Swapping to a Roller Bridge on Epiphone SG

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:10 pm

I have just ordered a Bigsby B5 and a Vibramate to fit it to myEpiphone SG and am thinking it might be worth stiking in a roller bridge while I am at it. Anyone have any suggestions/tips in what to look for and sizes?? Idealy I just want something to drop in in place of the Epiphone Tunamatic bridge without having to modify anything.

Cheers

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:22 pm

I'm pretty sure you'll need to get a metric bridge as this is an asian import - if USA made it would most likely need Imperian measurement bridge. best to google about a bit looking for any info about which it is. Also worth gooling for for other people who've already done this to see what they did.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:23 am

I've done this exactly. This bridge is a direct replacement for import/metric, large-post TOMs as standard on Epiphones.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Roller-Brid ... p_661.html

I used that on my G400 along with a TUSQ nut to clear up some tuning snags after putting a trem on it, it works great and I even used the existing bridge posts to give you an idea of how drop-in it is.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:43 am

Paul - did it make any change to the TONORZ i.e sustain, sound or mojo? Wondering if it's worthwhile experimenting on my CP Jag at some point

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:58 am

Dave, cheers for that. How do you find the tuning stability with the bigsby once the roller bridge was fitted and the nut was changed??

holyCATS1415 · Post by **holyCATS1415** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:40 pm

I swapped my old bridge on my g400 for one of these roller bridges when I installed a b5 trem. I didn't notice any changes in tonez but I DID stop breaking strings every 5 minutes.

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:25 pm

I take it that I am looking for a 74mm centre stud spacing. I can find a few in the UK with 73.5 mm spacing, assume this aint going to fit. Attempted to measure on my guitar but 0.5 of a mm isn't very viewable by eye! Anyone know for a fact the centre post width and the stud width on the standard Epi bridge???

James · Post by **James** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:58 pm

0.5mm isn't going to matter for this. The holes are probably drilled with less tolerance than that.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:17 pm

i have the one from GFS on my dot with fake ass grover tuners, and it stays in tune nicer than before.

get one. if you need assistance ordering from GFS (dunno how easy it is for UK), holler. we can sort it.

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:30 pm

Thanks for the help and advice guys. Think I have sorted what to get and a UK source.

Just been reading a few posts on a few other forums saying roller bridges are a bit of scam as the pressure of the string causes too much friction on the rollers axle to actually roll. The actual benefit in adding one is reduced string breaks at the bridge due to the shape and slightly increased contact area on the string compared with the standard bridge (which lets face it, when you add a Bigsby does start to look a bit like a razor blade). Anyone got any thoughts??

toez10 · Post by **toez10** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:52 pm

holyCATS1415 wrote:I swapped my old bridge on my g400 for one of these roller bridges when I installed a b5 trem. I didn't notice any changes in tonez but I DID stop breaking strings every 5 minutes.

It really did help. HolyCATS was notorious for ruining every day of life with his string-breaking antics. That roller bridge was nice.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:14 pm

Dave wrote:Paul - did it make any change to the TONORZ i.e sustain, sound or mojo?

No it didn't, it's the same bridge apart from the saddles, which make contact with the string similarly enough. The roller saddles' shallower grooves are more susceptible to string pops when using heavier strings I guess.

rayjaysonic wrote:How do you find the tuning stability with the bigsby once the roller bridge was fitted and the nut was changed??

It helped tuning stability a lot, I don't know if it's the roller bridge or low-friction nut doing more work as I got reasonable results with the stock TOM and a brass nut as well while using this trem, but this set-up is definitely better on the whole.

rayjaysonic wrote:Just been reading a few posts on a few other forums saying roller bridges are a bit of scam as the pressure of the string causes too much friction on the rollers axle to actually roll.

Whoever said that is perhaps mistaken. This is the cheapest/most basic roller bridge available pretty much, and mine works great. Roller bridge saddles absolutely roll with the string if the unit is fitted to a guitar correctly and securely (if the whole bridge has any action in it then it'll move before the saddles, due to the uniform tension across the top by all 6 strings). More string tension on the saddle actually ensures it will work better, not worse. Less tension would allow the strings to just slide through the grooves as on a non-rolling bridge.
I have tested this with the bridge in question by dabbing a bit of Sharpie felt-tip on a forward facing part of the saddle and pulling up on the arm until the dot is facing me. There isn't even any drag, the saddles move when the strings do.

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:23 am

Paul:

Well, that's the first hand kind of information I like. There is no way I am going to argue with a Sharpie pen.

Good stuff to know, thanks.