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The best sounding bridges were the old Gibsons and they were also made of zinc one of the cheapest metals you could possibly use for making metal parts! Oh and the saddles were made of brass.
Very interesting. Listened and listened to several times carefully, both with headphones and using Yamaha NS10 monitors in the recording studio My personal opinion, having been playing for over 40 years, is that the Faber bridge is the one that best reflects the characteristics of most of the old Les Pauls. The sound is more balanced, rounder with fewer treble peaks. The choice then clearly depends on personal tastes. Very Good job. Thank you
I know they suck, but for this very reason we use them and use them in many recording studios. They are Speackers of reference now. If you manage to get a good sound on the NS10 in the mix, it will certainly be excellent when listening with quality audio speakers.@@walterrizotto8668
This was extremely usefull. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! All the bridges has it's pro and cons, but I'll definitely go for the Callaham. It would be f... awesome to have a similar video with different nuts. (Bone, tusk, brass, graphite, roller etc..)
Wow. What a great comparison video!! Thanks for taking the time to swap out each bridge, intonate and restring the guitar for this demo. This has really helped me decide what replacement bridge system I should get for my 83 LP. At present, it has a wired ABR-1 with brass saddles. But, over the last 40 years and thousands and thousands of hours of play, the sweat from my hand has corroded the metal of the bridge and compromised the components. I've limped it along for the last couple of years but, now its time to replace it. To my ear, the Callaham and Tone Pros bridges sound consistently better than the others. Thanks again!
@@YeatzeeGuitar I think when people hear bright they say better, but when you have to live with too bright anything for awhile you realize it's shortcomings. The stock bridge sounded very good but I like the Faber the best which to had the most even tone with just the right amount of everything I want to hear. I have Faber on two Heritage H150s and the stock bridge on my Historic R7 (8.1lbs), and my Historic R0, and see no reason why I should swap my stock bridges.
Timestamps: 0:13 - Closeup comparison of the 4 bridges being compared to the stock ABR-1 2:02 - Restringing the Guitar (cinematic montage) 3:14 - 12:28 - Plexi style tones 5:51 - Sustain Test 12:29 - 16:08 - Clean Fender Vibroking tones 16:09 - Tell me what you heard! Comment below for your thoughts on the differences in tone. What was your favorite?
Subtle differences generally. I preferred the Faber and TonePros was close second. Didn't like the Callaham at all, it sounded harsh to me and not as organic and the least Les Paul like to me. Great comparison.
Agreed. Callaham bad, Faber good. Probably a reason why Gibson did NOT use a steel ABR-1 in the 50's. I always wonder why they specifically used brass saddles, brass screws, brass thumbwheels, and the zinc alloy ABR-1 and I have to imagine that they tested different materials for their acoustic qualities and went with the best combo.
Wow. Great informative video. They all sounded good in different contexts. To me, the Faber did the most things best and had a musicality which the Callaham and Tone Pros lacked, though they sounded great in other instances. Also, both the stock and Gibson historic sounded great in certain contexts. I will be replacing my bridge within the next couple years and am leaning towards the Faber after watching this. Thanks.
The metal saddle bridges all sounded very similar to me, with the Callaham just beating out the Faber to my ear in terms of richness and clarity. Very small difference though. Diminishing returns are sometimes the most fun, though 🤘
@@realtruenorth Oh yeah. I totally agree with that. From espresso to guitar parts I’m always changing parts and tweaking parameters in the realm of diminishing returns. That’s part of the fun! But yeah, they DO add up, and to me the question is not whether the audience notices the difference, that’s like a wood worker worrying whether the customer can tell which kind of chisel he used. It matters to the wood worker, and that’s good enough.
@@scrawfordmusic the audience might notice. But, my question is will the player notice. That's what matters to me. Because the audience just wants to hear your inspired playing. So whatever inspires you to play better, do it.
This is a great no BS comparison. Thank you. if I was gonna sniff a cork before I soaked it, I would say the Faber and the Callaham stood out. But honestly, in a mix, live or recorded, it would make no difference at all and NO ONE would be able to tell which was what.
Exactly, and honestly it’s something you can alter with your tone/volume which people always forget. If you have a nice custom shop guitar I wouldn’t cork sniff too much.
I put a Faber ABR-1 bridge w/ Ti saddles & an Aluminum TP on my '85 335 & it made quite a difference compared to before the exchange. Def more acoustic sounding w/ exceptional clarity & sustain. Thro-Bak (SLE-101) pups were a big plus as well...
Thanks! I'm glad people are finding value in this, the whole reason why I did the video was because I couldn't find a decent honest comparison when I was looking to purchase one myself. Figured I might as well be the guy to do it 🤷🏻♂️
I always appreciate people who take time to do this. Tone pros had a bright chime thing going, but it's something I don't particularly care for. The original sounded a bit lifeless. I liked the Faber. The highs seemed natural to my ears.
Excellent video! I was drawn to the Tone Pros and Callaham until you plugged into the Fender Vibrolux. I was drawn to the Faber when you played clean, but it was also the first time I liked the sound of the stock bridge relative to the others.
Just put a Gotoh on my Goldtop. I was shocked at how much better my guitar sounded afterwards. It did wonders for the clarity of the neck pickup. Considering a new tailpiece, also. But it seems that mine isnt a standard size. It's 81mm like the Schaller tailpiece instead of 82 or 82.5mm like most of the other tailpieces available.
@@randomguitarnote8887 Yep it’s far more about feel than tone, “slinkiness” goes through the roof with a stable bridge. So if replacing a collapsed bridge with any of them you’ll notice it. Going from stable to different brand stable.. not so sure 🤔
@@6502-Coder i have tried the titanium and brass saddles from faber since i made the comment and there is a change in tone for sure, wether it is bad or not is subjective but definitely changes how the guitar feels, i have to add that Frets play a major role as well. My 2 cents.
Good comparison! Very complete, with different amps, gains and pick up selection! My ears tells me Faber is more balaced. Callaham almost harsh, as tonepro...
Great comparison video ... People don't need excuses for their preferences. but what I have to say won't be popular. Doesn't make a bit of real difference. Take ten identical vintage bridges and the various condition issues well make as much maybe more diffidence in how the bridge preforms. Apart from the plastic saddles as far as engineering goes they are all basically the same. Some of the differences might be functional but not sonic like locking screws... Millions of bridges without locking screws preform as good as any. Having said that I choose the screw lock just as a functional measure. Yes of course ill fitting bridges could buzz. The condition of the tap used to cut the saddles (or the die used i=on the screws) will dictate the chances of a buzzz originating from the bridge . (I would guess plastic saddles might help.)It is likely Gibson had an issue so the put a wire spring at the screws. Spending an hour scrutinizing and analyzing a sound file you got off youtube with you computer speakers (or even on a McIntosh C22/MC2200); there is a strong possibility you will hear some differences... real or imagined. If that is what it takes as far as an audience goes .. 4getaboudit . From a physics standpoint if you can't hear with your ears a difference in a matter seconds then it's not a real difference. Lets be real you don't need an recuse for the gear you prefer. If you like one or the other that's fantastic. As for play ability and feel, use what makes you happy. That does make a huge difference on ones playing. If you feel like you are fighting your gear (real or imagined ) that will make a huge difference. Just maybe for the good. Essentially these bridges are the same. I would be curious to see what the roller saddles make. I put that on because it has more room for adjusting intonation. The original bridge on my guitar could of used a bit more angle. I can say the rollers made adjusting more satisfying as no need to de-tune. I don't know but the metal wedges look like it would hurt. I'd bet if I put this on my oscilloscope and even ran a FFT I'd have hard time finding a real difference. As my experience indicates. The distortions would muddy it some. If you think that one thing or the other makes a difference to you then it does if you believe in your gear chances are you will have a better experience playing. If you are a pro your audience matters most. Final word: The first 10% of the price of the gear is what audience hears and the rest is for the player .
