Page 1 of 1
Does gluing in the bridge post inserts really affect tone??
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:30 pm
by Dave Locher
So early in this process I bought one of those "How to Build and Electric Guitar" books and it has been mildly helpful (although not nearly as much as this forum!) and the other night I noticed that the author claims you should glue in your bridge stud inserts with CA glue and claims it will really improve the tone.
Is this possible? Likely?
It seems to me the vibrations would be exactly the same as long as it's a true press fit, and using super glue seems to me like a recipe for potential disaster for a newbie like me? Are the thread inserts glued in on most instruments, or just pressed?
Re: Does gluing in the bridge post inserts really affect tone??
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:41 pm
by Mark Swanson
Sure, it'll help the tone - IF the inserts are loose in the first place! If they are a tight press-fit, then you are just fine with that and don't need to glue them in.
Re: Does gluing in the bridge post inserts really affect tone??
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:20 pm
by Dave Locher
Thank you, Mark. That's what I thought. They are a tight press fit so I won't be gluing anything!
Re: Does gluing in the bridge post inserts really affect tone??
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:44 pm
by Mark Swanson
For a little extra hold and insurance, you can do what some of us do when we are putting in frets. Coat the holes with regular wood glue like Titebond as you are installing the inserts. it will help them slide in and then dry around the ridges helping to lock it in a bit, even though the wood glue will not adhere to the insert. If it fits tight, you are fine with or without the wood glue really.
Re: Does gluing in the bridge post inserts really affect tone??
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:51 pm
by Mark Wybierala
Ditto. I like the idea of wood glue over superglue if you ever needed to pull the inserts.
Just for the sake of conversation, I recently came across a late '70s Les Paul Elite where Gibson installed phenolic isolators around the studs of a tunematic style bridge. The guitar had a lot of non-standard features from the factory. My guess was that the inserts were some sort of resonance isolation idea. Overall, I was not impressed that the guitar played or sounded as good as a decent LP standard but there was an awful lot of inlay and stuff.