge is directly in contact with the string length, some commentors say the roller bridge adversely affected the tone/attack - which for the moment puts me off faffing around fitting a roller bridge!
I just got that very roller like 2 days ago. The intonation is very close right now. But I keep looking at it and wondering if I should turn all the rollers the same direction. Have U tried that? any suggestions?
I had to turn some roller saddles round to get the correct intonation, works great.
Thanks for the video! I live in Madrid and I want to upgrade de hardware of my LTD EC256. Do you know other companies that sell budget hardware besides axetec that you recommend?
Stew Mac Gus. And don't skimp on quality for money if you want good sound.
This bridge actually helps the strings last longer by having them turn the Wheels
I needed roller saddles on my Badass bridge, but I couldn't find a roller bridge. But I found roller saddles for another style of bridge and could substitute my old ones with them. Perhaps you can do that if you meet the dreaded post thickness problem ;)
change the posts, easy.
Hey bro wat pickups do u have in the explorer. ?semour or dimarzios
Iron Gear Blues Engines
Had roller saddles put on my B. C. Rich mockingbird because I missed some heights. I felt the slotted saddles pinch the strings and rob me some tone. But after two weeks I changed to the old saddles... With the roller saddles I lost 70% of the loved woody sound with its fine overtones going on. Sustain was the same. The bluesy warm, melodic dark rock and rock’n’roll sound and growl was gone! For good comparison I even put the 5 yo. strings back. She sounded like a proper metal guitar- cutting thru and squealing like hell, but kinda sterile... No wonder: the roller are made out of hardened steel, the string can vibrate behind the saddles, activating the effect of the tailpiece.
I will experiment with treble bleed circuit...
So, it depends what you‘re after..., or you could just trow the balance of your guitar off. On a fine sounding instrument there is a certain optimal balance between woods, construction, materials and design of the hardware parts...sounding best with the according pickups...and pots and cap values
I also recommend letting the new parts settle. At first they might sound bad, but just play them for two weeks, everything sounds better if settled properly and played in. And don‘t miss audio taping the before and after! Human ears have not the memory you might think☺️
Late to this party, just new to roller bridges. I've ordered 2 of them - one for my Gibson ES-339 & another for my Telecaster Deluxe, both have tuneomatic bridges. I've got a Duesenberg 'Les Trem II' to install on my Tele & if I like it, I'll get another for the Gibson. If anyone here could offer advice, I'd appreciate it - with or without a trem of any kind, a roller bridge looks like it's an improvement no matter what. Is there a reason roller bridges aren't more prevalent, especially on top-tier guitars? It just seems to be a better design, why don't we see it more often?
Thanks!
traditionalists are the issue.
Dave, Everybody Thinks That Tuners Are the reason Why A Guitar Wont Stay In Tune.
Wrong, Its That Bridge With The Blade Type Saddle. How The F**k Is The String Suppose To Slide On A Sharp Pointy Blade.
Put A Roller Bridge On It And All Your Troubles Are Gone. A Good Bone Or Brass Nut Helps Very Much Too.
Rock On Brother. Excellent Vid.
Just an FYI, you can raise the tail piece rather than wrap over and achieve the same goal of reducing the break angle.
I don't know if i'd go as far as saying I hear a tone difference or anything due to most of my playing goes through effects, equalizers, etc etc. I will say all my Les Pauls have roller bridges because they're way more comfortable on my picking hand when resting it on the bridge for palm muting etc..
As far as top wrapping the stop bar, that doesnt make sense. Cant you just raise the stop bar? Isnt that what those big ass screws are for?
Yes a lot of people wrap them that way and Jack it up some. It does seem to help some. Lubricating the saddles and nut is more important probably. But whatever works.
where can i buy that saddle with the rollers? can you put in the description
Recently I found that Amazon sell them www.amazon.co.uk/matic-Roller-electric-guitar-bridge/dp/B003A0NU0E
Roller bridges are AWESOME! They are better than the tune-o-matic. However, this conversation is a lot like tuners. If a guitar is setup well, has a good nut, and a good bridge, then most tuners work fine.
However, locking tuners make changing strings way EASIER. They have advantages and are better than non-locking tuners... period. Also, many tuners do suck. They are made poorly and/or have shafts that wobble, or gears that wear quickly, or don't even have a flat mounting surface. Again, most are fine, but many do suck.
Same goes for the bridge. With abridge, tune-o-matics do not suck, but they do wear and they only have one motion for adjustments. What Dave isn't telling you, cause he didn't look deeply, is that some of these roller bridges are made of less quality than others. Be wary of these because that have negative tone and/or simply wear or adjust poorly.
Some have BAD designs. Wilkenson's, for example, SUCK! Do they work? Yes! You can use them and sound phenomenal. The problem is that the require loosening a screw and wonky adjustments to get intonation correct. Precise intonation is almost impossible. Your luthier would hate you with one of those. Don't buy Wilkenson rollers, they are sub-par by design. Please, scan through youtube and look and comments on Wilkenson rollers and their setup.
Then there are FANTASTIC rollers! This link below is an example:
www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/All_Hardware_and_Parts_by_Instrument/Electric_Guitar_Parts/Electric_Guitar_Bridges_and_Tailpieces/Tune-o-matic_Bridges/Schaller_Roller_Bridge.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwuZvIBRD-8Z6B2M2Sy68BEiQAtjYS3CS02tmHSZvycoqjTLkUnrHkA--kA6etOzKhZ0aKIpwaAm0h8P8HAQ
Not only are the Schaller rollers easy to adjust, they can adjust the rollers side-to-side, meaning you can fine tune string placement where tune-o-matics offer nothing... standard forward and back per string, no side-to-side adjustments. Schaller is also the extreme high end of quality (my tuners of choice too).
