Tuno-O-Matic Bridges

[Deadpan]

Been playing these on many of my guitars and find it a bit uncomfortable to play Fender style and Floyd Rose now.

Seems to be the height of the bridge to the body.

 

[DrewJD82]

Play your other guitars more often! Problem solved!

 

[la szum]

Hands down the best feeling hard-tail style Bridge ever made.

I have often wondered if you could retrofit one of these on a non Ibby guitar?

 

[TSJMajesty]

I still have trouble with palm mutes on my Majesty after decades of playing my LP. Everything's so flat.
But now it feels completely foreign to play my LP!

I'm in no-man's land.

 

[norminal]

Been playing these on many of my guitars and find it a bit uncomfortable to play Fender style and Floyd Rose now.

Seems to be the height of the bridge to the body.

I agree completely. If I were to spec out my own signature model, it’d have a Tune-O-Matic.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

 

[Eagle]

I think most people are comfortable on whatever they play the most. Hard to beat resting your hand on the strings coming out of the tailpiece though even with the shoulders of the saddles sharp edged.

 

[laxu]

To me the Tune-o-matic is one of the worst bridge designs out there.

• Low intonation range. You often need to flip a saddle to get more range.
• Complicated installation. Needs neck angle or recessing the bridge to the body.
• Most of them have downright bad saddle mounting (rattling retainer wire, or C-clips).
• Need a tailpiece or string thru, which makes for much more rigorous neck angle requirements.

I still have TOMs on several guitars. The best bridge of that type is the Yamaha made one on my Yamaha SA-1200S that is over 40 years old. It has more intonation range and incredibly precise machining. Yet somehow modern Tune-o-matics are a sloppy mess.

 

[Eagle]

To me the Tune-o-matic is one of the worst bridge designs out there.

• Low intonation range. You often need to flip a saddle to get more range.
• Complicated installation. Needs neck angle or recessing the bridge to the body.
• Most of them have downright bad saddle mounting (rattling retainer wire, or C-clips).
• Need a tailpiece or string thru, which makes for much more rigorous neck angle requirements.

I still have TOMs on several guitars. The best bridge of that type is the Yamaha made one on my Yamaha SA-1200S that is over 40 years old. It has more intonation range and incredibly precise machining. Yet somehow modern Tune-o-matics are a sloppy mess.

And add that old zinc ones (ie all of them ) sag in the middle and loose the radius over time. And if the stoptail it too low and the string touches the body of the back as well as the saddle top it degrades the tone.

 

[Eagle]

I would argue that the best sounding Gibson style bridge (by this I mean transfer of string energy through the most direct path and low part count) is the PRS one with fixed intonation. These are excellent as long as you use a standard gauge string set;

 

[Orvillain]

Definitely the comfiest bridge. Close second is the Evertune and the Tight-End that Ibanez use on their RG guitars:

 

[sleewell]

My current favorite.

 

[Warmart]

I like the PRS bridge and tailpiece on my 594, it's the best tune-o-matic style I've owned. That Ibanez @la szum mentioned looks nice as well.

Didn't like the PRS wrap around (no separate tailpiece) that was on my Paul's (since traded-in), felt the strings were way too far off the body and I couldn't be lazy while chugging away.

I think if I were to replace some of the saddle allen screws on my Saber, the EBMM bridge would be the most comfy. The D and G are sticking out a bit too far, so shorter ones would make more sense. Supposedly they'll send me new ones if I ask nicely, so that's on the to-do list.

Also like the feel of Floyd's and Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge, but my hand finds the muting spot easiest on the EBMM - seems automatic.

 

[norminal]

Definitely the comfiest bridge I’ve ever owned:

 

[DrewJD82]

Hands down the best feeling hard-tail style Bridge ever made.




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I have often wondered if you could retrofit one of these on a non Ibby guitar?

I’d imagine if the string spacing matches it wouldn’t be a big deal. I fucking love this bridge and am dumbfounded on why they stopped making it. Perfect fucking solution to a TOM. Why the hell are there still sharp edges on saddles at all in 2023?!?!?!?

I need to remember to look for these occasionally, I want to get a black one for my SZ.

 

[hunga]

I like these!

Kluson Replacement Brass Or Steel Harmonica Tune-O-Matic Bridge With Brass Saddles

Kluson® Replacement Brass Or Steel Harmonica Tune-O-Matic Bridge With Brass SaddlesThis bridge, popularly referred to as the harmonica bridge is a direct replication of the original using all the same quality fabrication, dimensions and best of all, milled from steel billet or bell brass to give...

www.kluson.com

 

[Eagle]

I like these!

Kluson Replacement Brass Or Steel Harmonica Tune-O-Matic Bridge With Brass Saddles

Kluson® Replacement Brass Or Steel Harmonica Tune-O-Matic Bridge With Brass SaddlesThis bridge, popularly referred to as the harmonica bridge is a direct replication of the original using all the same quality fabrication, dimensions and best of all, milled from steel billet or bell brass to give...

www.kluson.com

Have you considered therapy?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Been playing these on many of my guitars and find it a bit uncomfortable to play Fender style and Floyd Rose now.

Seems to be the height of the bridge to the body.

I feel like I need to stay on one style of bridge or the other. TOM bridges usually have me feeling like my hand (or my forearm as well) is too far from the body.

 

[hunga]

Have you considered therapy?

No, have you?

 

[Eagle]

No, have you?

In all seriousness this version is a considerable improvement over the original sintered zinc one.