Gibson Moderne String Guides

[IPA or death]

Or any creative ideas for substitutes? Any help would be valuable and much appreciated.

Edited October 14, 2010 by IPA or death

[orgmorg]

I remember someone doing something like that with small screws and ball ends from strings.

[IPA or death]

Dang, why didn't I think of that? See, I've already gotten a great solution. Thanks Orgmorg!

[orgmorg]

And that's who it was!

Cool.

[IPA or death]

Thanks for the suggestion of psw's idea. That will help a lot.

[psw]

Thanks...yes, it works well...of course with a trem the strings are moving all the time so things need to move freely.

I used the ball ends of strings with a rivet shaft as the 'axle' so they move freely not touching the bottom or top of the plate or rivet (the rivet press fitted into the aluminium with a touch of super glue). There is quite a substantial 'side pressure' on the things, try pulling the strings to centre while tuned up and you can feel the pressure. I had thought it was only a partial success, but a small dab of vaseline in the roller ensures everything moves freely, the nut is teflon lubricated...so it stays in tune perfectly now (oh, and locking tuners)...

Not sure if you will find suitable screws to fit a ball-end roller, but I'd be making them as long as possible to resist the side pressure on them and make sure they move freely. It would need to be a pretty small screw, perhaps something like that used to attach tuners for instance might be the ticket. If the 'plate' isn't parcticaly, perhaps two ball ends on top of each other might be an idea to give height and support so the screw doesn't just bend to the side...as I say, get a guitar and feel how much pressure is on the things...'the plate' on mine is over 3mm thick and takes it right up to the level required so there is plenty of support there without going into the wood at all.

Glad the idea made an impression, one of my better ones!

[verhoevenc]

Hmmm.... I may try this on a trem guitar I have going! Seems like a good compromise between my 3-a-side design, and straight string pull! I also like the fast that since you've got it on the truss rod cover, it's pretty reversible if you don't like it, except for some holes UNDER a cover.

Chris

[psw]

Hmmm.... I may try this on a trem guitar I have going! Seems like a good compromise between my 3-a-side design, and straight string pull! I also like the fast that since you've got it on the truss rod cover, it's pretty reversible if you don't like it, except for some holes UNDER a cover.

Chris

Well with this thick plate, the only holes 'under the cover' are the screws holding it on, the rollers are entirely held on and exclusive to the "plate". On mine it is a bit larger than average, this gives a bit more mass (being 3mm aluminium), strength to the headstock join, a bit of a decorative touch and allows for a more 'decorative' arrangement of the rollers and string slaying to the tuners. However, they could be arranged in-line and much closer to the nut with a more average truss rod cover.

Oh...they also serve as a string tree to reduce sympathetic vibrations on that side of the nut...though less important with an angled back headstock as on most gibsons than with fender types.

So, yes reversible...the main thing is to affect a straight string pull across the nut which is good to have either with or without a trem really.

I notice that the 'modern' there has the two e's pulling slightly in and perhaps with a bit of tweaking you could fix that. But there are lots of guitars that could benefit from this kind of thing, such as explorer type hocky stick types which also don't pull straight across the nut, or any kind of novel design.

[Mike T]

Guitar strap buttons work like a charm. Six could be had for about $6 on ebay