I personally love rollers combined with a stop where the strings are rolled over so they bend the least possible. This is best for tuning accuracy and also allows for the most play-ability (much easier bending of strings to a full step). This occurs when strings slide through a nut easily (at the correct position/height), when the bridge is fine-tuned to the correct height... and width with Schallers... and then have the least amount of bend at the neck and bridge to keep strings in place. I have noticed that the width adjustments expand the tuning accuracy throughout the neck with Schaller rollers. I don;t mention other options because I am not aware of another roller bridge with such adjustments.
Nice one Dave, really useful video. I got a roller bridge for my Gretsch electromatic to help with the tuning when using the Bigsby. I've still got issues, but think they are nut related (or the tuners. It's amazing how much shoddy hardware is on a quite pricey guitar). The roller is really comfortable and mine was about £14 from Amazon I think. I loved it so much I managed to get a black version for a black Hofner I've got, it looks very cool
Matthew Eastel try the string butler. They're sweet.
Thanks man, will check it out
Yeah I put a roller on my LP copy... sustain for days! I read that the second one you showed isn't as good though...
Same here Frank, I went from an average of 11-14 seconds of sustain on my Epi LP to over 25 seconds most times. Worth every penny!
The width is different on the USA and the epiphones,import.The Gibson Nashville bridge has those narrow post. Guitar fetish has both roller bridges which are heavy in weight. You won't break strings at the bridge with a roller bridge. Order the import or metric for all import guitars. There a lot better than paying 90 bucks for a Schaller.
BQLZR make post sets for both USA Gibson and Epiphone units,
So I can't install roller bridges on an ESP or Schecter ?? Just on gibsons?
Why not?
thank you Dave !...whats your fave roller bridge?
The one I have in my les paul, the rollers have now seized up due to sweat and grime but still stays in tune and strings still last longer LOL.
thanks brother
cool thanks
Dave Barlow soak it in WD-40 for a day or so. Then dry off. And use. That stuff fixes bearings and more.
Be sure to get the stuff that loosens rust. (Silver/chrome can. Not tge standard blue/yellow)
For the US Les Paul's you can get replacement roller saddles that are a direct swap for the Gibson ones.
cool, show me please.
does the brass roller saddles are better?
I cant tell the difference myself but younger ears may :)
I put a roller bridge like the first one you held up on my SG. But when I play it, the thinner strings pop out of the rollers. I have a Bigsby trem on it now but I'm putting a Gibson Maestro on it soon, just waiting for the new tuners to arrive. After I put the new trem on it, I'll give it one more go, and if the problem persists, I'm putting the original bridge back on it.
Am I doing something wrong? Do you have any tips or advice that you can share? Thanks.
strange, please check your fitting
Thanks for replying. What fitting? When I pick or strum, the bottom 2 or 3 strings roll off of the rollers. I've never used a roller bridge before, so I don't know much about it. @@DaveBarlowGuitar
there is not enough break angle to keep the strings in the rollers, try raising the bridge or lowering the stoptail @@jameslanclos568
I don't have a tailpiece, currently I have a Bigsby B70 which I will be putting a Gibson Maestro trem as soon as my tuners are delivered. For now, I can try to raise the bridge, but I'm trying to keep the action low. I might try one of those Schaller Roller Bridges nashville style. They have a nice look and I'm sure it's a better quality than what I have. (no holes on top or visible pins)@@DaveBarlowGuitar
btw, what is the guitar hanging on the wall, black one?
That is a Hondo II
dunno if this will get a response,
does this fit in any other tune-o-matic bridge?
i plan to replace the bridge on my Schecter omen 6
thanks :D
Yes I have fitted the same bridge to my Gibson les paul and also other guitars made in the far east so should fit yours fine. always a good idea to find the spec for your guitar, this is usually pretty easy to do. And I always try to answer all questions on my YT channel, or you can ask me directly on my Facebook. :)
thank you Dave :D
Dave does Tusq make a tune o matic bridge replacment?
I think they do, check their website dude
you can buy conversion studs online I think they cost $10 that work for real Gibson size
Dave looking at the roller bridge would the fit my Japanese Columbus les paul copy which I am renovating
yes, but measure it anyway, sometimes poorly made guitars the bridges dont line up, other than that go for it, will be the best hardware mod for any guitar.
Thanks I remember when Gibson were taking the Japanese Columbus company to court they said it was to close to the original thanks for the help
*roller bridge and roller nut set!*
Agreed Shantra, to me this should be a set replacement if you're going to change out your bridge if you don't already have a decent quality one (nut). And if he nut wasn't properly cut right to begin with your putting a band aid on an arterial wound.
All American made guitars are SAE or Imperial not metric. In the United States, we use the older Imperial system. You can get roller bridges here in the States that fit the American made guitars ...
Cool, thanks for the info, sometimes its difficult or quite expensive to get spares for US made guitars here in the UK, if you know any UK outlets please let me know :)
Try RichTone in Sheffield mate.
A main difference is that the allen key ones, you have to detune and move each string to get the allen key in there to adjust the intonation whereas the screw type roller saddle has the screws on the front like the original so you can use a screwdriver to adjust intonation without moving the string out of the way, you can leave it on the saddle. Making the intonation set-up much quicker. Although it seems that the overall height of the saddle may be slightly taller than the allen key type, something to keep in mind if like to have a low saddle for low-action purposes.
Best Bridge for Les Paul Guitars Roller Bridges or Original - Tune O'Matic Roller? - RUclips
ruclips.net/video/Z-8z0kJPyDM/видео.html.
do what works for you :)