I'm probably a little prejudiced due to Callaham being made 50 miles away from Richmond VA, in Williamsburg. I have his Vintage S bridge on my Rodriguez hand crafted 69 Strat style guitar, and it's the finest of over 30 Strats I've owned, or any I've played. However, I do think the Callaham edged out the Faber. Both of those seemed to have better sustain, clarity, and the unwound strings ring beautifully on both. The Callaham seems to have just a slight edge over the Faber in sustain, and the Callaham seemed to be louder than the rest. I just pre-ordered an Epiphone Limited edition '59 Les Paul Reissue that looks, and sounds like a real Lester. It comes with Gibson USA Burstbuckers, and has all Gibson vintage style hand wiring, with CTS pots, and Switchcraft jack, and switch. The only things I may replace are instead of the ABR style Epiphone branded bridge, and tailpiece, I will probably get the Callaham bridge, and if he makes an Aluminum tailpiece between 28, and 31 grams I'll go for that, if not, I'll get a Gotoh, or any that meets my specs. The Burstbuckers will be going into my first edition Ibanez Artcore ES 335 copy, and the Epi will get Lindy Fralin's Pure PAFs, which are wound on 2 of the original machines from when Gibson was still making PAFs in the Kalamazoo factory. And if you know anything about Lindy, when he makes a pickup that is a RI of a vintage Fender, or Gibson Pick up, you can count on it being made to the exact specs of the pick-up he's copying. I only have one guitar,( other than the Ibanez) without Fralins, and that's a 2011 Alpine White Pete Townshend signature SG Special, 50th anniversary, and only because I got extremely lucky with the P90s which are the best I've heard Gibson make since the 50's, or early 60's. But the Epi is definitely getting the Callaham Tune-o-matoc bridge, and likely their tailpiece. I would imagine he makes a vintage weight Aluminum one. Thanks for making this very helpful video, it made my decision about the bridge system a no brainier. Peace, Stay safe, Keith C Richmond, Va
The best bridge comparison video on TH-cam. The choice of licks you play and the amp used are the best. Too many people here use modeling amps to do pickup and hardware reviews. Using a tube amp and a guitar is what you need to give clean and clear sounds for review. Great job 👍👌🤘
This is one of the best comparisons that I’ve seen on here. I would love to see similar including the Nashville type bridge vs abr1. Also, would love to see your sustain comparison with and without a top wrapped tailpiece. Pretty please!
Wow! Great comparison. To ear the Callaham sounds the best. Super bright and chimey. I hear a lot of great things about the faber from a lot of other people though.
Great, really great video. Thanks! Faber and stock Gibson for the Goldilocks zone. Callaham for Tele on steroids twang, and Tonepros and Gibson nylon to mitigate an overly bright guitar. Faber in particular has an extra something hard to describe... more musical, more separation.
Great vid!!! What do you think about the "String Butler" for Gibson style head stocks? Are they worth it? Is the Gibson head stock "spread" so bad? Rock on!!
Fantastic demo - I just purchased the Faber before I saw this and to me, the Faber came out on top just above Callaham. I do have Callaham saddles on all my Strats, love them. Again, great demo. Thank you.
For me, I like callaham bridge the best and it sounds bright and more like mid emphasized. Faber sounds like more dark and it was great too. There's no superiority. It always depends on your preference.
I'm curious to hear the Babicz bridge for Les Paul. On my tele, the Babicz was an bump up in sustain,, very noticeable increase. Sounds more open, present. Here, I think Faber sounds a little step above the rest.
@@YeatzeeGuitar cool I just couldn’t get on with the KEMPER myself -they seem just so complicated for me Great sound here though AND playing, of course 👍
Dude, that’s an awesome video! You’re upping the camera skills with each video and the angles on the shots are great. The sustain test was super creative (5 in 1 dropping out with the sound.) 🔥 Kudos! Btw what are you using for the orange lights in the background?
I was ready to put steel bridge and stopbar until I heard that. Looks like I am going to hunt down some nylon saddles. They sounded bet to me. Thanks *Follow up- Guitar is a SG Standard '04. Tried the Tonepro's TP6G with their version of 50's Gibson nylon saddles and it really put a damper on the overall sound. I have been on a journey with this guitar since I got it, to lessen it's somewhat muddy sound and this bridge went the wrong way. In hindsight the all mahogany body was probably not a good match. So I'm going full steel; bridge/saddles/tailpiece/posts and anchors 100% steel. I went with Pinnacle brand from Philly Luthiers. I will do another follow up after all has been installed. peace out.
@@YeatzeeGuitar So before the all steel Pinnacle stuff got here the tonepro's raw brass/zamak bridge and aluminum tailpiece arrived. The saddles are flat-top like the saddles on old ABR's. I had to install them and I am really happy with the results. Didn't have to swap the tailpiece anchors as the magnet says their steel. Also used steel posts for the tailpiece. The anchors and posts for the bridge are brass. I installed then and put on new 10-46 and intonated. The plain strings had a bit more zing then I wanted. On the neck it was great, on the bridge it was too much. I ended up taking some 400 grit and knocked down the little lip/edge on the humbucker side of the saddle for the plain strings, I left the wound as is. That did the trick and the guitar sounds great. Much better response in general allowing me the be able to dial in many more tones with the volume & tone controls. Middle position, dial back the neck a touch and what a great tone. It wouldn't do that before. Maybe the steel would have been better or it could have been too much and $200 down the drain. One thing I have learned over time is once something sounds really great don't fuck with it thinking your going to squeeze a little more out. More then not it's a step side-ways or back. Luckily Philly Luth. hadn't shipped the Pinnacle bridge/tail and I could cancel the order. They are great to deal with.
Thanks for making this, man! Many of us have always wondered. I personally can't hear a justifiable difference. Would be curious to hear the regular modern Gibson posts VS the Faber "vintage" posts they make. Thanks again!
Hey man, how did you set your volume knob at 14:42? Was your neck volume knob way down? I always wanted to make my les paul sound like a tele on steroids, and I think you just nailed it consistently with your videos (even using different amps and setups).
Looks like all the way up here 🙂 one mod I have done to this guitar though is a treble bleed on the neck pickup which makes it much brighter when you roll back the volume a bit. Really useful imo
@@YeatzeeGuitar wooow. All the way up and still sounds crystal clear and crispy (yet musical). Wow man.. thanks for the info. My r8 (with bb1&2) doesnt sound anything like that at all. My 77 lp standard with stock t-tops sounds a lot clearer and brighter, but not as 3d as the r8. Hmmmmmm! Looks like i gotta really check out the doyle coils hahaha
Awesome resource, thanks dude! I'm about to start building a brand new guitar and am trying to decide on a bridge to go with my Bigsby for it - gonna go with the Faber after listening to this demo. Cheers.
Yes they do change up the tone slightly depending on what’s being played, but what’s stopping you from using the Tone/Volume knobs to achieve that sound?
That's a great question, and I'm ashamed to say I don't remember! I think the Callaham was the tightest fitting but honestly I did this so long ago I can't say for sure.
