BigJim

This has been asked before, but there wasn't much response. You can read my original reply here: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=29231. I suspect brass is used simply for convenience. It's easy to machine, attractive, ages nicely, and it's fairly cheap and easy to obtain. The dimensions of the block wouldn't be critical as long as it's big enough to accept the posts. I doubt you would notice much difference in sustain, but I guess you never know until you try... Thanks for the reply. Yes, I saw your post but I was hoping to get some ideas about the qualities different metals might bring to the party. One guy - a professional luthier who makes guitars for a living - said he thought putting a sustain block under the bridge would add a nasty mid-range tonality. It's interesting, this; I thought it was a really cheap-ass way to go, too, but the same luthier tells me it was one of the methods Gibson themselves used in the early days. I'm pretty pleased with the guitar, which is a gold-top - I bought it sight unseen on eBay from a Japanese dealer, and it has the Gibson headstock shape and a long tenon neck joint. For around £400 including taxes and shipping it's definitely better than anything I'd pick up here for that price.

Hi folks! I've got an MIJ Epiphone Les Paul that I'm messing around with. The TOM bridge rests on two threaded posts that insert directly into the wood of the top (ie, not into female metal sockets). I'd like to beef up the sustain and have been toying with the idea of getting a chunk of metal milled & threaded and inserted under the bridge, a la the Yamaha SG2000 or some of the Ibanez Artists. Does anyone have experience of mods like this ... have they made a difference? Are the dimensions of the block critical? And does anyone have any info re: metals ideal for this purpose? Is there a reason Yamaha chose brass, as opposed to (say) depleted uranium? Aside from handling issues and getting munitions export licences for every SG exported, of course ...