Les Paul Parts Guide: Which Bridge and Tailpiece Parts Fit Your Les Paul?

The bridge and tailpiece hardware on a Les Paul is a tune-o-matic bridge on two posts, six saddles, a stop tailpiece and two tailpiece studs threaded into bushings in the body. Which replacement parts fit depends on who made the guitar and how the bridge is mounted: a Gibson USA, a Gibson Custom Shop or vintage Les Paul, or an Epiphone Les Paul.

Check your bridge posts first, then pick your parts.

Quick check: which Les Paul do you have?

  • Gibson with an ABR-1 on posts in the wood (vintage Les Pauls from 1957 to 1973, plus Custom Shop and Historic models): thin 6-32 posts screw straight into the wood. Bridge section
  • Gibson USA with an ABR-1 on bushings (select models since 2017, and every Original Collection Les Paul since 2019): one-piece posts and thumb wheels screw into metal bushings. Bridge section
  • Gibson with a Nashville bridge: a wider bridge on one-piece posts in metal bushings. Bridge section
  • Epiphone Les Paul: large bushing mounted posts on most models, direct mounted 4mm posts on some, and original 4mm posts on Inspired By Gibson Custom (IGC) models, which take the ABRM as a drop-in replacement. Epiphone section
  • Les Paul Junior or Special with a wraparound bridge: a one-piece bridge and tailpiece on two studs. Wraparound section

Not sure? Which Gibson Bridge Do I Have? and Which Epi Guitar show each type with photos.

The parts of a Les Paul bridge and tailpiece

Single-cutaway guitar with numbered callouts for the stop tailpiece, tailpiece studs, tune-o-matic bridge, saddles and bridge posts
  1. Stop tailpiece: anchors the strings behind the bridge.
  2. Tailpiece studs: hold the tailpiece and thread into the tailpiece bushings in the body.
  3. Bridge: the tune-o-matic bridge that sits on the two bridge posts.
  4. Saddles: where the strings cross the bridge. Each one moves to set intonation.
  5. Bridge posts and thumb wheels: hold the bridge and set its height.

Not shown: the saddle retaining rings, the intonation screws, and the bushings in the body. Each is covered below.

Gibson Les Paul bridge and posts

Gibson Les Pauls use one of three bridge systems, and each takes its own Faber® ABR-59 bridge and post combination. The full model and year table is on Gibson Les Paul Bridge Replacement: Which Bridge Fits Your Les Paul?

Les Paul from about 1973 to 1980? Gibson changed from the ABR-1 to the Nashville bridge gradually during those years, so guitars from that window can have either one. The year alone won’t tell you. Check the bridge and posts before you order.

ABR-1 on posts in the wood (vintage, Custom Shop, Historic)

This covers vintage Les Pauls from 1957 to 1973, plus Custom Shop and Historic models. The Faber ABRH drops straight onto your existing 6-32 posts, with no changes to the guitar. For a locking bridge, the Tone-Lock bridge for Gibson with ABR-1 comes with 6-32 lock nuts that thread onto your existing posts.

ABR-1 on bushings (Gibson USA, 2017 on)

Since 2017, a few select Gibson USA models, and since 2019 every Original Collection model, have an ABR-1 on posts that screw into metal bushings. The ABRH sits right on your factory posts. A Tone-Lock bridge needs threaded posts, so choose a USA/ABR-1 Tone-Lock bridge that already includes them.

Nashville bridge

A Nashville Les Paul takes the Faber ABRN or the Tone-Lock bridge, always with NSWKIT “E-Z”, iNsert “Plus” or BSWKIT “Pro” conversion posts. These parts are only for Nashville guitars. A vintage Les Paul with 6-32 posts in the wood takes the ABRH instead.

Epiphone Les Paul bridge and posts

Most Epiphones sold are Les Pauls, and they use different parts than a Gibson. Check your posts:

  • Large bushing mounted posts (most Epiphone Les Pauls, including regular Inspired by Gibson models): the ABRM “E-Z” or “Plus”, or the #3031-ESW / #3031-EST Tone-Lock bridge. Parts for bushing mounted posts
  • Direct mounted 4mm posts: the #3060-0 ABRM Bridge for Direct Mounted bridge posts or the #3031-IMP Tone-Lock bridge. Both fit your existing posts. Parts for direct mounted posts
  • Inspired By Gibson Custom (IGC): the #3060-0 ABRM Bridge is a drop-in replacement. It drops right onto the original 4mm IGC posts, with no conversion posts and no changes to the guitar. Want to replace the posts too, or go locking? IBG-Sert posts with the #3031-IBG Tone-Lock bridge are the alternative. IBG-Sert and Tone-Lock parts for IGC
  • IGC Les Paul Custom: the exception. It has large bushing mounted posts, so it takes the large bushing mounted parts above.

Every Epiphone part, model by model: Epiphone Parts Guide.

