I un-piezo'ed my Morse

[beej]

So a few years ago I did a whole re-vamp of my 91 Morse and added a Graph Tech piezo system, complete with replacement bridge, preamp and funky wiring.

Over time, I've been less and less happy with the sound of the guitar. The piezo sound was excellent, no doubt, but the Graph Tech saddles just didn't sound the same. Darker, more compressed. The more I play guitars that resonate a lot (ahem, 25th), the more it's noticeable.

So yesterday I went back to the stock bridge. Though I did make one change, I installed a set of titanium saddles (Tommy was good enough to file the slots for me before he took off for Europe with Deep Purple). Have to say, this definitely breathed a lot of life back in this guitar. It always played like a dream, but it really rings again. Very noticeable plugged in as well, there are more lows and highs than I've heard in a while (very noticeable on the bridge p'up).

Still have a toggle in there for splitting the pickups along with a Silent Circuit, but I'm pretty happy about how great the stock bridge and the new saddles sound.

Side note: it is a bitch to get info about those old Gotoh bridges! If anybody needs to find replacement saddles, the intonation screws are 4-48 (non metric). I had to tap the new saddles to get them to fit. The older Gotoh bridges are easy to take apart- the newer Gotoh & Tonepros ones are a lot more of a hassle, there's a thread locking compound on them.

Anyhow, just thought I'd share. I know a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with the Graph Tech saddles. I always thought they were ok, but over time I've really missed the old sound of the guitar. The titanium ones are excellent. Tommy's had them on his Morse for years; I've been itching to do this for a while.

 

[roburado]

Cool! Glad it's bringing you what you missed.

 

[NorM]

I'm curious about how Tommy ended up cutting the titanium.

 

[Colin]

so they use loctite on the newer bridges?

 

[threeminutesboy]

makes me want a 25th even more knowing how much you loved your modded morse . I guess it was necessary evil

PS :I will start the modd on my ASS this week hope every thing will be ok .

 

[whitestrat]

So yesterday I went back to the stock bridge. Though I did make one change, I installed a set of titanium saddles (Tommy was good enough to file the slots for me before he took off for Europe with Deep Purple). Have to say, this definitely breathed a lot of life back in this guitar. It always played like a dream, but it really rings again. Very noticeable plugged in as well, there are more lows and highs than I've heard in a while (very noticeable on the bridge p'up).

How bright are they? I've heard that they're really bright, and don't do well in a naturally bright guitar? Did you feel they added to the sound plugged-in? or only acoustically?

Which brand did you get these from?

 

[beej]

I'm curious about how Tommy ended up cutting the titanium.

Hey Norm- the saddles themselves were exactly the right size except for the intonation thread screws (I tapped them to be the right size) and the string grooves. Tommy filed the grooves- he's a pro at that and I don't have the right tools. Not sure exactly what he used.

so they use loctite on the newer bridges?

Yeah, the old Gotohs (I believe it's the GE-101B) had clips that held the screws in the place making it easy to remove them. The replacement Gotoh (GE-103) and the Tonepros equivalent used on the Y2D (T3BP) have a nut at the end instead, held in by locking compound, that makes it difficult to remove. I experimented on a spare Gotoh bridge I had here to see. You can get them off, being careful and with some solvent, but it's a pain. What's more, I like the old bridge (it's a little smaller) so I wanted to stick with it.

PS :I will start the modd on my ASS this week hope every thing will be ok .

Good luck!

How bright are they? I've heard that they're really bright, and don't do well in a naturally bright guitar? Did you feel they added to the sound plugged-in? or only acoustically?

Which brand did you get these from?

The Morse isn't really that bright. It's got a lot of natural mids. The saddles- I don't find them that bright. I'm still getting used to it, but I think I'd describe them as "even". There's a lot of definition in all of the notes.

I got them from KTS, the "PR-5" fits the Gotohs/Tonepros (except for the aforementioned thread size issue).

 

[Colin]

thanks for the link Beej you're a wealth of knowledge

 

[beej]

Just a guitar nerd happy to share, my man.

 

[whitestrat]

I got them from KTS, the "PR-5" fits the Gotohs/Tonepros (except for the aforementioned thread size issue).

Yeah I know this brand... So you mean you can't just buy and slap them in?

 

[beej]

Yeah I know this brand... So you mean you can't just buy and slap them in?

Nope. Work required.

 

[Dizzy]

How bright are they? I've heard that they're really bright, and don't do well in a naturally bright guitar? Did you feel they added to the sound plugged-in? or only acoustically?

Which brand did you get these from?

Although I've never heard them, my knowledge of the basic characteristics of titanium would make me think that they'd not be bright at all.

(Comparing the feel & sound of steel vs hi-tech alloys vs titanium frame tubing & components on uber expensive racing bicycles)

It really is a wonderful metal.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I personally would not want to gig without Graphtech's. I have never found they changed the sound a great deal, but hey - each to your own!

 

[beej]

Yeah, I know some people like em, some don't. I've been on both sides so I see it.

One thing I'm thinking is that there may be a more suble difference when going from the solid saddles on the ASS to the Graph Techs. (Going from the vintage saddles to the solid is a big difference on it's own.) I think it's a bigger change on the tuneomatic saddles. But in my case I swapped in a new bridge, probably also accounted for some of the difference.

Anyway ... only way to know whether you like something is to give it a try first hand.