les paul custom classic

come to think of it i will put some 9s on it and see if the pinging stops

i have daddario super light half-rounds to put on it

i like the half rounds cause theres less noise when sliding chords

plus they feel nice under my fingers
 
It may help and it may also put your intonation out a little. You won't know until you give it a go. Stepping down one gauge is often easier than stepping up. Half wounds also may tend to stick a little less but it will depend on why they are sticking in the first place. If the slot is v channel cut reflecting the shape of the file then often it is the top of the nut that needs dressing. Seems odd but thats often the case. If the slot is not the right gauge it will need to opened out slightly, if the break angle is too sharp then it needs to be increased. All those can cause strings to stick. Stick a new set of 9's on and see how she plays...

Just for reference most bespoke builders cut a nut so that on a wound string about one third is below the nut surface and on a plain string about half. Often stock guitars have the strings much deeper and it is the cause on many problems. If it helps I can chuck a pic up of a nut as I would set it...
 
yes the bridge saddles will have to move toward the nut

the nut looks kinda rough and the slots are deeper than they should be

i tried to take pics but they didnt turn out
 
Happy to see someone else diggin' on the Custom Classic. I received a wine red one from my wife for my 50th birthday in October ...
I think it's one of the best buys in its price range out there.
The baked maple fretboard is much darker than the shots on the Gibson site, and feels less like mahogany than you would think. Much closer to ebony (but not quite). Nice feel, though, for sure.
It was used, but well set up - a year old and hardly been played. I swapped out the 10-52's for 9-46's (which is my usual), but they feel a bit too slinky, so I may end up going back to the 10-52's.
Here's a couple shots when I had just gotten it:
LP Custom 4.jpg
 

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nice pics

who wrapped the strings around the tailpiece?

the case is pretty cool too

its the first guitar ive had that came with a case and its like the cadillac of cases
 
Previous owner wrapped the strings - I've since gone back to threading the strings through the tailpiece normally.
 
They say top wrapping the strings helps sustain and makes bends smoother? I don't know. I tried it and didn't notice anything. I put mine back to normal.
 
I would think that with a tune-o-matic, since the strings essentially stop at the nut and bridge, top-wrapping the tailpiece pretty much does nothing. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm just thinking about where the string actually does its job - which is between the saddle and nut. Maybe it's just a old habit carried over from the fixed compensated bridge days?
 
Greg_L said:
I would think that with a tune-o-matic, since the strings essentially stop at the nut and bridge, top-wrapping the tailpiece pretty much does nothing. Maybe I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
I agree ........ I don't see how it could possibly affect sustain or anything at all.
 
it essentially does nothing other than change the break angle of the string over the saddle.. On a solid body that would do next to nothing acoustically. It may on a hollow body but how much is debatable. Some people love to perceive a difference that isn't there. Placebo effect only...
 
muttley600 said:
it essentially does nothing other than change the break angle of the string over the saddle.. On a solid body that would do next to nothing acoustically. It may on a hollow body but how much is debatable. Some people love to perceive a difference that isn't there. Placebo effect only...
Click to expand...

There's a lot of placebo with guitars.
 
muttley600 said:
it essentially does nothing other than change the break angle of the string over the saddle.. On a solid body that would do next to nothing acoustically. It may on a hollow body but how much is debatable. Some people love to perceive a difference that isn't there. Placebo effect only...
Click to expand...
I've always thought you want a significant down pressure on the bridge .... not so much you break strings or collapse the bridge but significant anyway.
Just a casual thinking about it .... seems like up to a point more downforce would equal greater vibration transmission.
 
I top wrap my Les Pauls with TOMs just to reduce the break angle. I have a heavy hand and used to break strings at the bridge. Not any more. Strictly a performance enhancement. I have never bought the BS the guys at the LPForum prattle on about I just hate breaking strings in the middle of a tune.
 
you can reduce the angle by simply raising the stop bar tailpiece

the stop bar on my new custom classic is already raised but i would have raised it if it werent
 
Lt. Bob said:
I've always thought you want a significant down pressure on the bridge .... not so much you break strings or collapse the bridge but significant anyway.
Just a casual thinking about it .... seems like up to a point more downforce would equal greater vibration transmission.
Click to expand...
Your observation is pretty spot on, more down force equals faster transmission of energy through the bridge. That will decrease sustain though..

So you are correct, you do need a down force on the bridge, the question really is if you increase it will it effect amplitude and decay which is what we loosely call sustain. An increase in the downward force will have some impact on the rate at which vibration energy is lost through the bridge which will effect decay. I did some research on break angle years ago On a solid body it's not significant as the top plate is by definition pretty rigid. On a hollow body it will have more effect because the top plate is free to move, in fact you need it to.. More downward force will locally stiffen the plate and raise the stiffness without changing the mass in that area. The net result is that the resonant frequencies on the harmonic series will be raised. That effects tone but not decay. There is some tendency for more energy to follow the path through the bridge and not the tail piece but not a lot.

My findings were that it makes no odds on a solid body, very little on a flat top acoustic as the scope for change in angle is not great. On archtop hollow bodies it has a marked effect on tone and some on decay. I always keep in mind that it is a physical impossibility to get more energy out of the string than is put into it the key is to make the energy do what we want by manipulating the amplitude, decay and harmonic content of the vibration. As you know it's always a trade off and therefore I look for make the system as efficient as possible and manipulate the stiffness and mass to control tone.
 
groovyisland said:
you can reduce the angle by simply raising the stop bar tailpiece

the stop bar on my new custom classic is already raised but i would have raised it if it werent
Click to expand...

Yep this is always true and in the last debate on this I tried to get a famous contribute here to try it to bebunk his assertions. He wouldn't..

Bottom line though is get on and enjoy that guitar. Instruments are made to be played. If you want to significantly increase the harmonic possibilities, sustain and amplitude in you playing invest in heavier strings.;)
 
well i ordered a 10-pack of d'addario super light 9's. i put on a set yesterday and the pinging noises are gone! the intonation is still very close so im going to leave it for now. i have a couple of peterson virtual strobes that i use for intonation.
 
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