My trapeze t/p 335 clone only had issues when the armpieces touched the top. I also have not noticed any odd resonance patterns with bridge type either. I have not found any discernible pattern to the quality of tone, nor sustain with bridge type. I have a couple of semihollows, amongst quite a few guitars I have built myself using wrap tailpieces as well as trapeze and TOM bridge/stop tailpiece. Even changing the angle by 5 degrees to flat (extreme) changes the string spacing by less than the width of a. Straight vs angled makes practically no difference to string spread. Tuning stability will (apart from making sure the strings are stretched) be much more to do with the nut and how well it is cut.
#Wraparound tailpiece mod
good luck!ĭo the mod if you want.but don't expect that any of the aspects you are doing it for will be affected. just offering some thoughts on my experiences. also, if it matters, you have a behind the bridge feature with the trapeze set up that is cool, if you're into that type of thing. I'd wager however that the string tension difference is much more palpable than the sustain difference between the two hardware set-ups. I'd save up my pennies and get a more recent 335 with the hardware you like if you're that keen on having that setup. personally, I would not mod that '72 of yours, on principle, because it is so old. insofar as sustain goes, I can't really speak to that because the guitar bodies are different, but what I can tell you is the string tension is significantly different. the two guitars are quite different but they share a tonal sweet spot that is specific, broad (and wonderful). that said, I also have a '68 330 with the original trapeze set up and that is awesome too. I'm not a luthier but I do happen to have a '76 335 that was modded with a stop bar, well before I got it, and I love it.
Golden Age Low-profile Wraparound Bridge: Here are some of the bridges that I'm considering: I'm wondering if this is really enough wood, or would I be better of gluing on some additional wood slabs on the sides of the block of wood near the holes for the threaded inserts? Does anyone know if the ES-335's, with stop bar tailpieces, used a center block of wood wider than 4.0"? And that assumes that the block of wood through the middle of the guitar is dead even centered.
That leaves only 0.1175" of wood at the outside of the threaded insert. The dimension from the outside to the outside of each threaded insert is 3.765". The block of wood running through the middle of the guitar measures 4.0" wide.
And lastly, I think that it may improve the tone and sustain. I also think that it is better to have the saddles perpendicular to the strings, instead of being non-perpendicular as it is with the stock bridge. As the wraparound bridge is mounted perpendicular to the strings, instead of being slanted, any intonation adjustment will NOT change the spacing of the strings. There also won't be any length of strings that can sympathetically resonant, as they can with both the trapeze tailpiece or the stop tailpiece. I'm thinking that it may improve the tuning stability slightly, as it will reduce the string length. I've seriously been considering replacing the trapeze style tailpiece with a wraparound bridge/tailpiece on my 1972 ES-335.