@@YeatzeeGuitar thanks so much for the reply. I heard the Callahan did fit tighter from the guy who works on my guitars. Definitely gonna buy one and try. Really liked your sound comparison test on all of these. Have a great day.
Really great comparison video! I tried Faber several times with different LPs but never had good experience, they darkened the tone especially the wound strings became a lit dull. The stock abr-1 is a bit mid scoop compares to the others here, or maybe the others have the mid bump because of the locking feature. Callaham sounds great with the extra upper mid sparkle, even it's the least "vintage correct" one.
I tried to find a Callaham Bridge. Called one of their dealers listed in fla.and was told they're not making the bridges anymore. Too bad because I could clearly hear the difference in your video demonstration which is great !! Not sure where to find a Callaham now.
@@mr.businessman9790 Callaham no longer makes bridges? This is good news ) I have a Callaham bridge and tailpiece and it will be easier for me to sell them ) Bro, I hope that in these 7 months you have found your Callaham. I could sell you mine, but I’m from Russia, and the American imperialists turned off PayPal for us and I won’t be able to get your money ) Cheers!
8:53 on is when the faber really stood out to me. It had that open airy sounds that my mind tells me ales paul sounds like. I've decided to buy the faber based on this video.
we can talk about lows, highs, sustain, mid rang clarity and stuff but one thing is clear to my ears, this callaham sounds more alive than the others. I guess more dynamic and on some riffs some notes bloom in a cool way.
Yes! It sounded more Gibson-y. To me it more so stood out when played on the bridge pickup. I had no idea how expensive they are before doing the research but the tone is worth it
Thanks for the fantastic video showcasing each one! I'm surprised that they all sounded good. 3 sounded great to my ears with faber being #1 on my list.
Very interesting . I have pretty weird experience with Faber bridge. I have 68 es-335 and 2022 Murphy Lab 64 reissue 335 . Both vintage and Murphy has stock nylon saddles. I bought Faber bridge hoping to add attack and snap . However , Faber makes both guitars sound darker and muddier . It doesn’t makes sense to me . I tried stock Gibson ABR 1 from my R9s and it does what I hope for . It makes 335s more aggressive and more rocking . Fabre just makes muffled. Knowing that Faber is typically stellar product , I’m wondering if maybe tiny notches has something to do with it . I don’t know but it’s disappointing.
The whole point is for you to let you ears decide what's your favorite. I ended up keeping the stock one on the Les Paul but put the callaham on my ES345 and Faber on my ES330
Diggin the callaham. I have rhat on my semi hollow Heritage.Sounds great. Killer review i must say you checked all the boxes for me .Which bridge peaked your love meter?
Faber no.1 . Even though the Callaham was a bit chimier. I prefer the Faber. Nice clarity without ear ice pick. But I get it. It’s totally subjective. And what may sound killer on one guitar, may sound completely different on another. The one I like the least could sound the best on my guitar. A good reason to buy more gear. 😂
I installed Callahams in an early 2000's Gibson LP-R8 about 12 years ago not expecting a major improvement to the muffled sound & boomy bass, man was I wrong, night & day. Brighter, clearer with much better clarity & ringing sustain that goes on for days. U can hear the huge difference before u plug in guitar acoustically, in tone, clarity & sustain. If I remember correctly, Callaham has been making much improved billet steel parts for Fenders for decades, they introduced the ABR-1 for Gibsons around the time I bought the R8 with a generous & confident return policy. I'm a bit surprised more people didn't make the swap. A bit expensive but they r made in USA & IMHO r worth every penny. Also replaced tailpiece @ later date with lightweight aluminum wrap around strings all nickel /steel alloy #10 or 9/10 hybrid set - incremental improvement but nowhere as noticeable as Callaham ABR bridge change - I am not exaggerating when I say my R8 sounded like a different much improved ACTUAL vintage LP- only thing was it sill weighed a ridiculous 10 plus lbs... lol... can't change the weight density/size of old growth mahogany vs current production younger mahogany wood that is denser/heavier than 60-70 year old guitars made from 100s of year old - old growth trees that r either gone or protected. Chris
Man, such a good review of hardware, very good comparison! Even tho the callaham sounded really good, and I had the faber, I can’t look my les paul and not see the original abr1 shape
I think that was well thought out. U played licks which I expected to be able to hear the differences. Using shure se215s with iPhone i could not tell the difference. If there's a difference i would have to use my monitors or better headset and i cant be bothered. I swapped nashville bridge to faber abr-1 and it's not massive improvement even though bridge posts screw down to wood instead of those massive metal insertis. I am somewhat surprised about the difference between nylon and metal alloy or the lack of difference
I would also strongly think about changing the thumbwheel bridge post & the tailpiece studs as they have the most to do with transferring the vibration in relation to the body
The callaham was noticeably louder than all of them. It sounded excellent on chords and single notes. While brighter maybe on certain playing, it maybe had the most note definition. The Faber was much lower in volume and subdued in attack and high end. I didn’t like the nylon on any one of the examples, just not very alive or defined to me. They each took on a cool character depending on what was played . Good to know for tailoring to a guitar that needs more or less of something tonally. Awesome job! I have a callaham on a les paul, tone pros on an SG, a Creamtone locking abr1 on another les paul. All are nice and work well.
I am surprised that the gibson nylons sound as good as it does. I am curious which bridge did you feel the most vibration from in the guitar body? Thanks for sharing. c];-)
Very cool! I recently upgraded the hardware on my 1959 Epiphone Les Paul to the Faber stuff, including steel body bushings, aluminum replica tail piece and I chose the ABR59 and honestly, the tolerances for a "non-locking" bridge are tighter than the Epiphone "ToneLock" bridge and looks so much better. Definitely a brighter, more articulate tone but also more depth and the acoustic sound of the guitar is so much more lively. I've looked at all the brands and Gotoh and Faber are probably the best in terms of engineering and quality.
I’ve always used Faber Hardware on all my Gibson models. With that being said, I want to try the “Four Uncles” ABR-1. It’s supposed to be the best there is. Only drawback, they’re 400 Euros!
I buy whatever Phillidelphia says is best The Faber has served me well I installed them ( with their steel posts on both my Jimmy page and my LP jr dc. Better clarity and string separation on dissonant chords under medium gain ( which is my thing)
I think the callaham bridge sounds more brash. The gibson nylon one has something going on in a lot of different ways. But as a whole package the faber cuts good but also makes all thr strings sound good with good separation and clarity. The notes sound creamy ans smooth with the faber. They all have their place in tuning a guitar that needs a little help. That callaham would help a dark guitar sound a little more lively.
The Faber stuff is great but The Stock ABR-1 on my 2018 True historic R9 is more than acceptable for vintage tones. I have to LOL at those that say the Gibson Re-issue ABR's do not sound just like the old ABR's! Yeah no S**t ! Show me two old 50's ABR's that sound exactly the same? They don't! So which old ABR is my Re-issue not sounding exactly like? 🤣 There are some ultra anal guitar players out there when it comes to gear! Most should be more concerned about their playing and not the gear they play on
Great video, thanks! I really liked the Faber and the TonePros, for different reasons. I love Callaham stuff so I was excited that it wasn’t my preference. Although the “won’t make a difference at a gig” argument will never die in the comments, I feel these differences really matter to the player, as it’s largely the vowel sound and transient character that’s changing, which is everything to me. I did have a question about your signal chain… It seemed like some of the clips had a slightly different stereo image, that little bit of ambience was leaning left or leaning right depending on the clip (Callaham tended to lean left). Any idea how that might’ve happened? I’ll definitely be checking out your other videos, great work!
