I bought an aftermarket bridge for my Les Paul

York Audio

York Audio

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If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a great Les Paul. I’ve owned fourteen of them over the past 30 years and have kept six of them. Some are exceptional, some were ok, and some were just plain bad.

I recently picked up an ‘89 tobacco burst Les Paul Standard (the first year of the “good wood era”) that feels phenomenal! However, it didn’t quite have the life that my ‘89 Custom and ‘97 Classic have, so I didn’t some research on how to get “more” out of the guitar. I kept reading about how bridges and tailpieces can do this by reducing weight and having more solid wood-to-metal contact for better vibration transfer, so I bought a Faber bridge and tailpiece kit to see if there was any truth to it.

The results… night and day. The guitar became noticeably louder acoustically and vibrated with a lot more resonance. It actually resonated a little too much with both pieces installed and sounded more like a chambered Les Paul, so I kept the Faber tailpiece on and swapped the Faber bridge back to the original Gibson Nashville bridge. It sounds and feels amazing now! Very lively in the hands and really fun to play. You can strum an open G chord and feel a lot more vibration through the neck, headstock, and the top of the guitar.

All that to say, if your Les Paul feels a little lacking, I highly recommend upgrading your tailpiece to a Faber. This isn’t an ad and I’m not affiliated with them. I just like what it did to my guitar and wanted to share the experience with you.

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York Audio said:
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a great Les Paul. I’ve owned fourteen of them over the past 30 years and have kept six of them. Some are exceptional, some were ok, and some were just plain bad.

I recently picked up an ‘89 tobacco burst Les Paul Standard (the first year of the “good wood era”) that feels phenomenal! However, it didn’t quite have the life that my ‘89 Custom and ‘97 Classic have, so I didn’t some research on how to get “more” out of the guitar. I kept reading about how bridges and tailpieces can do this by reducing weight and having more solid wood-to-metal contact for better vibration transfer, so I bought a Faber bridge and tailpiece kit to see if there was any truth to it.

The results… night and day. The guitar became noticeably louder acoustically and vibrated with a lot more resonance. It actually resonated a little too much with both pieces installed and sounded more like a chambered Les Paul, so I kept the Faber tailpiece on and swapped the Faber bridge back to the original Gibson Nashville bridge. It sounds and feels amazing now! Very lively in the hands and really fun to play. You can strum an open G chord and feel a lot more vibration through the neck, headstock, and the top of the guitar.

All that to say, if your Les Paul feels a little lacking, I highly recommend upgrading your tailpiece to a Faber. This isn’t an ad and I’m not affiliated with them. I just like what it did to my guitar and wanted to share the experience with you.

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Just checking out the Faber website. Did you buy the aluminum or titanium version?

I've seen some tailpieces with washers under them. I assume they are there so the tailpiece makes contact with the body to help with the resonance. Never really thought about the metal used in the bridge or tailpiece.
 
Toopy14 said:
Just checking out the Faber website. Did you buy the aluminum or titanium version?
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I went with the aluminum version since that seemed to be the most popular option in the stuff I read. I’d get the tailpiece with the studs at minimum. The bridge might be a good option to add if you’ve got a Norlin era LP with a pancake body that sounds really quiet when you play it unplugged.
 
York Audio said:
I went with the aluminum version since that seemed to be the most popular option in the stuff I read. I’d get the tailpiece with the studs at minimum.
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Might give it a try. I have a 2010 Goldtop Traditional I've never been quite happy with. I've tried experimenting with different pickups, but there still seems to be something wrong with how it sounds. It definitely doesn't sound as nice as my 87 LPC.
 
Toopy14 said:
Might give it a try. I have a 2010 Goldtop Traditional I've never been quite happy with. I've tried experimenting with different pickups, but there still seems to be something wrong with how it sounds. It definitely doesn't sound as nice as my 87 LPC.
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I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Les Pauls are also really picky when it comes to setups. If you want more body, give your neck a little more truss rod relief and lower the action. If you want a little more top end snap, tighten the neck a bit and adjust the action so it doesn’t buzz. I adjust mine 1/4 turn or less at a time until if feels right up and down the neck. There are a lot of ways to fine-tune those guitars.
 
