super helpful vids on this guit-fiddle, just dropped 2500 on one, only to bring it home and discover that it needed a full set up and would not stay in tune at all! once I got the neck tension right and intonated it, it got better but I will be buying this kit, and possibly the roller bridge, or the one you got! crazy how they overlook something so simple on such an expensive guitar! Chibson!
Just wanted to say thanks for all your well detailed videos on this topic. I upgraded my 61 SG bridge posts to faber ones and it made a big difference with tuning consistency!
I wanted to buy one of these Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola in Vintage Cherry for a while. After watching your video on this guitar i was totally discouraged from making my purchase due to you not being able to keep it in tune. But I went down to my local Guitar center here in Las Vegas and they had one in stock. I held it, the neck is outstanding the fret work is wonderful, the wood grain and color were so beautiful. I tuned it up and played a few cords and check the tuning, for sure it was out of tune. I fooled around trying to keep it in tune for three hours and became totally discouraged because this guitar was beautiful. So I did the only reasonable thing, I said to the salesman I am going to flip this Guitar Center pick, "blank side it stays here written side I buy it". It landed on written side so home with me it went, and boy am I glad it did. The next day I set out to find out why it wouldn't stay in tune and I discovered why, (fixed it) and now it's hard to knock it out of tune. First the tuning keys were lose and the screws holding the tuners on were striped from the factory, so i fixed that. Second the angle on the Vibrola is wrong from the factory, you need to tweak the angle and shim the Vibrola slightly, the E-string should not be touching the trem bar while in the resting position. Now polish the frets and do a complete set up. This guitar now when using the Vibrola as intended will stay in tune wonderfully. This guitar is a great guitar and if you take the time and put in the work to set it up properly, YOU WILL LOVE THIS GUITAR! I think that from the factory they just assemble the parts and are done, not realizing or having the time that it needs to make this fine guitar function together as a whole instrument. Glad I took the time and made the purchase. Please let your viewers know this is an amazing Gibson Guitar after the corrections are made. I Have no connection with Gibson and I am not a professional Luthier, so if i can fix it this guitar is fixable. Thank you
On my 72 Les Paul, to lock the thumb washers under the bridge, I just used two on each side and tightened them together. Even though they're not tooth washers, there's enough friction there between them to hold them together. They also provide a better area of contact with the posts and they keep each other from rocking because those washers do have a slightly sloppy fit on the posts, especially after 45+ years of use. My little tech tip of the day and, yep, it works.
The Faber “Tone Lock” system is really good too. I used them in all of my USA Les Pauls. I preferred the M8 threaded type studs for the looks, but the push in type are just as good.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The floppy bridge on my Heritage 535 has bugged me since the first time I changed the strings; however, I always was afraid of removing the inserts in the body. Now I am not afraid 🤪. I also didn’t realize Callahan makes TOM bridge parts.
I just got an SG with Vibrola. I noticed that the strings are resting on the metal just above the windings and it doesn't allow it to sustain. How do you balance the tremolo on this system? Thanks!
Not a huge risk if the body is well supported and padded first. It takes takes very little force. Just start them in the hole with your fingers first then tap the posts straight down. Pro tip : hit the metal, not the guitar.
Hi, I looked at a brand new SG yesterday that played really well and I'm considering but the "new Abr 1" posts were as low as possible ie screwed all the way in. Would swapping to this stud give me more ability to lower the bridge?
I just ordered the TonePros bridge and the Faber conversion posts for this guitar. If the nylon saddles on the TonePros really start to wear, is it possible to replace just the saddles with roller saddles or do you need to replace the entire bridge again?
@@PsionicAudio Thank you! Super helpful. After using the nylon saddles for a while now, are they really wearing out quickly? I don't really use the vibrola much, so perhaps the saddle won't wear away too fast.
Not wearing out, but they develop ridge lines from the windings, particularly on the D. Only really affects the Vibrola use. Doesn't go out when bending.