I've been playing for forty years and a roller bridge will solve nearly all tuning problems with l.p. guitars. The knife edge saddles on gibson bridges are a great source of friction as well as every time you bend strings during a solo you are essentially sawing the string in two. Another tip on l.ps is the G string tuner deals with a lot of tension therefore they can weaken overtime. That said swap the G and high E tuners and that will solve that. The high E tuner doesn't have nearly the tension on compared to the G tuner.
This guitar is actually one of my most stable when it comes to tuning! Custom shop LP's in my experience tend to hold their tune great, it's the USA ones that struggle especially on the G as you alluded to.
@@YeatzeeGuitar this has been my experience too, and I feel roller bridges rob sustain which is which I prefer bar bridges on Gretsch Bigsby equipped guitars.
I did as many as I could without looking at which was which, coming back later and finding out the names of #'s 1 through 5. I liked the Faber and Callaham best, often the Gibson Nylon put in a good showing. I didn't think the Stock or tone pros was my favorite for any test.
As others have said here, sure, in isolation, there are a few very slight harmonic differences between these bridges, all of which could easily be “corrected’ with a little EQ if such be desired, but such small differences may exist regarding individual examples of the same bridge. Also, what strings may be used regarding materials and gauges may make them all sound more the same or more different. In any event, listening in isolation is meaningless and misleading. Once any other instrument plays along, any of the slight sonic nuances between these bridges will completely disappear. Bottom line - they’re all equal; however, I’m inclined to go with modern harder nylon saddles for natural lubrication and to avoid string breakage.
Wow to start off that is a great sounding Historic. And it will only sound better as the wood ages. All bridges sound amazing. Callahan for me stood out in the earlier clean comparisons. Faber a close second. But the Tonepros nylon sounds great as well. You can tell it’s a well built guitar when even the stock bridge sounds amazing and still a great option for that certain sound. Question-!please explain why the Faber has titanium saddles on the lower wound strings and brass on the thinner unwound strings? And, does it change the sound between nickel plated brass and plain natural brass saddles? Thanks for your advice!
Faber calls it their "hybridge" option, and it's just meant to give the wound strings more clarity and definition apparently. No clue how much a difference it makes though!
Thanks! I ended up keeping it stock, putting the Callaham on my es345 and the Faber tone lock on my Es330. Both helped those guitars noticeably and I thought the LP sounded good stock 🙂
The Faber and Callaham sounded amazing. The Faber would take a tin sounding guitar and warm it up, while the callaham accentuated all the full spectrum especially upper end harmonics and brightness.... seriously.... the cost of the callaham even used is a lot. I would do the Faber for the price.... so seriously.... out of the two above.... what was your favorite and how do I choose between the two.... is the double the price callaham worth it or would the Faber do it right???
All sounded good. But to my ears the Callaham was the superior performer in all areas, followed by the Stock Gibson bridge. The others were quality sounds, but not enough tones to warrant the price of those new bridges compared to the factory stock one. Even the small amount of sustain and high end that the Callaham provides is pretty negligible compared to the $160 to $200 dollars that those parts go for. But thats just my opinion.
Well I slightly preferred the Faber then the TonePros Bridge. Both great sounding. The Video clearly answered the question if whether the brigde mattered or not. It seemingly does. Do I swap? No, cause I already have a Faber on my Faber/Tokai Les Paul Copy. (Which I does outsound any Gibson I played, although being halfprized to Gibson USA. So the "Axis" of German manufactured parts and Japanese Craftsmanship seems way Übermächtig to inferior American production)
All are ok, I think depending on the natural tone and natural harmonics of your guitar unplugged, you choose between one these fantastic products. From dark (compressed) to bright (open): 1. GIbson Nylon (mellow, with mids) 2. TonePros (deep bass, nice mids, mod highs) 3. Stock (good balance w/rich mids, little crisp) 4. Faber (clear, rich mids) 5. Callaham (rich, very crispy, trebly) Depending on how your guitar naturally sounds and what you want, make your choice.
Thats the point, the bridge must fit to your guitar and the sound you are looking for! Sometime the mids are missing on your LP, sometimes it`s dull ...... you will make a different choice!
Did I save you some money or help you decide which bridge to buy? Just appreciate the video in general? Consider buying me a coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/YeatzeeGuitar 😊
That guitar shouldn't sound like mud the way it does, maybe it's the Kemper !?
One man's mud is another's piercing bright, and vice versa.
@@AuntAlnico4 His guitar sound great. Great video
maybe its the mud in yer ears?@@AuntAlnico4
The best sounding bridges were the old Gibsons and they were also made of zinc one of the cheapest metals you could possibly use for making metal parts! Oh and the saddles were made of brass.
Very interesting.
Listened and listened to several times carefully, both with headphones and using Yamaha NS10 monitors in the recording studio
My personal opinion, having been playing for over 40 years, is that the Faber bridge is the one that best reflects the characteristics of most of the old Les Pauls. The sound is more balanced, rounder with fewer treble peaks. The choice then clearly depends on personal tastes. Very Good job. Thank you
Yamaha NS-10 are crap monitors with scooped mids. No fidelity there.
I know they suck, but for this very reason we use them and use them in many recording studios. They are Speackers of reference now. If you manage to get a good sound on the NS10 in the mix, it will certainly be excellent when listening with quality audio speakers.@@walterrizotto8668
The faber has a vintage tone, my favourite by far, then the tone pros.
This was extremely usefull. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! All the bridges has it's pro and cons, but I'll definitely go for the Callaham.
It would be f... awesome to have a similar video with different nuts. (Bone, tusk, brass, graphite, roller etc..)
Wow. What a great comparison video!! Thanks for taking the time to swap out each bridge, intonate and restring the guitar for this demo. This has really helped me decide what replacement bridge system I should get for my 83 LP. At present, it has a wired ABR-1 with brass saddles. But, over the last 40 years and thousands and thousands of hours of play, the sweat from my hand has corroded the metal of the bridge and compromised the components. I've limped it along for the last couple of years but, now its time to replace it.
To my ear, the Callaham and Tone Pros bridges sound consistently better than the others.
Thanks again!
Awesome glad to be of some help for ya!
What a great video. Done really intelligently. My favorite is Callahan, followed by Faber; but I must say they all sounded good. Well done!
Thanks! Glad you liked it! Lots seem to prefer the Callaham it seems
@@YeatzeeGuitar I think when people hear bright they say better, but when you have to live with too bright anything for awhile you realize it's shortcomings. The stock bridge sounded very good but I like the Faber the best which to had the most even tone with just the right amount of everything I want to hear. I have Faber on two Heritage H150s and the stock bridge on my Historic R7 (8.1lbs), and my Historic R0, and see no reason why I should swap my stock bridges.
Thanks for showing the stock bridge is perfectly fine.
12:30 Callaham is undeniably clear and chimey
Timestamps:
0:13 - Closeup comparison of the 4 bridges being compared to the stock ABR-1
2:02 - Restringing the Guitar (cinematic montage)
3:14 - 12:28 - Plexi style tones
5:51 - Sustain Test
12:29 - 16:08 - Clean Fender Vibroking tones
16:09 - Tell me what you heard! Comment below for your thoughts on the differences in tone. What was your favorite?
All my Custom Shop Les Paul guitars have the Faber ABR-1 ... it's awesome
Subtle differences generally. I preferred the Faber and TonePros was close second. Didn't like the Callaham at all, it sounded harsh to me and not as organic and the least Les Paul like to me. Great comparison.
