Question For Anyone Who Knows About Fixing Electric Guitars

[aquaduct]

About a decade or so ago or so I updated the bridge on my 335 to a Callaham ABR-1 bridge with "Nashville" studs. Reference Callaham. I also signed up for offset studs to account for heavier strings (0.12-0.54) so I could get just a skosh more string length to accommodate intoning the low E properly. The work was all done by a local repair shop and I've been very happy with it for years.

But now the wife decided (and I agreed in order to allow better bending with 61 year old fingers) that I'm going back to 0.10-0.46 strings and due to unemployment I'm hoping to do the work myself. My question is twofold.

First, Callaham included standard studs (not offset) that I still have in the bag of spare parts and the old bridge from the original conversion. I'm guessing that pulling the offset studs and putting in the normal ones is just a matter of carefully prying out the ones in the guitar (it's a smooth shaft and not ribbed around the edges like the original Gibson shaft) using maybe a piece of leather to protect the guitar finish and then setting the straight shaft in using some kind of metal tube to go over the threaded part of the shaft and using a rubber mallet to gently drive the straight one home. Would this be correct?

Second, the string slots in the nut will now be slightly oversized (only a couple thousandths). Does correcting that really matter? I'm not up for doing a new nut myself.

An additional benefit if I can get the offset studs out cleanly is that I should be able to use them (same technique) in the new ES150. I've got one remaining set of 0.12-0.54 that would probably work real well on the more traditional jazzer and I can pirate parts (saddles mostly) from the old collapsing Gibson 335 bridge (also in the spare parts bag) and re-set it up.

Any thoughts are welcome before I accidentally destroy something.

[Marty]

Don't worry about the nut, it should be fine.

Pulling the stud anchors can be done with a small pry bar but you must protect the finish with something solid. I often use one of my old cabinet scrapers laid under the pry bar to spread out the pressure, wood could be used also.
 Thread the stud in the anchor and pry up. When the leverage gets poor put some wood under the bar and pry again.

Since they are replacements you shouldn't have to worry about the finish chipping.

I have a puller for doing this job and will take some photos this morning and post them asap. You could make the puller, not really difficult, just a short tube of PVC, a large washer and the correct bolts.

Inserting the anchors just needs a mallet and wood block.

EDIT: You may not need to do anything other than replace the strings, make sure the rod is adjusted properly and reset the intonation.

I would try that first.

[Marshall]

Marty’s the man for bridge work. If you need advice on spray paint send me a note.

[Marty]

My pullers







Stud puller, tube with a bolt that fits the anchor threads. Pad the tube with soft material.






EDIT: You may not need to do anything other than replace the strings, make sure the rod is adjusted properly and reset the intonation.



I would try that first.

[aquaduct]

Mar 14, 2022 10:44:41 GMT -5 Marty said:

My pullers



Stud puller, tube with a bolt that fits the anchor threads. Pad the tube with soft material.



EDIT: You may not need to do anything other than replace the strings, make sure the rod is adjusted properly and reset the intonation.



I would try that first.

That's very helpful, thanks. I think I'm pretty much up against the stop for moving toward the neck on a couple strings. It seems to me that I might not have needed the extra offset after all (got plenty of gap away from the neck so I can cover any movement that way). The original bridge had been collapsing so I went to the Callaham anyways.

So before I do anything (gig in two months and a lot of relearning stuff until then) I'll ponder for a few days.

[Marty]

The offset Nashville can be rotated toward the neck as well as away from the neck in different combinations to achieve the optimum setting for the G , D and high E strings. These are usually the strings most noticeable in a chord voicing, especially the G if it is a unwound string. A wound 3rd works better for chords not only for being more in tune on a fixed scale but also for not being dominate in the voicing.

[aquaduct]

Mar 14, 2022 11:32:04 GMT -5 Marty said:

The offset Nashville can be rotated toward the neck as well as away from the neck in different combinations to achieve the optimum setting for the G , D and high E strings. These are usually the strings most noticeable in a chord voicing, especially the G if it is a unwound string. A wound 3rd works better for chords not only for being more in tune on a fixed scale but also for not being dominate in the voicing.

The new set makes the G unwound. So maybe if I rotate the studs.... Hmmmm.....

And cautions on trying to rotate the studs (like don't grab the threaded part with pliers)?

[aquaduct]

Turns out that after working and practicing for a couple days with my original set up, my wife likes the way it works and sounds- again- without any modifications. So I guess I won't be doing any surgery on anything.

Funny how that works.