I bought an aftermarket bridge for my Les Paul

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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Where do you set the tailpiece posts, tight to the body? If so, does it matter if the strings touch the back of the bridge?
 
Peromustejn said:
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.
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I just checked out my ‘97 Classic’s bridge and it’s caved in from string pressure over the last 26 years. I’m going to try your suggestion and keep the stock tailpiece and swap the bridge for the Faber. Thanks for the tip!

Toopy14 said:
Where do you set the tailpiece posts, tight to the body? If so, does it matter if the strings touch the back of the bridge?
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Apparently it’s taboo, but I set the tailpiece as low as it will go and the strings touch the bridge. I think my tones are still pretty good, so I haven’t noticed any lack of performance that would make me want to change it. Also, I don’t like a “slinky” string feel on a Les Paul, and top-wrapping just looks weird to me even though some guys swear by it. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
York Audio said:
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.
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Thanks for the tips Justin!

I actually doubt I'll snag THE ONE on my first try since I'm not that familiar with LPs... The only one I've owned was just a mid range Ltd Eclipse that I bought when I was really young.

I was thinking on going on the used market route as well as I actually prefer scarred guitars to shiny ones (if we're talking classic design such as LPs, strats and teles).

I must admit I'm a little bit scared about being fooled by a fake Gibson.
Don't know if they are actually a relevant issue here in italy/Europe though.
 
alcyppa said:
Thanks for the tips Justin!

I actually doubt I'll snag THE ONE on my first try since I'm not that familiar with LPs... The only one I've owned was just a mid range Ltd Eclipse that I bought when I was really young.

I was thinking on going on the used market route as well as I actually prefer scarred guitars to shiny ones (if we're talking classic design such as LPs, strats and teles).

I must admit I'm a little bit scared about being fooled by a fake Gibson.
Don't know if they are actually a relevant issue here in italy/Europe though.
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You’ll know “THE ONE” when you play it. I got my first Les Paul when I was 15. My Dad took me to Gruhn Guitars here in Nashville one weekend for some father/son time. He knew I loved Les Pauls and had me play every one on the wall. I played everything from a 70’s Goldtop Deluxe to 70’s and 80’s Standards, but kept going back to a ‘97 Classic (made that year). My Dad asked me which one was the best one on the wall and I told him that it was between the 70’s Deluxe and the ‘97 Classic. I played them side by side several more times and something just felt “right” about the ‘97 Classic, so I told him that was my favorite one on the wall. He signaled to the salesman “we’ll take this one” and I stood there in absolute shock.

Fast forward 25 years later and that that ‘97 Classic is still one of my main guitars. Even my guitar tech, who tech’ed for Angus Young and Prince, told me the ‘97 Classic was the best guitar I own… All that to say, it’s definitely possible to strike gold with your first Les Paul. Some will look cool or play nicely, but you’ll know “the one” when you pick it up and can’t put it down.
 
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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Just ordered the whole kit from Faber USA.

https://faberusa.com/product/5008-master-kit-plus-gloss-nickel/
 
York Audio said:
I just got another set of locking posts yesterday that I’m about to try. Curious to see what difference it makes.
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I placed the order at 11:38 a.m. ET, I received notification it was shipped at 12:09 p.m. ET! Wow. I received a 10% off coupon for creating an account, so I paid a little extra for priority shipping to Canada.

I sent a message late last night, to confirm that the kit would fit my Goldtop. I had a reply from Larry Corsa (the owner) just after 6:00 a.m. this morning. I asked a follow-up question this morning and received a reply from Larry within half an hour. I didn't even hesitate to place the order.

Impressed...to say the least!

Thanks for the recommendation!
 
Budda said:
Didnt know Larry Corsa was the owner of Faber.
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Like Fractal Audio...top-notch service. I wanted to add some extra saddles to my order because I have never notched saddles and figured I would likely mess one up. When I asked Larry if he could add them to my existing order if I paid for them, he said he would throw a few in with my order at no charge.

"FaberUSA is a subsidiary of LOS Corsa, LLC, and is owned and operated by Larry Corsa and family. Larry is well known as a guitarist who lives and breathes tone. When Larry began doing “Peter Green Conversions” to the Gibson® Les Paul Standard Faded back in 2007, as he was searching for hardware to replace the low quality, tone robbing standard hardware used on the Faded. After trying many of the most popular aftermarket solutions, he became aware of the Faber® Tone-Lock™ system, TP-59 lightweight aluminum tailpiece and the series one Faber bridges. After trying these on a Standard Faded, he was blown away by the difference, not only over the standard parts, but also over any of the other well-known supposedly sustain enhancing aftermarket parts. There was no comparison. After using the parts exclusively for several months, Larry was able to acquire the rights to import and distribute Faber® parts in North America. Larry attributes much of the success of his “LCPG” Standard Faded conversions to the Faber® hardware, and it was a “no brainer” that his own line of Corsa Guitars, started in 2011, would feature all Faber® hardware. Larry was able to help Faber® expand their line of parts well beyond the Tone-Lock™, TP-59 and the original bridges to a full line of parts that are the best available today. Input from customers, and an excellent working relationship with Faber®, has led to the development of bridges with removable saddles (all current Faber® bridges), the revolutionary Tone-Lock™ Bridge, and all of the innovative bridge posts currently in the line, making it possible for owners of Nashville equipped guitars to realize their guitar’s full potential by using these parts. In addition, the introduction of the Faber® E-Sert™ for replacing the bridge studs on Epiphone and similar guitars, came about because owners of such guitars were clamoring for something to allow them to use Faber® bridges. Larry will continue to listen to the needs of his customers and will always pass on ideas to the experts at Faber®, who will see to it that Faber® always remains “State of the pArt!”"

https://faberusa.com/about-faber/
 
Right with you. Upgrading the wraparound bridge on my Gibson L5S inspired custom made guitar made a big improvement in feel and tone.
 
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