Agreed. Callaham bad, Faber good. Probably a reason why Gibson did NOT use a steel ABR-1 in the 50's. I always wonder why they specifically used brass saddles, brass screws, brass thumbwheels, and the zinc alloy ABR-1 and I have to imagine that they tested different materials for their acoustic qualities and went with the best combo.
I’m a TonePros guy, but that Callahan jumps out to me. It definitely has some extra punch.
Wow. Great informative video. They all sounded good in different contexts. To me, the Faber did the most things best and had a musicality which the Callaham and Tone Pros lacked, though they sounded great in other instances. Also, both the stock and Gibson historic sounded great in certain contexts. I will be replacing my bridge within the next couple years and am leaning towards the Faber after watching this. Thanks.
The metal saddle bridges all sounded very similar to me, with the Callaham just beating out the Faber to my ear in terms of richness and clarity. Very small difference though. Diminishing returns are sometimes the most fun, though 🤘
Al lot of diminishing returns add up to a total net return that us substantial 👍,, I've done it. Made my old acoustic sound like a Martin.
@@realtruenorth Oh yeah. I totally agree with that. From espresso to guitar parts I’m always changing parts and tweaking parameters in the realm of diminishing returns. That’s part of the fun! But yeah, they DO add up, and to me the question is not whether the audience notices the difference, that’s like a wood worker worrying whether the customer can tell which kind of chisel he used. It matters to the wood worker, and that’s good enough.
@@scrawfordmusic the audience might notice. But, my question is will the player notice. That's what matters to me. Because the audience just wants to hear your inspired playing. So whatever inspires you to play better, do it.
@@realtruenorth right, that’s precisely my point
@@scrawfordmusic awesome ,, I love playing instruments
This is a great no BS comparison. Thank you.
if I was gonna sniff a cork before I soaked it, I would say the Faber and the Callaham stood out. But honestly, in a mix, live or recorded, it would make no difference at all and NO ONE would be able to tell which was what.
Exactly, and honestly it’s something you can alter with your tone/volume which people always forget. If you have a nice custom shop guitar I wouldn’t cork sniff too much.
I put a Faber ABR-1 bridge w/ Ti saddles & an Aluminum TP on my '85 335 & it made quite a difference compared to before the exchange. Def more acoustic sounding w/ exceptional clarity & sustain. Thro-Bak (SLE-101) pups were a big plus as well...
Out standing comparison, i can actually hear the difference, we’ll done mate.
Thanks! I'm glad people are finding value in this, the whole reason why I did the video was because I couldn't find a decent honest comparison when I was looking to purchase one myself. Figured I might as well be the guy to do it 🤷🏻♂️
11:42 stock
11:52 faber
12:10 tonepros
Thank you- and absolutely no difference undr this setup.
I always appreciate people who take time to do this.
Tone pros had a bright chime thing going, but it's something I don't particularly care for.
The original sounded a bit lifeless.
I liked the Faber. The highs seemed natural to my ears.
Excellent video! I was drawn to the Tone Pros and Callaham until you plugged into the Fender Vibrolux. I was drawn to the Faber when you played clean, but it was also the first time I liked the sound of the stock bridge relative to the others.
Just put a Gotoh on my Goldtop. I was shocked at how much better my guitar sounded afterwards. It did wonders for the clarity of the neck pickup. Considering a new tailpiece, also. But it seems that mine isnt a standard size. It's 81mm like the Schaller tailpiece instead of 82 or 82.5mm like most of the other tailpieces available.
Honestly the changes were very subtle, I would say, change the bridge only if needed (like a collapsed one) and not for "tonality"
Maybe you don’t hear it but you definitely feel the difference once you play them.
Ya BUT he didn't say one word about the feel so this video is only looking for the differences in sound
your stomach hurts when you see others eat
@@randomguitarnote8887 Yep it’s far more about feel than tone, “slinkiness” goes through the roof with a stable bridge. So if replacing a collapsed bridge with any of them you’ll notice it. Going from stable to different brand stable.. not so sure 🤔
@@6502-Coder i have tried the titanium and brass saddles from faber since i made the comment and there is a change in tone for sure, wether it is bad or not is subjective but definitely changes how the guitar feels, i have to add that Frets play a major role as well. My 2 cents.
Very nice and useful test mate!
I can hear the differences and I had no doubt.
I definitely prefer Faber and then Callaham!
Good comparison! Very complete, with different amps, gains and pick up selection!
My ears tells me Faber is more balaced. Callaham almost harsh, as tonepro...
Great vid!
The Callahan stood out to me. I liked thE Tone Pros in a close second. Thanks for doing this video.
Great comparison video ... People don't need excuses for their preferences. but what I have to say won't be popular.
Doesn't make a bit of real difference. Take ten identical vintage bridges and the various condition issues well make as much maybe more diffidence in how the bridge preforms.
Apart from the plastic saddles as far as engineering goes they are all basically the same. Some of the differences might be functional but not sonic like locking screws... Millions of bridges without locking screws preform as good as any. Having said that I choose the screw lock just as a functional measure. Yes of course ill fitting bridges could buzz. The condition of the tap used to cut the saddles (or the die used i=on the screws) will dictate the chances of a buzzz originating from the bridge . (I would guess plastic saddles might help.)It is likely Gibson had an issue so the put a wire spring at the screws.
Spending an hour scrutinizing and analyzing a sound file you got off youtube with you computer speakers (or even on a McIntosh C22/MC2200); there is a strong possibility you will hear some differences... real or imagined. If that is what it takes as far as an audience goes .. 4getaboudit . From a physics standpoint if you can't hear with your ears a difference in a matter seconds then it's not a real difference.
Lets be real you don't need an recuse for the gear you prefer. If you like one or the other that's fantastic. As for play ability and feel, use what makes you happy. That does make a huge difference on ones playing. If you feel like you are fighting your gear (real or imagined ) that will make a huge difference. Just maybe for the good.
Essentially these bridges are the same. I would be curious to see what the roller saddles make. I put that on because it has more room for adjusting intonation. The original bridge on my guitar could of used a bit more angle. I can say the rollers made adjusting more satisfying as no need to de-tune. I don't know but the metal wedges look like it would hurt.
I'd bet if I put this on my oscilloscope and even ran a FFT I'd have hard time finding a real difference. As my experience indicates. The distortions would muddy it some.
If you think that one thing or the other makes a difference to you then it does if you believe in your gear chances are you will have a better experience playing. If you are a pro your audience matters most.
Final word: The first 10% of the price of the gear is what audience hears and the rest is for the player .
You make great videos. Thank you for the work man! 😀
Gibson Nylon for me.