Saddles

Every Faber bridge comes standard with saddles that have starter positioning notches: a small notch dead center on each saddle that positions the string. They can be used as is, but we recommend notching them to your string gauge, at minimum deepening the wound-string notches, so the strings sit on the bridge’s 12″ radius. If you’d rather cut your own notches from scratch, no-notch saddles are an option.

Each saddle is held on its saddle screw by a retaining ring, and replacement saddle sets include a new retaining ring for each saddle. Faber saddles come in these materials and finishes:

  • Nickel plated brass
  • Aged nickel plated brass
  • Gold plated brass
  • Aged gold plated brass
  • Natural brass
  • Aged natural brass
  • Titanium, for a brighter, tighter tone
  • Nylon (no-notch only)

Brass and titanium can also be mixed on one bridge, which we call the HYBRIDge™. Replacement saddles are sold in sets of 3, so you need 2 sets for a full bridge. They fit Faber bridges with removable saddles, except the WRAPTONATE™, and they don’t fit a Gibson ABR-1 or any other brand’s bridge.

Stop tailpiece

The Faber® TP-59™ fits Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls, and every TP-59 fits every Epiphone. The aluminum TP-59 is about 1/3 the weight of a typical zinc tailpiece.

Tailpiece studs and bushings

The studs are where Gibson and Epiphone differ. Gibson USA and Custom Shop Les Pauls use INCH 5/16-24 studs, whatever bridge they have. Every Epiphone Les Paul uses METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs. Heritage guitars are some metric, some inch, so check before ordering. You don’t have to replace your studs to fit a TP-59.

More detail: Stop Tailpiece Replacement: Which Tailpiece and Studs Fit Your Guitar?

Wraparound Les Paul Junior and Special

Many Les Paul Juniors and Specials have a wraparound bridge: one piece that works as both bridge and tailpiece, mounted on two studs, with no separate bridge posts. Faber offers four wraparound bridges for these guitars: the vintage style wraparound, the TPWC compensated wraparound, the Tone-Bar compensated wraparound and the adjustable Wraptonate. To lock the bridge to the studs, add Wrap-Lock studs: INCH for Gibson USA, METRIC for Epiphone.

Which upgrade fits your Les Paul?

Your Les Paul Bridge Tailpiece studs Start here
Gibson, ABR-1 on posts in the wood ABRH or Tone-Lock for ABR-1 INCH 5/16-24 ABR-1 products
Gibson USA, ABR-1 on bushings ABRH or USA/ABR-1 Tone-Lock INCH 5/16-24 USA/ABR-1 products
Gibson, Nashville ABRN or Tone-Lock, with conversion posts INCH 5/16-24 Nashville products
Epiphone, large bushing mounted posts ABRM or Tone-Lock -ESW/-EST METRIC M8 x 1.25 Bushing mounted products
Epiphone, direct mounted 4mm posts #3060-0 ABRM or Tone-Lock -IMP METRIC M8 x 1.25 Direct mounted products
Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom (not IGC Les Paul Custom) #3060-0 ABRM, drops right onto the original 4mm IGC posts; or Tone-Lock -IBG with IBG-Sert METRIC M8 x 1.25 #3060-0 ABRM or IBG-Sert products
Epiphone IGC Les Paul Custom ABRM or Tone-Lock -ESW/-EST (large bushing mounted posts) METRIC M8 x 1.25 Bushing mounted products

Les Paul parts FAQ

Are Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul parts interchangeable?

Some are. Every TP-59 tailpiece fits both, but the studs and bridge posts are different. Gibson USA Les Pauls use INCH 5/16-24 tailpiece studs, and Epiphone Les Pauls use METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs. Bridges also depend on the posts, so check your posts before ordering.

Are Les Paul tailpiece studs metric or inch?

Gibson USA and Custom Shop Les Pauls use INCH 5/16-24 tailpiece studs. Every Epiphone Les Paul uses METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs. Heritage guitars are some metric, some inch.

What bridge does my Les Paul have?

Look at the posts. Thin 6-32 posts screwed into the wood mean an ABR-1 on a vintage, Custom Shop or Historic Gibson. One-piece posts in metal bushings mean either a Gibson USA ABR-1 on bushings (select models since 2017, and every Original Collection model since 2019) or a wider Nashville bridge. Gibson changed from ABR-1 to Nashville gradually from about 1973 to 1980, so for guitars from those years, check the bridge.

Can I put an ABRN bridge on a vintage Les Paul?

No. The ABRN and its conversion posts are for Gibson guitars with Nashville bridges. A vintage Les Paul with 6-32 posts in the wood takes the Faber ABRH, which drops onto the existing posts.

Will the Faber ABRM fit my Epiphone IGC Les Paul?

Yes. The Faber #3060-0 ABRM is a drop-in replacement on the original 4mm posts of Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom (IGC) Les Pauls. It drops right onto those posts, with no conversion posts and no changes to the guitar. The exception is the IGC Les Paul Custom, which has large bushing mounted posts and takes the large bushing mounted ABRM “E-Z” or “Plus” instead. For a locking bridge on other IGC models, IBG-Sert posts with the #3031-IBG Tone-Lock bridge are the alternative.