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

Replacing a stop tailpiece is one of the simplest upgrades you can make. The tailpiece itself is the easy part: the Faber TP-59 fits stop tailpiece stud spacing on all Gibson and Epiphone guitars, as well as virtually all others. Some PRS models use non standard spacing, but that’s about it. The studs are what you need to get right. Every Gibson guitar uses INCH 5/16-24 tailpiece studs, and every Epiphone, including Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom models, uses METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs. Likewise, virtually all guitars made outside the U.S. use that same metric stud specification.

Find your guitar below, pick your tailpiece, then pick studs in the right thread.

Quick check: which tailpiece and studs fit your guitar?

  • Gibson USA or Gibson Custom Shop (Les Paul, SG, ES-335/345/355 and other stop-tail models): any TP-59, plus INCH 5/16-24 studs if you replace the studs. Gibson USA section
  • Epiphone (including Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom): any TP-59, plus METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs if you replace the studs. Epiphone section
  • Other non U.S. made guitars: any TP-59, plus METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs if you replace the studs. Epiphone/Imports section
  • Heritage: some METRIC, some INCH. Check before ordering studs. Heritage section
  • Wraparound bridge (one-piece bridge and tailpiece, such as a Les Paul Junior or Special): this guide isn’t for you. See Products for Gibson Guitars with Wraparound Bridges.

The INCH or METRIC choice applies only to tailpiece studs. It has nothing to do with your bridge. A Gibson USA guitar with a Nashville bridge still uses INCH tailpiece studs.

The Faber TP-59 stop tailpiece

Faber TP-59 lightweight aluminum stop tailpiece

The TP-59 is Faber’s lightweight aluminum stop tailpiece, made to the dimensions of an original ’59 tailpiece. At 1.01 oz (28.6 g), it’s about 1/3 the weight of a typical zinc tailpiece at 3.2 oz (90.7 g). In the 1950s, Gibson used aluminum for its Les Paul tailpieces, then switched to zinc alloy, which is still standard on most guitars today.

  • Stud spacing: 3.25″ (82.55mm)
  • Stud opening: .32″ (8.1mm), so it fits both INCH and METRIC studs
  • Overall length: 3.987″ (101.27mm)

Faber describes the aluminum TP-59 as giving a woodier, more vintage tone than a zinc tailpiece.

Aluminum TP-59: four plated finishes or unplated

Titanium TP-59 (limited stock)

Faber also makes a milled titanium TP-59 in an unplated, lightly polished finish. It weighs 1.78 oz (50.46 g): heavier than the aluminum TP-59, but still lighter than a zinc tailpiece. Because of the cost, only one or two are usually in stock, so check the product page for availability.

Tailpiece studs: Vintage Steel or Tone-Lock

You don’t have to change your studs to fit a TP-59. Your existing studs can stay. If you do replace them, Faber makes two kinds, each in INCH and METRIC.

Vintage Steel tailpiece studs

Vintage-style studs made from German steel to original vintage spec. Faber recommends them over the zinc alloy studs used by Gibson and most other guitar makers.

Tone-Lock locking tailpiece studs

Faber Tone-Lock locking tailpiece studs and spacers

Tone-Lock studs come with spacers that sit on the body bushings and set the tailpiece height. When you tighten the stud, the tailpiece is clamped between the spacer and the stud head. That makes one solid connection from the top of the stud down to the body bushing, so the tailpiece stays in place when you change strings. Each set has 2 steel studs plus 3 pairs of spacers (2.5mm, 4.0mm and 5.5mm), and the spacers can be stacked.

Other locking tailpieces, such as TonePros, lock the tailpiece to the stud. Tone-Lock carries that lock down to the body bushing as well, for an end to end “No Gap” fit. You can expect an increase in resonance and sustain with the Tone-Lock studs.

Tone-Lock studs work with any standard size stop tailpiece. They aren’t for wraparound bridges, because you couldn’t set the bridge height properly. For a wraparound, use Vintage Steel studs or Wrap-Lock.

Want the tailpiece and studs together? A Tone-Lock KIT includes Tone-Lock studs and spacers plus a TP-59, for less than buying them separately.

Gibson USA and Custom Shop: always INCH (5/16-24)

Every Gibson guitar with a stoptail uses INCH 5/16-24 tailpiece studs. That covers Custom Shop and Historic models, vintage guitars and current USA models: the Les Paul, SG, ES-335, ES-345, ES-355 and other stop-tail models. It doesn’t matter which bridge the guitar has. Nashville-bridge models use INCH tailpiece studs too.