I'm probably a little prejudiced due to Callaham being made 50 miles away from Richmond VA, in Williamsburg. I have his Vintage S bridge on my Rodriguez hand crafted 69 Strat style guitar, and it's the finest of over 30 Strats I've owned, or any I've played. However, I do think the Callaham edged out the Faber. Both of those seemed to have better sustain, clarity, and the unwound strings ring beautifully on both. The Callaham seems to have just a slight edge over the Faber in sustain, and the Callaham seemed to be louder than the rest. I just pre-ordered an Epiphone Limited edition '59 Les Paul Reissue that looks, and sounds like a real Lester. It comes with Gibson USA Burstbuckers, and has all Gibson vintage style hand wiring, with CTS pots, and Switchcraft jack, and switch. The only things I may replace are instead of the ABR style Epiphone branded bridge, and tailpiece, I will probably get the Callaham bridge, and if he makes an Aluminum tailpiece between 28, and 31 grams I'll go for that, if not, I'll get a Gotoh, or any that meets my specs. The Burstbuckers will be going into my first edition Ibanez Artcore ES 335 copy, and the Epi will get Lindy Fralin's Pure PAFs, which are wound on 2 of the original machines from when Gibson was still making PAFs in the Kalamazoo factory. And if you know anything about Lindy, when he makes a pickup that is a RI of a vintage Fender, or Gibson Pick up, you can count on it being made to the exact specs of the pick-up he's copying. I only have one guitar,( other than the Ibanez) without Fralins, and that's a 2011 Alpine White Pete Townshend signature SG Special, 50th anniversary, and only because I got extremely lucky with the P90s which are the best I've heard Gibson make since the 50's, or early 60's. But the Epi is definitely getting the Callaham Tune-o-matoc bridge, and likely their tailpiece. I would imagine he makes a vintage weight Aluminum one.
Thanks for making this very helpful video, it made my decision about the bridge system a no brainier.
Peace, Stay safe, Keith C
Richmond, Va
The best bridge comparison video on TH-cam. The choice of licks you play and the amp used are the best. Too many people here use modeling amps to do pickup and hardware reviews. Using a tube amp and a guitar is what you need to give clean and clear sounds for review. Great job 👍👌🤘
This is one of the best comparisons that I’ve seen on here. I would love to see similar including the Nashville type bridge vs abr1. Also, would love to see your sustain comparison with and without a top wrapped tailpiece. Pretty please!
Wow! Great comparison. To ear the Callaham sounds the best. Super bright and chimey. I hear a lot of great things about the faber from a lot of other people though.
I did hear a significant difference in sound with the Callaham bridge the Faber was next. Would you choose these over a roller bridge??
Definitely. Everything I've read the roller bridge dampens the sound quite a bit.
@@YeatzeeGuitar Thank this is very good to know.
The Faber is definitely the most airy and true sounding.
Great, really great video. Thanks!
Faber and stock Gibson for the Goldilocks zone. Callaham for Tele on steroids twang, and Tonepros and Gibson nylon to mitigate an overly bright guitar. Faber in particular has an extra something hard to describe... more musical, more separation.
Great vid!!! What do you think about the "String Butler" for Gibson style head stocks? Are they worth it? Is the Gibson head stock "spread" so bad? Rock on!!
I've never had much issue with tuning on any of my custom shop Gibsons
Was looking at getting all new Faber parts for my les Paul and this just sealed the deal
Fantastic demo - I just purchased the Faber before I saw this and to me, the Faber came out on top just above Callaham. I do have Callaham saddles on all my Strats, love them. Again, great demo. Thank you.
Tonepros and Callahan were surprisingly close!
Graphtech Tusq saddles are good, try them when those Gibson nylons go belly up
What an excellent review. Really well done. Thanks.
I couldn’t decide Faber or Callaham until I got to the plexi part.. wow does that Faber sound good!
For me, I like callaham bridge the best and it sounds bright and more like mid emphasized.
Faber sounds like more dark and it was great too.
There's no superiority.
It always depends on your preference.
I'm curious to hear the Babicz bridge for Les Paul. On my tele, the Babicz was an bump up in sustain,, very noticeable increase. Sounds more open, present. Here, I think Faber sounds a little step above the rest.
Need a repeat of this with the four uncles abr1
That bridge is in a class of its own! 👍 Other than buying a vintage ABR1 from the classifieds the Four Uncle ABR1
is the best option.
How much for one of those?
@RafaelMesBal like 400 or 500, but they don't make em anymore I think.
Hi. Great video. What were you cleaning the frets/fretboard with at 2.20? Those little rectangular cloths. And what cleaning solution?
Gorgomyte
2:22 - Love the tone you’re getting here! is it two guitars/single guitar but Overdubbed/1 Guitar playing solo or what?
Gear used..?
Cheers
1 Guitar, just the Les Paul in this video into I want to say a Morgan Abbey amp profile on the kemper.. it's been a long time
@@YeatzeeGuitar cool
I just couldn’t get on with the KEMPER myself -they seem just so complicated for me
Great sound here though AND playing, of course 👍
Wow. I was surprised that I liked the Gibson Nylon the most! I have the tone pros. The Callaham has some punch.
Dude, that’s an awesome video! You’re upping the camera skills with each video and the angles on the shots are great. The sustain test was super creative (5 in 1 dropping out with the sound.) 🔥 Kudos!
Btw what are you using for the orange lights in the background?
Thank you! I appreciate someone noticing haha. I'm using little led flood lights I got off Amazon. They're great!
I was ready to put steel bridge and stopbar until I heard that. Looks like I am going to hunt down some nylon saddles. They sounded bet to me. Thanks
*Follow up- Guitar is a SG Standard '04. Tried the Tonepro's TP6G with their version of 50's Gibson nylon saddles and it really put a damper on the overall sound. I have been on a journey with this guitar since I got it, to lessen it's somewhat muddy sound and this bridge went the wrong way. In hindsight the all mahogany body was probably not a good match. So I'm going full steel; bridge/saddles/tailpiece/posts and anchors 100% steel. I went with Pinnacle brand from Philly Luthiers. I will do another follow up after all has been installed. peace out.
Yeah my LP is not a super dark guitar naturally so it might make nylon saddles sound better than they would on other guitars
@@YeatzeeGuitar So before the all steel Pinnacle stuff got here the tonepro's raw brass/zamak bridge and aluminum tailpiece arrived. The saddles are flat-top like the saddles on old ABR's. I had to install them and I am really happy with the results. Didn't have to swap the tailpiece anchors as the magnet says their steel. Also used steel posts for the tailpiece. The anchors and posts for the bridge are brass. I installed then and put on new 10-46 and intonated. The plain strings had a bit more zing then I wanted. On the neck it was great, on the bridge it was too much. I ended up taking some 400 grit and knocked down the little lip/edge on the humbucker side of the saddle for the plain strings, I left the wound as is. That did the trick and the guitar sounds great. Much better response in general allowing me the be able to dial in many more tones with the volume & tone controls. Middle position, dial back the neck a touch and what a great tone. It wouldn't do that before. Maybe the steel would have been better or it could have been too much and $200 down the drain. One thing I have learned over time is once something sounds really great don't fuck with it thinking your going to squeeze a little more out. More then not it's a step side-ways or back. Luckily Philly Luth. hadn't shipped the Pinnacle bridge/tail and I could cancel the order. They are great to deal with.
Thanks for making this, man! Many of us have always wondered. I personally can't hear a justifiable difference. Would be curious to hear the regular modern Gibson posts VS the Faber "vintage" posts they make. Thanks again!
Hey man, how did you set your volume knob at 14:42? Was your neck volume knob way down? I always wanted to make my les paul sound like a tele on steroids, and I think you just nailed it consistently with your videos (even using different amps and setups).
Looks like all the way up here 🙂 one mod I have done to this guitar though is a treble bleed on the neck pickup which makes it much brighter when you roll back the volume a bit. Really useful imo
@@YeatzeeGuitar wooow. All the way up and still sounds crystal clear and crispy (yet musical). Wow man.. thanks for the info. My r8 (with bb1&2) doesnt sound anything like that at all. My 77 lp standard with stock t-tops sounds a lot clearer and brighter, but not as 3d as the r8. Hmmmmmm! Looks like i gotta really check out the doyle coils hahaha
Buy Ron Ellis Signature humbucker pups for the tele sound you're looking for.
