TOM/stop recommendations?

[hannaugh]

I am looking at TOM/stop options.  I might just go with what I've got on my blue LP, but I figure since I can shop around before I decide I might as well. 

Anyone use the GuitarFetish solid brass TOM bridge or their brass "locking" tailpiece?  I was wondering if they are any good.  They've got a curved stop that they claim is awesome cause it's curved... ???  I don't know. 

 

[Cagey]

I haven't used those particular parts, but I can tell you that brass is an awesome material for them. It allows for a clarity and sustain that the typical die-cast parts do not.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I like the locking parts purely because of the convenience of them not dropping off.

They claim to give you more sustain but this has been tested (it's very easy: just unscrew the locking screws) and shown to be bull, unsurprisingly.

The Epiphone bridge and tailpiece is really clever - they lock to their posts with spring action so you don't need tools. I believe there are magnetically-locking ones available too.

I've got a Gibson LP and I've left the bridge and the tailpiece stock. If there's a problem with my tone, it's certainly not one I would try and fix by changing those parts. It's had new pickups and pots and that got me just where I wanted to be.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I have a Gotoh set, Tone Pros set, and a Callaham ABR-1.  The Callaham is a lot more expensive, but it a very nice bridge.  Very clear.  I don't know if I would use it unless you have a really warm to muddy sounding guitar, because of the price of the thing.  The Tone Pros is a Gotoh, literally, with the locking screws added.  If you pop the TOM off it says Gotoh on the bottom.  It is Aluminum and works great.  The old Gibson ones were Zinc, which made them more lifeless (ha!) than the Aluminum or Steel ones.  I'd imagine the Brass ones would be in the same ball park as the Aluminum ones, with some variations in sound due to the material.
Patrick

 

[hannaugh]

The GFS stop tailpiece is nickel plated solid brass, and it's got the locking feature, which is convenient rather than tone-altering in my opinion.  But it's $40 cheaper than the TonePros stop, so I thought I'd ask.  What's so great about the Callaham?  Just how it sounds, or are there other features too?

 

[pabloman]

Go for a Schroeder tailpiece. They are sooper sexy ccasion14:

 

[Patrick from Davis]

It is made from a hunk of billet steel.  It has all of the locking doohickeys and the other standard TOM parts.  Really it is just a nicely crafted TOM out of steel.  The price reflects the greater difficulty in production.  But, for a dark guitar, it adds a lot of focus.
Patrick

 

[hannaugh]

Thanks for the info!  Does anyone have any opinions on the straight vs curved vs angled stop tailpieces? 

 

[bagman67]

I have an opinion - one informed by nothing but my own suspicions and tastes.


My guess is the difference between the curved (a la GFS) and reg'lar straight tailpieces is that you'll hear a differnce if you want to, but it'd be hard to objectively determine whether there actually is one.  You should go with what you want to look at and what will be comfy for you to play.  Buy both, since they have the same stud diameter and distance between the studs - and return the one you decide isn't the one for you.

 

[hannaugh]

I think I might just get the straight one because you can't do the wraparound thing with the curved one.  Always nice to keep the option open.