Bushings: most factory USA tailpiece bushings are steel, so you don’t need new ones on an existing Gibson USA guitar. Faber’s INCH steel tailpiece bushings are for new builds. See Faber Steel Tailpiece Bushings, Inch.

Replacing the bridge too? See Gibson Les Paul Bridge Replacement: Which Bridge Fits Your Les Paul?. If your Gibson has a Nashville bridge and you’d like an ABR-1 style bridge, see How to Convert a Gibson Nashville Bridge to ABR-1 Style. The Tone-Lock Master Kits combine a Tone-Lock bridge, a TP-59 and Tone-Lock INCH studs in one box.

Epiphone (including Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom): always METRIC (M8 x 1.25)

Every Epiphone uses METRIC M8 x 1.25 tailpiece studs. That includes Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom models. Every TP-59 fits every Epiphone, so the only thing to choose is the stud.

Bushings: Faber TPM steel bushings replace the non-steel original tailpiece bushings on Epiphone and other imports. Each pair includes an 8mm bolt for removing the old bushings.TPM vs Epiphone original bushings, from #3081-0 and the TPM page –> See #3081-0 TPM Gloss Nickel Metric Tailpiece/Bridge Stud Bushings, for HERITAGE, EPIPHONE, and other IMPORTED GUITARS and Faber® TPM Steel Metric Tailpiece Bushings.

Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom models have different bridge post systems, but the tailpiece studs are METRIC on both. For bridges, see Selecting a Bridge for Epiphone and Other Imports and Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom (IGC) vs Inspired by Gibson.

Heritage: check before you order studs

Heritage guitars are made in the USA, but some use METRIC tailpiece studs and some use INCH. Check which your guitar has before ordering studs. The TP-59 itself fits either way.

Replacing your tailpiece

Tone-Lock is a drop-in replacement. Remove all the strings, then remove the old tailpiece and studs. Place the spacers over the tailpiece bushings, screw in each stud until the threads are no longer visible above the spacers, place the tailpiece between the top of the spacer and the bottom of the stud head, and tighten. Choose spacers that set the tailpiece high enough that the strings don’t touch the back of the bridge. Use a large screwdriver and don’t overtighten, or you can damage the top of the stud and its plating.

Installation videos are on the How-To-Videos page. Still unsure about INCH vs METRIC? See Which Guitars use INCH parts and which use METRIC parts? or send me a photo through Contact Us.

Stop tailpiece FAQ

What replacement stop tailpiece fits my guitar?

The Faber TP-59 fits any guitar that uses a standard stop tailpiece, including every Gibson and every Epiphone. It has standard 3.25 inch (82.55mm) stud spacing and a stud opening that fits both INCH and METRIC studs, so the tailpiece swap itself is direct. Only the studs differ by guitar.

Are tailpiece studs inch or metric?

Every Gibson USA guitar, including Custom Shop models and Nashville-bridge models, uses INCH 5/16-24 tailpiece studs. Every Epiphone, including Inspired By Gibson and Inspired By Gibson Custom models, uses METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs. Some Heritage guitars use METRIC and some use INCH, so check before ordering.

Will a TP-59 fit my Epiphone?

Yes. Every TP-59 fits every Epiphone. If you also replace the studs, choose METRIC M8 x 1.25 studs, such as Faber Vintage Steel METRIC or Tone-Lock METRIC.

How much lighter is an aluminum tailpiece than zinc?

The aluminum TP-59 weighs 1.01 oz (28.6 g), about 1/3 the weight of a typical 3.2 oz (90.7 g) zinc tailpiece. The titanium TP-59 weighs 1.78 oz (50.46 g), heavier than aluminum but still lighter than zinc.

Do I need new studs when I replace my tailpiece?

No. A TP-59 works with your existing studs. If you want to upgrade them, Faber makes Vintage Steel studs and Tone-Lock locking studs, both in INCH for Gibson USA and METRIC for Epiphone.

How is Tone-Lock different from a locking tailpiece?

Locking tailpieces such as TonePros lock the tailpiece to the stud. Tone-Lock studs and spacers make one solid connection from the top of the stud down to the body bushing, so the tailpiece stays in place during string changes and the spacers set its height.

Is the titanium TP-59 available?

Yes, in limited stock. The titanium TP-59 comes unplated and lightly polished (#3010-7). Because of the cost, only one or two are usually in stock, so check the product page for availability.