I like the callahan,do you feel.more vibration with the callahan?Faber good but more light and airy.
Awesome resource, thanks dude! I'm about to start building a brand new guitar and am trying to decide on a bridge to go with my Bigsby for it - gonna go with the Faber after listening to this demo. Cheers.
Sounds like you need a bridge with roller saddles...
@@thehandseesall Ended up using the Faber, no issues with tuning after getting the nut right! Can’t stand the look of roller bridges…
Yes they do change up the tone slightly depending on what’s being played, but what’s stopping you from using the Tone/Volume knobs to achieve that sound?
Tone and volume can only subtract.
Great video. I liked the callaham and will probably try one on one of my custom shop. Did any of them fit the post with less slop than a stock abr1?
That's a great question, and I'm ashamed to say I don't remember! I think the Callaham was the tightest fitting but honestly I did this so long ago I can't say for sure.
@@YeatzeeGuitar thanks so much for the reply. I heard the Callahan did fit tighter from the guy who works on my guitars. Definitely gonna buy one and try. Really liked your sound comparison test on all of these. Have a great day.
Did you replace the posts for the bridge also? Callaham was the winner for me. And what pickups are you using here? Thanks for the vid.
Stock brass posts and stock custombuckers! 🙂👍
Have you tried the KMS One Bridge? Quite expensive, but they sound fantastic.
Really great comparison video! I tried Faber several times with different LPs but never had good experience, they darkened the tone especially the wound strings became a lit dull. The stock abr-1 is a bit mid scoop compares to the others here, or maybe the others have the mid bump because of the locking feature. Callaham sounds great with the extra upper mid sparkle, even it's the least "vintage correct" one.
Which bridge do the saddles stay in, without string tension or gravity?
I don't remember any issues with any of them. They're all a tight fit for the saddles.
I tried to find a Callaham Bridge. Called one of their dealers listed in fla.and was told they're not making the bridges anymore. Too bad because I could clearly hear the difference in your video demonstration which is great !! Not sure where to find a Callaham now.
Oh wow, had no idea! Used on reverb perhaps? That's where I think I got mine
@Yeatzee Guitar Yeah I guess I could find one there. Thanks and thanks again for that wonderful concise demo on those bridges!!
@@mr.businessman9790 Callaham no longer makes bridges? This is good news ) I have a Callaham bridge and tailpiece and it will be easier for me to sell them )
Bro, I hope that in these 7 months you have found your Callaham. I could sell you mine, but I’m from Russia, and the American imperialists turned off PayPal for us and I won’t be able to get your money ) Cheers!
Was the stopbar tailpiece used on all bridges the gibson stock?? 👍
Yes
8:53 on is when the faber really stood out to me. It had that open airy sounds that my mind tells me ales paul sounds like. I've decided to buy the faber based on this video.
Very cool, which one did you go with?
@@YeatzeeGuitar the tone loc package pro faded nickel.
we can talk about lows, highs, sustain, mid rang clarity and stuff but one thing is clear to my ears,
this callaham sounds more alive than the others. I guess more dynamic and on some riffs some notes bloom in a cool way.
Yes! It sounded more Gibson-y. To me it more so stood out when played on the bridge pickup. I had no idea how expensive they are before doing the research but the tone is worth it
Thanks for that. Really helps to decide!!
Thanks for the fantastic video showcasing each one! I'm surprised that they all sounded good. 3 sounded great to my ears with faber being #1 on my list.
Very interesting . I have pretty weird experience with Faber bridge. I have 68 es-335 and 2022 Murphy Lab 64 reissue 335 . Both vintage and Murphy has stock nylon saddles. I bought Faber bridge hoping to add attack and snap . However , Faber makes both guitars sound darker and muddier . It doesn’t makes sense to me . I tried stock Gibson ABR 1 from my R9s and it does what I hope for . It makes 335s more aggressive and more rocking . Fabre just makes muffled. Knowing that Faber is typically stellar product , I’m wondering if maybe tiny notches has something to do with it . I don’t know but it’s disappointing.
After that, which one sounds better ? Which one is worth the effort to change?
The whole point is for you to let you ears decide what's your favorite. I ended up keeping the stock one on the Les Paul but put the callaham on my ES345 and Faber on my ES330
Great video, man, thank you !!!
Definitely hear the Difference and my least favourite was the FABER which is ironic as that’s what I’ve got on my Les Paul!
Diggin the callaham. I have rhat on my semi hollow Heritage.Sounds great. Killer review i must say you checked all the boxes for me .Which bridge peaked your love meter?
I actually kept the Les Paul stock and put the callaham on my ES345 which is naturally a darker guitar
Faber no.1 . Even though the Callaham was a bit chimier. I prefer the Faber. Nice clarity without ear ice pick. But I get it. It’s totally subjective. And what may sound killer on one guitar, may sound completely different on another. The one I like the least could sound the best on my guitar. A good reason to buy more gear. 😂
I installed Callahams in an early 2000's Gibson LP-R8 about 12 years ago not expecting a major improvement to the muffled sound & boomy bass, man was I wrong, night & day. Brighter, clearer with much better clarity & ringing sustain that goes on for days. U can hear the huge difference before u plug in guitar acoustically, in tone, clarity & sustain. If I remember correctly, Callaham has been making much improved billet steel parts for Fenders for decades, they introduced the ABR-1 for Gibsons around the time I bought the R8 with a generous & confident return policy. I'm a bit surprised more people didn't make the swap. A bit expensive but they r made in USA & IMHO r worth every penny. Also replaced tailpiece @ later date with lightweight aluminum wrap around strings all nickel /steel alloy #10 or 9/10 hybrid set - incremental improvement but nowhere as noticeable as Callaham ABR bridge change - I am not exaggerating when I say my R8 sounded like a different much improved ACTUAL vintage LP- only thing was it sill weighed a ridiculous 10 plus lbs... lol... can't change the weight density/size of old growth mahogany vs current production younger mahogany wood that is denser/heavier than 60-70 year old guitars made from 100s of year old - old growth trees that r either gone or protected.
Chris
Man, such a good review of hardware, very good comparison! Even tho the callaham sounded really good, and I had the faber, I can’t look my les paul and not see the original abr1 shape
I think that was well thought out. U played licks which I expected to be able to hear the differences. Using shure se215s with iPhone i could not tell the difference. If there's a difference i would have to use my monitors or better headset and i cant be bothered. I swapped nashville bridge to faber abr-1 and it's not massive improvement even though bridge posts screw down to wood instead of those massive metal insertis. I am somewhat surprised about the difference between nylon and metal alloy or the lack of difference
I would also strongly think about changing the thumbwheel bridge post & the tailpiece studs as they have the most to do with transferring the vibration in relation to the body
Any recommendations? The guitar already had Faber tone lock tailpiece studs installed :)
The callaham was noticeably louder than all of them. It sounded excellent on chords and single notes. While brighter maybe on certain playing, it maybe had the most note definition. The Faber was much lower in volume and subdued in attack and high end. I didn’t like the nylon on any one of the examples, just not very alive or defined to me. They each took on a cool character depending on what was played . Good to know for tailoring to a guitar that needs more or less of something tonally. Awesome job! I have a callaham on a les paul, tone pros on an SG, a Creamtone locking abr1 on another les paul. All are nice and work well.