York Audio said:
I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Les Pauls are also really picky when it comes to setups. If you want more body, give your neck a little more truss rod relief and lower the action. If you want a little more top end snap, tighten the neck a bit and adjust the action so it doesn’t buzz. I adjust mine 1/4 turn or less at a time until if feels right up and down the neck. There are a lot of ways to fine-tune those guitars.
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I'm in the market for a LP so this thread might come in handy in the next few months.
On a side note since you're a LP aficionado I thought I should ask: ever tried a Eastman?
 
Great post by the way because I have somewhere around 20 Les Pauls and some just don't have the magic (like a 70s Gold Top which LOOKS amazing, and plays 'decent', but sounds a little meh). I'm going to try one of these bridges, because (something that may sound odd), I like the resonance of a chambered LP. I have a 2007 that weighs in the high 7lb range, and it's one of my favorites ever.
 
alcyppa said:
I'm in the market for a LP so this thread might come in handy in the next few months.
On a side note since you're a LP aficionado I thought I should ask: ever tried a Eastman?
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I’ve played a few Eastmans that were pretty good, but they didn’t feel like life-long guitars to me. Buying a Les Paul is like buying a pet… you have to be patient and wait for the one you really bond with.

I would highly recommend looking for one made between 1989-1999. Out of the 14 I’ve had (1976-2007), the 6 I’ve kept are all from 1989-1997. Weight relieved Les Pauls are fine, but I would avoid the chambered ones since they sound more like a semi-hollowbody than a solid Les Paul. I can’t remember when they stopped chambering Les Pauls, but I think it started around 2007.

You can get a great older Les Paul for the same price as a new one, so I’d go with something a little older. And remember, a guitar with some battle scars means that someone loved it and actually played it enough to earn them. Older guitars that are too clean sometimes mean they weren’t inspiring to their previous owners.

Reverb is a gamble. I’ve found a few great ones on there, but also bought three that I got rid of or returned because they sucked. So save your cash, know exactly what you want, and then play a bunch of them (unplugged) until you find YOUR Les Paul.

BBN said:
Great post by the way because I have somewhere around 20 Les Pauls and some just don't have the magic (like a 70s Gold Top which LOOKS amazing, and plays 'decent', but sounds a little meh). I'm going to try one of these bridges, because (something that may sound odd), I like the resonance of a chambered LP. I have a 2007 that weighs in the high 7lb range, and it's one of my favorites ever.
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Man, some people like the chambered ones but I just couldn’t connect with them. Do you have any 90’s Pauls in your collection?

Definitely check out the bridge+tailpiece kit for your 70’s Goldtop. They make an ABR-1 replacement that should fit that guitar.
 
It is the aluminium tailpiece that make the guitar sound like a chambered Les Paul.
You should try the Gibson stock tailpiece with the Faber Tone-Lock studs and the Faber bridge.
 
I think it's possible that many Gibson original bridges are sometimes made from lower quality metal as well. That could also be part of why the sound isn't always there. The bridge on my Gibson Memphis Es-les Paul collapsed from string pressure after a couple of years. It became flat instead of having the 12 inch radius it was supposed to. I swapped to a ABM bridge, and was really happy with that.
 
York Audio said:
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a great Les Paul. I’ve owned fourteen of them over the past 30 years and have kept six of them. Some are exceptional, some were ok, and some were just plain bad.
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IMO, six keepers out of 14 guitars is a pretty good average for Les Pauls. That’s why I don't automatically get enthused about them.

On the other hand, I’m thrilled that you’ve found a clear tonal improvement. A lively guitar makes a difference.
 
York Audio said:
Man, some people like the chambered ones but I just couldn’t connect with them. Do you have any 90’s Pauls in your collection?

Definitely check out the bridge+tailpiece kit for your 70’s Goldtop. They make an ABR-1 replacement that should fit that guitar.
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Most definitely. I have a few 90s and they're amazing. One is a white Custom with maple top that is trans white. It's beautiful.

My mid 80's standard that has to be the most stable guitar I've ever owned. It's in tune ever time I take it out of the case. I paid $650 dollars for it in 1995 and I will never sell it.

My favorites though are 70s LPs. Not sure why. I LOVE the pancake bodies.
I've got three 70's Customs (2 are black) that are also incredibly stable guitars.
Man I love the smell of pulling a vintage (nitro finished) guitar out of the case.
 
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