@@PsionicAudio Can you share a link to the roller bridge that also fits on the Faber posts? I've seen a lot of different roller bridges, but I'm not sure which one has the right specs for this guitar. So basically I'm looking for an ABR-1 replacement but with roller saddles.
Great video. If you own a caliper, could you help me out and measure from the body to the top of your saddles on the bridge? You can do it in 2 steps if needed... to the top of the bridge... then add to that the top of the bridge to the top of the saddle. Low E & High E in thousandths. I am trying to find if any of my lefty guitars are good candidates for installing a Maestro. I've read about neck angles and bridge minimun bridge height needed for downward tension on the Vibrola. I just found a Klein Digital Angle finder that worked great showing me my SG has 3.5 degree and a Tokai FB has 2 degrees. Thanks!
@@PsionicAudio Thanks! You are the only person who has done this for me so far. I have a Lefty SG & Tokia FB... and both have about .700" (same as your high E side). When I look at .035" on my caliper it's very small and can't imagine that differnce being an issue. Neck angle tool hows 3.5 degrees on the SG and 2 degrees on both Firebirds. 1 has a long Maestro installed and works great. Not sure why my shop here in Nashville told me the SG was not a good candidate for installing.
So far I have not had this issue with my SG. I took a chance and ordered it from AMS online and it came set up perfect out of the box the action very low with no string buzz.. Who ever worked on it at the factory cared enough to do it right the first time and I love the tones I can pull from it. Gibson are great guitars you just have to find them. I going to keep the card with the inspectors name on it.Gibson needs to hire more people like this to work in the shop.
Seems to me for $2,000, you shouldn't have to be changing the bridge. I understand perfectly well why you're doing it. This is something Gibson should have got right from the very beginning--but they didn't.. Not only that, because you won't be using the original Bridge anymore, it could affect resale value down the line. But these guitars are not limited anyway so what's the difference?
Interesting. I have a Squire Vintage Modified Jazzmaster with a rocking brige. I put Teflon tape on the bridge posts so the bridge wouldn't rock. Tuning stability is quite a bit better now. I know this example is different, but I don't understand the rocking bridge concept at all.🙈🙉🙊
Not as much as you'd think. A little smoother, ever so slightly less bright. Which is good with a bright SG. This isn't a very fair comparison though, as I went from the brass saddle ABR1 with bad body coupling due to the stock inserts and sloppy stock bridge/post fit to the solid Faber studs and locking TonePros bridge, so that great improvement in coupling probably offset whatever difference the nylon vs brass saddles made. So this wasn't apples to apples. I'm general, though, from playing other guitars, nylon has just a slightly softer transient. Note that many '60s 335s with nylon saddles also have trapeze tailpieces, which don't have as much sustain as the stop bar versions. So you have to judge the system as a whole. Never hurt Carlton as far as I can tell. ;)
That's really poor. My Tribute LP from 2013 has no slop and the bridge is so tight on the posts it doesn't come off without a fight. I have a B7 on it and never had a single issue.. This, the questonable neck angles on some I've seen.. just not paying their prices for that crap.
Do you notice a big difference? I'm thinking of doing the full faber swap on my new epi firebird. Pretty great resonance and sustain as it stands so im quite curious
super helpful vids on this guit-fiddle, just dropped 2500 on one, only to bring it home and discover that it needed a full set up and would not stay in tune at all! once I got the neck tension right and intonated it, it got better but I will be buying this kit, and possibly the roller bridge, or the one you got! crazy how they overlook something so simple on such an expensive guitar! Chibson!
Just wanted to say thanks for all your well detailed videos on this topic. I upgraded my 61 SG bridge posts to faber ones and it made a big difference with tuning consistency!