I am surprised that the gibson nylons sound as good as it does. I am curious which bridge did you feel the most vibration from in the guitar body? Thanks for sharing. c];-)
All felt similar but probably the Callahan and the tone lock faber
Very cool! I recently upgraded the hardware on my 1959 Epiphone Les Paul to the Faber stuff, including steel body bushings, aluminum replica tail piece and I chose the ABR59 and honestly, the tolerances for a "non-locking" bridge are tighter than the Epiphone "ToneLock" bridge and looks so much better. Definitely a brighter, more articulate tone but also more depth and the acoustic sound of the guitar is so much more lively. I've looked at all the brands and Gotoh and Faber are probably the best in terms of engineering and quality.
I was considering doing the same. Which kit is the correct fit for the 1959 Epiphone?
Very nice video! Good examples of all bridges. ;
Great playing and that guitar has it going on, what pickups?
Stock custombuckers! And thanks!
I’ve always used Faber Hardware on all my Gibson models. With that being said, I want to try the “Four Uncles” ABR-1. It’s supposed to be the best there is. Only drawback, they’re 400 Euros!
I buy whatever Phillidelphia says is best
The Faber has served me well I installed them ( with their steel posts on both my Jimmy page and my LP jr dc.
Better clarity and string separation on dissonant chords under medium gain ( which is my thing)
Even with good headphones, I think just knowing what is what is playing tricks with my brain. I'd LOVE to see this as a blind test.
Close your eyes 😉 I'm only half kidding....😂
Oh I did!@@YeatzeeGuitar
Faber for me. Callaham would be second.
I think the callaham bridge sounds more brash. The gibson nylon one has something going on in a lot of different ways. But as a whole package the faber cuts good but also makes all thr strings sound good with good separation and clarity. The notes sound creamy ans smooth with the faber. They all have their place in tuning a guitar that needs a little help. That callaham would help a dark guitar sound a little more lively.
The Faber stuff is great but The Stock ABR-1 on my 2018 True historic R9 is more than acceptable for vintage tones.
I have to LOL at those that say the Gibson Re-issue ABR's do not sound just like the old ABR's!
Yeah no S**t ! Show me two old 50's ABR's that sound exactly the same? They don't! So which old ABR is my Re-issue
not sounding exactly like? 🤣 There are some ultra anal guitar players out there when it comes to gear!
Most should be more concerned about their playing and not the gear they play on
I bought a Callaham before watching this video, and it seems I made the right choice for my style. Thanks for making it!
The callaham is great! It's on my ES345 right now :)
Great video, thanks! I really liked the Faber and the TonePros, for different reasons. I love Callaham stuff so I was excited that it wasn’t my preference. Although the “won’t make a difference at a gig” argument will never die in the comments, I feel these differences really matter to the player, as it’s largely the vowel sound and transient character that’s changing, which is everything to me.
I did have a question about your signal chain… It seemed like some of the clips had a slightly different stereo image, that little bit of ambience was leaning left or leaning right depending on the clip (Callaham tended to lean left). Any idea how that might’ve happened? I’ll definitely be checking out your other videos, great work!
Thanks! Don't pick up any consistent differences on my end, nothing ever changed as I literally swapped the bridges back to back.
I've been playing for forty years and a roller bridge will solve nearly all tuning problems with l.p. guitars. The knife edge saddles on gibson bridges are a great source of friction as well as every time you bend strings during a solo you are essentially sawing the string in two. Another tip on l.ps is the G string tuner deals with a lot of tension therefore they can weaken overtime. That said swap the G and high E tuners and that will solve that. The high E tuner doesn't have nearly the tension on compared to the G tuner.
This guitar is actually one of my most stable when it comes to tuning! Custom shop LP's in my experience tend to hold their tune great, it's the USA ones that struggle especially on the G as you alluded to.
@@YeatzeeGuitar this has been my experience too, and I feel roller bridges rob sustain which is which I prefer bar bridges on Gretsch Bigsby equipped guitars.
Awesome video!
Overall Faber for me, for a dark sounding guitar maybe the callahan
what the stock saddles material made of?
Nickel plated brass
I did as many as I could without looking at which was which, coming back later and finding out the names of #'s 1 through 5. I liked the Faber and Callaham best, often the Gibson Nylon put in a good showing. I didn't think the Stock or tone pros was my favorite for any test.
As others have said here, sure, in isolation, there are a few very slight harmonic differences between these bridges, all of which could easily be “corrected’ with a little EQ if such be desired, but such small differences may exist regarding individual examples of the same bridge.
Also, what strings may be used regarding materials and gauges may make them all sound more the same or more different.
In any event, listening in isolation is meaningless and misleading. Once any other instrument plays along, any of the slight sonic nuances between these bridges will completely disappear.
Bottom line - they’re all equal; however, I’m inclined to go with modern harder nylon saddles for natural lubrication and to avoid string breakage.
Wow to start off that is a great sounding Historic. And it will only sound better as the wood ages. All bridges sound amazing. Callahan for me stood out in the earlier clean comparisons. Faber a close second. But the Tonepros nylon sounds great as well. You can tell it’s a well built guitar when even the stock bridge sounds amazing and still a great option for that certain sound. Question-!please explain why the Faber has titanium saddles on the lower wound strings and brass on the thinner unwound strings? And, does it change the sound between nickel plated brass and plain natural brass saddles? Thanks for your advice!
Faber calls it their "hybridge" option, and it's just meant to give the wound strings more clarity and definition apparently. No clue how much a difference it makes though!
What a great and useful video. I like the bightness and clarity of the Callaham and Tonespros. Which one was your favorite? you didn't tell
Thanks! I ended up keeping it stock, putting the Callaham on my es345 and the Faber tone lock on my Es330. Both helped those guitars noticeably and I thought the LP sounded good stock 🙂
that is one fine sounding LP no matter the bridge.
Agreed!
Agreed
The Faber and Callaham sounded amazing. The Faber would take a tin sounding guitar and warm it up, while the callaham accentuated all the full spectrum especially upper end harmonics and brightness.... seriously.... the cost of the callaham even used is a lot. I would do the Faber for the price.... so seriously.... out of the two above.... what was your favorite and how do I choose between the two.... is the double the price callaham worth it or would the Faber do it right???
All sounded good. But to my ears the Callaham was the superior performer in all areas, followed by the Stock Gibson bridge. The others were quality sounds, but not enough tones to warrant the price of those new bridges compared to the factory stock one. Even the small amount of sustain and high end that the Callaham provides is pretty negligible compared to the $160 to $200 dollars that those parts go for. But thats just my opinion.
Well I slightly preferred the Faber then the TonePros Bridge. Both great sounding. The Video clearly answered the question if whether the brigde mattered or not. It seemingly does.
Do I swap? No, cause I already have a Faber on my Faber/Tokai Les Paul Copy.
(Which I does outsound any Gibson I played, although being halfprized to Gibson USA. So the "Axis" of German manufactured parts and Japanese Craftsmanship seems way Übermächtig to inferior American production)
All are ok, I think depending on the natural tone and natural harmonics of your guitar unplugged, you choose between one these fantastic products.
From dark (compressed) to bright (open):
1. GIbson Nylon (mellow, with mids)
2. TonePros (deep bass, nice mids, mod highs)
3. Stock (good balance w/rich mids, little crisp)
4. Faber (clear, rich mids)
5. Callaham (rich, very crispy, trebly)
Depending on how your guitar naturally sounds and what you want, make your choice.
Thats the point, the bridge must fit to your guitar and the sound you are looking for! Sometime the mids are missing on your LP, sometimes it`s dull ...... you will make a different choice!