Talk:Tune-o-matic

Merge proposal

For a start, it seems pretty unclear for me that "stoptail" or "stopbar" is a bridge. I've never seen anyone/anywhere referring to it as a "guitar bridge type". "Bridge" in traditional guitar terminology is something that terminates a sounding length of string, not something that may be before or after that string. Stopbar is surely an important thing, but it comes after the bridge (usually tune-o-matic, piezo or some other variation). Tune-o-matic bridge may lack stopbar and just use "string-thru-the-body" technique or some sort of other tailpiece (like trapezoid, Grestch-style). It does not make "stopbar" a "bridge", just as machine heads that hold the strings at the top are not called "nut".

Given that fact, I deeply feel that the whole article needs to be readjusted and may be I should suggest merging it to Tune-o-matic article, as it discusses pretty close subjects. Most of the fact provided there are closely related also to tune-o-matic bridge that is applied to guitar, as well as stopbar itself. --GreyCat (talk) 23:39, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Merge proposal declined

Thanks for your comments.

I am strongly opposed to merging this topic since not all stopbar bridges are ToM. The stopbar bridge is indeed a bona fide guitar bridge. You need only refer to the picture of the PRS wraparound bridge to see that it meets your own criteria. Further read more carefully the description in the wraparound section.

There are also other sub types of stopbar bridges like the original trapese style on the '52 Les Paul that do not employ the ToM element, further validating the stand alone category as is.-- Geo Jetson (talk) 17:38, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

Original Research

The discussion of screw direction seems to be original research or speculative. The convention is that ABR-1 bridges have their screws facing the headstock ("up") and Nashvilles have theirs facing the stopbar ("down"). Both can be used in either direction but the ABR-1's protruding screws make it undesirable to have them facing down because of the string break angle. Nashville bridges however have their screws largely recessed so they can face down providing easier access when the guitar is strung for on-the-fly adjustments. I would also like to see more about these three types of Tune-o-matic. To my knowledge there is the ABR-1, the Nashville and the Harmonica bridge which is far more uncommon. I'm not sure how exactly a Gotoh bridge fits into the history here as the changeover was in the early 70's. Neither the ABR-1 nor the Nashville have height adjustment screw posts but rather they both use their thumbwheels. I suspect whoever contributed to the source jagstang.com article was providing information based on Japanese or Asian copies of the original Gibsons.

Radius of Bridge

I seriously doubt the bridge has a one foot radius. I'm not sure what the proper length is, but if anyone DOES know, it'd be great if that could be edited. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.96.70.56 (talk) 05:12, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

Shouldn't the radius of the bridge vary to match the radius of the fretboard? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.153.129.212 (talk) 04:21, 1 July 2009 (UTC)

Yes, it should match the radius of the fretboard. All Gibson guitar fretboards are radiused at one foot. --Bfarb (talk) 11:09, 12 July 2010 (UTC)

Not only fixed TOM

The TOM bridge on a Gretsch is floating. It's placed on a wooden base that falls off when you remove all the strings. The Gretsch TOM bridge has a radius because the saddles have different heights. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.28.149.87 (talk) 20:12, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, the bridge on Gretsch guitars are a TOM derivative known as an Adjustamatic. But I believe you are correct that some Gibson and Epiphone hollow bodies use a floating TOM bridge. --Bfarb (talk) 11:17, 12 July 2010 (UTC)

Intonation screws

"Conventionally, the string length (intonation) adjustment screw heads should face the neck"

This is wrong, it depends on the bridge model. The "Vintage" ones have the screws facing the neck, the "Nashville" ones have the screws facing the stopbar. If you look at the pictures on the Gibson website of the guitars fitted with the Nashville bridge, you can clearly see the screws facing the stopbar.--87.194.157.28 (talk) 19:47, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Intonation

This whole section on "function" is wrong. Intonation adjustments are needed due to the fact that the string height over the fingerboard increases as you progress up the neck. Therefore pressing the string down to the 12th fret stretches it more than pressing it down to the second fret, and the note is rendered sharp. To compensate for that, you move the saddle back so the notes are flattened up the neck. This has NOTHING at all to do with string gauge or scale length. Any good book on instrument repair and building will explain this. DavidRavenMoon (talk) 18:12, 3 July 2016 (UTC)