I wanted to buy one of these Gibson SG Standard '61 Maestro Vibrola in Vintage Cherry for a while. After watching your video on this guitar i was totally discouraged from making my purchase due to you not being able to keep it in tune. But I went down to my local Guitar center here in Las Vegas and they had one in stock. I held it, the neck is outstanding the fret work is wonderful, the wood grain and color were so beautiful. I tuned it up and played a few cords and check the tuning, for sure it was out of tune. I fooled around trying to keep it in tune for three hours and became totally discouraged because this guitar was beautiful. So I did the only reasonable thing, I said to the salesman I am going to flip this Guitar Center pick, "blank side it stays here written side I buy it". It landed on written side so home with me it went, and boy am I glad it did. The next day I set out to find out why it wouldn't stay in tune and I discovered why, (fixed it) and now it's hard to knock it out of tune. First the tuning keys were lose and the screws holding the tuners on were striped from the factory, so i fixed that. Second the angle on the Vibrola is wrong from the factory, you need to tweak the angle and shim the Vibrola slightly, the E-string should not be touching the trem bar while in the resting position. Now polish the frets and do a complete set up. This guitar now when using the Vibrola as intended will stay in tune wonderfully. This guitar is a great guitar and if you take the time and put in the work to set it up properly, YOU WILL LOVE THIS GUITAR! I think that from the factory they just assemble the parts and are done, not realizing or having the time that it needs to make this fine guitar function together as a whole instrument. Glad I took the time and made the purchase. Please let your viewers know this is an amazing Gibson Guitar after the corrections are made. I Have no connection with Gibson and I am not a professional Luthier, so if i can fix it this guitar is fixable.
Thank you
On my 72 Les Paul, to lock the thumb washers under the bridge, I just used two on each side and tightened them together. Even though they're not tooth washers, there's enough friction there between them to hold them together. They also provide a better area of contact with the posts and they keep each other from rocking because those washers do have a slightly sloppy fit on the posts, especially after 45+ years of use. My little tech tip of the day and, yep, it works.
Thank you for making this video, it will be very helpful for me when I go to do this myself very soon!
Thank you for this video!! I just got a new SG with the sideways vibrolo and I ordered all of your recommendations. Looking forward to this.
The Faber “Tone Lock” system is really good too. I used them in all of my USA Les Pauls. I preferred the M8 threaded type studs for the looks, but the push in type are just as good.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The floppy bridge on my Heritage 535 has bugged me since the first time I changed the strings; however, I always was afraid of removing the inserts in the body. Now I am not afraid 🤪. I also didn’t realize Callahan makes TOM bridge parts.
Best video I've seen !! Thank you !
I`m pleased i got the one with the bridge and tailpiece no issues what so ever....🙂
What locking tuners did you use and did they fit the existing post and screw holes? Thank you.
whats your opinnion on insert kit vs bswkit, would it make a significantly difference, just installed the inserts in my 2019 trand and its awesome
Can you recommend any Nashville bridges with nylon saddles? I need the greater travel in the saddles but lol the ones I’ve found have been abr1 style
I just got an SG with Vibrola. I noticed that the strings are resting on the metal just above the windings and it doesn't allow it to sustain. How do you balance the tremolo on this system? Thanks!
When you hammer in the Faber posts, is there any concern that it would crack the body? That is indeed the scary part!
Not a huge risk if the body is well supported and padded first. It takes takes very little force. Just start them in the hole with your fingers first then tap the posts straight down.
Pro tip : hit the metal, not the guitar.
Hi, I looked at a brand new SG yesterday that played really well and I'm considering but the "new Abr 1" posts were as low as possible ie screwed all the way in. Would swapping to this stud give me more ability to lower the bridge?
A little bit, but make sure that guitar doesn't have too little neck angle. The ABR bridge should never be against the body.
I just ordered the TonePros bridge and the Faber conversion posts for this guitar. If the nylon saddles on the TonePros really start to wear, is it possible to replace just the saddles with roller saddles or do you need to replace the entire bridge again?
It's a different bridge. But it also fits on the Faber posts.
@@PsionicAudio Thank you! Super helpful. After using the nylon saddles for a while now, are they really wearing out quickly? I don't really use the vibrola much, so perhaps the saddle won't wear away too fast.
