At some point, most guitar players feel the need to upgrade their guitars’ hardware. The reasons for this vary from player to player but are often rooted in tone, feel or quality.

The first step is to identify what bridge you have on your existing guitar and what you are looking to achieve with the upgrade. The first step in identifying what you have is to think about what brand you are upgrading. Gibson, Epiphone and other import guitars (Tokai, Ibanez, Burny etc.) have different measurements at the bridge so will require slightly different parts. Faber Guitar Parts carry suitable replacements for all of these. Before deciding on a bridge, read the following guide to each component and see what matches your instrument.

Bridge and Saddles

The other major component of the bridge is the saddles. The bridge measurements differ across 3 groups:

• Gibson Historic/Custom Shop/All original Gibson guitars with 6-32 posts

• Gibson Guitars with Nashville Bridges (Non-custom shop guitars and heritage guitars with Schaller bridges).

• Non-USA guitars using 4mm bridge posts – Epiphone, Tokai, Ibanez and other import guitars.

The spacing, sizing and post mounting for each bridge type is different so many of these parts are not fully interchangeable. The Faber ABR-59 range includes a fit for each guitar type. Our ABR range is perhaps the most vintage correct replacement bridge available and includes flat top saddles for 100% mechanical contact, removable saddles and a range of finish options.

• ABRH Bridge – If you own a Gibson guitar from the Historic collection, Custom Shop or an original, vintage model, the ABRH will be the perfect fit.
• ABRN Bridge – If your USA Gibson has a Nashville style bridge, the ABRN is the best non-locking replacement. It is sold with your choice of Faber® NSWKIT™ “E-Z”, iNsert™ “Plus” or BSWKIT™ “Pro” conversion posts, which replace the original Nashville posts.
• ABRM Bridge – The ABRM is a direct replacement on imports with 4mm bridge posts mounted directly into the body; imports with large bushing-mounted posts need Faber® E-Sert™ or ESWKIT™ conversion posts. The ABRM will increase the tone of any import guitars die-cast, zinc bridges.

Alternatively, you could pick a replacement Faber bridge from our Tone-Lock series. The Tone-Lock range comes in the same sizing options as our ABR range but includes our exclusive “No Gap” technology. The Tone-Lock allows the bridge to be locked to the body increasing stability and transmitting more vibrations to the guitar body and increased sustain.

As with our ABR range, we offer a Tone-Lock model for whatever guitar you might have:

• Gibson Historic, Custom Shop, Vintage
• Gibson Guitars with Nashville Bridges
• Import Models (Epiphone, Tokai, Burny etc.)

Conversion Bridge Posts

Faber conversion bridge posts are for guitars whose original bridge posts will not accept a Faber ABRN, ABRM, or Tone-Lock™ bridge. Studs (NSWKIT™, BSWKIT™, ESWKIT™) are steel. E-Sert™, iNsert™, and IBG-Sert™ are German bell brass.

Gibson Nashville and Heritage Schaller – ABRN and Tone-Lock™ for these guitars are sold with conversion posts. Choose:
• NSWKIT™ “E-Z” – steel studs that screw into the existing Nashville bushings. No modification.
• iNsert™ “Plus” – German bell brass. Replaces the original bushings and posts.
• BSWKIT™ “Pro” – steel studs. Replaces the original bushings and posts. Professional installation recommended.

Imports with 4mm posts mounted directly into the wood – ABRM and Tone-Lock™ fit those posts. No conversion posts needed.

Imports with large bushing-mounted posts (most Epiphone, and many Tokai, Ibanez, and other imports):
• ESWKIT™ “E-Z” – steel studs that screw into the existing bushings. No modification.
• E-Sert™ “Plus” – German bell brass. Replaces the original bushings and posts.

Epiphone “Inspired By Gibson Custom” – IBG-Sert™ German bell brass only. Regular “Inspired By Gibson” guitars, and the single-cut Les Paul Custom in the Custom series, use bushing-mounted posts, not IBG-Sert™. Compare photos on the Which Bridge System page before you order.

Inch vs metric applies to tailpiece studs, not these bridge posts.

Tailpiece

USA Gibson tailpiece studs are inch (5/16-24). Most imports are metric (8M x 1.25). That is separate from the bridge-post choice above.

• USA Gibson – Vintage Steel (Inch) tailpiece studs fit 5/16-24 bushings, or Faber TPI tailpiece bushings.
• Import guitars – Vintage Steel (Metric) tailpiece studs, 8M x 1.25, pair with Faber TPM bushings in place of the original non-steel import bushings.
• Wraparound guitars – factory wraparound bars often lean forward under string tension. Faber Wrap-Lock locking studs stop that lean and lock the bar.

Guitar tailpiece parts come in different configurations, depending upon your original setup. Most guitars come factory fitted with chrome or gold plated tailpieces that are often die cast from zinc or other similar metals. Zinc is considered a metal that does not react well with guitar strings, often robbing some of the hard-earned tones from your instrument. Our parts for Gibson guitars (Or our parts for Epiphone guitars) are made from aluminum. They are lightweight (The same spec as Vintage Gibson guitar parts – 1/3 the weight of a Zinc cast tailpiece) and transfer vibration differently which results in a woodier, vintage tone. Our custom guitar tailpieces are direct replacements for Gibson and Epiphone guitars.

For players seeking replacement Parts for Gibson Guitars, our TP-59 stop tailpiece will be the perfect upgrade. Made from aluminium, the TP-59 will reintroduce the tone that zinc/nickel die cast tailpieces rob a guitar of.

If your guitar has a one piece, wrap around style bridge, Faber guitar parts also offer a tailpiece with compensated edges to help intonation and our Wraptonate tailpiece, a fully intonatable wraparound bridge. For wraparound bridge users, there is no correct replacement, but each replacement will serve a purpose:

• Non-Compensated, 50s style. Suitable for vintage guitars.
• Tone-Bar Compensated, provides improved intonation and more precise tone
• TPWC Compensated, vintage feel with perfect intonation
• Wraptonate, individually adjustable saddles for perfect intonation on any wrap tail guitar.