Not wearing out, but they develop ridge lines from the windings, particularly on the D. Only really affects the Vibrola use. Doesn't go out when bending.
@@PsionicAudio Can you share a link to the roller bridge that also fits on the Faber posts? I've seen a lot of different roller bridges, but I'm not sure which one has the right specs for this guitar. So basically I'm looking for an ABR-1 replacement but with roller saddles.
@@JessH99999 tonepros.com/tp6r-tonepros-standard-tuneomatic-small-posts-roller-saddles/
Great video. If you own a caliper, could you help me out and measure from the body to the top of your saddles on the bridge? You can do it in 2 steps if needed... to the top of the bridge... then add to that the top of the bridge to the top of the saddle. Low E & High E in thousandths. I am trying to find if any of my lefty guitars are good candidates for installing a Maestro. I've read about neck angles and bridge minimun bridge height needed for downward tension on the Vibrola. I just found a Klein Digital Angle finder that worked great showing me my SG has 3.5 degree and a Tokai FB has 2 degrees. Thanks!
47/64” low E. 45/64” high E.
@@PsionicAudio Thanks! You are the only person who has done this for me so far. I have a Lefty SG & Tokia FB... and both have about .700" (same as your high E side). When I look at .035" on my caliper it's very small and can't imagine that differnce being an issue. Neck angle tool hows 3.5 degrees on the SG and 2 degrees on both Firebirds. 1 has a long Maestro installed and works great. Not sure why my shop here in Nashville told me the SG was not a good candidate for installing.
So far I have not had this issue with my SG. I took a chance and ordered it from AMS online and it came set up perfect out of the box the action very low with no string buzz.. Who ever worked on it at the factory cared enough to do it right the first time and I love the tones I can pull from it. Gibson are great guitars you just have to find them. I going to keep the card with the inspectors name on it.Gibson needs to hire more people like this to work in the shop.
0:35 - Shake, shake, shake, Senora, shake your body line....
Seems to me for $2,000, you shouldn't have to be changing the bridge. I understand perfectly well why you're doing it. This is something Gibson should have got right from the very beginning--but they didn't.. Not only that, because you won't be using the original Bridge anymore, it could affect resale value down the line. But these guitars are not limited anyway so what's the difference?
Use a Callaham bridge ... solid cold rolled steel. The sound will jump off of that bridge.
If this had a stop tailpiece the Callaham would have been a great choice. Not so much with the Vibrola.
Interesting. I have a Squire Vintage Modified Jazzmaster with a rocking brige. I put Teflon tape on the bridge posts so the bridge wouldn't rock. Tuning stability is quite a bit better now. I know this example is different, but I don't understand the rocking bridge concept at all.🙈🙉🙊
I installed those inserts on my LP. After 2 days they broke!
Lol rip
Isn't there a tonal difference with nylon saddles?
Not as much as you'd think. A little smoother, ever so slightly less bright. Which is good with a bright SG.
This isn't a very fair comparison though, as I went from the brass saddle ABR1 with bad body coupling due to the stock inserts and sloppy stock bridge/post fit to the solid Faber studs and locking TonePros bridge, so that great improvement in coupling probably offset whatever difference the nylon vs brass saddles made.
So this wasn't apples to apples.
I'm general, though, from playing other guitars, nylon has just a slightly softer transient.
Note that many '60s 335s with nylon saddles also have trapeze tailpieces, which don't have as much sustain as the stop bar versions. So you have to judge the system as a whole.
Never hurt Carlton as far as I can tell. ;)
That's really poor. My Tribute LP from 2013 has no slop and the bridge is so tight on the posts it doesn't come off without a fight. I have a B7 on it and never had a single issue..
This, the questonable neck angles on some I've seen.. just not paying their prices for that crap.
The faber inserts ("e-serts") also make Epiphones/other Asian brands a lot better. Zero play and better energy (sound) transfer.
Do you notice a big difference? I'm thinking of doing the full faber swap on my new epi firebird. Pretty great resonance and sustain as it stands so im quite curious