r/gretsch • u/Christ_is_King______ • 5d ago
Setup Question!
This is my G6129T-89. I am totally new to Gretsch and so I’m seeking advice on where to position the bridge. There are locator pins, but do I move the bridge as far back as the locator pins will allow? Or what’s the proper way to set it up? Sorry for the confusion on my wording not quite sure the proper terms. I come from fender mostly so this style is quite new to me. Thank you in advance!
Also the bridge “flexes” when I use the bigsby. Is that normal?? I am having tuning stability issues mainly on the g string when bigsby is used. Lubricated the nut and saddles but again asking from a semi beginner position on bigsbys and such so any help is greatly appreciated!
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u/CharcoaI 5d ago edited 5d ago
Gretsch's, by design, have some "mojo" to them. They're inherently not going to be the most perfectly in-tune and intonated guitars on the market. That said, basically all guitars will never be perfectly intonated.
With that said, it sounds like you can definitely improve things! Here's some suggestions based on what you wrote:
I've never owned a Japanese Gretsch that came factory-pinned. When I pinned mine, there was no movement of the actual timber-bridge base. It sounds like yours does - and this almost defeats the purpose! Could you post a photo of what the pins and 'locator holes' on the underside of the bridge-base look like?
Lubricating the nut and saddles is good, but does little to help if either are cut poorly. Watch this to understand why.
The bridge flexing a little is totally normal, and not a problem - assuming it comes back to its original position and tuning?
As others have suggested, you could try a rocking bar bridge, like a 'TRU-ARC' or 'Compton'. I personally use a roller bridge (the ABM2400).
Beautiful guitar! And welcome to Gretsch 🙂
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u/BigD5981 5d ago
Has anyone here tried the Music City Bridge Space Bar?
https://musiccitybridge.com/collections/guitar-parts/products/space-bar
I've seen it mentioned so infrequently that I'm not sure if I've ever seen a post by someone who actually owns one.
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u/HoldMyDomeFoam 4d ago
I had one come in this week but haven’t installed it yet. I’ll try to remember to post here when I do.
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u/obscured_by_turtles 5d ago
So this has a pinned bridge base? For these floating bridges, set the E saddles to the centre of their travel, and shift the base so that those two strings intonate. The other saddles will fall roughly in line. This helps keep downward pressure close to the centre of the bridge assembly.
And yes the bridge will rock back and forth slightly with bigsby use. The rocking bar bridge is made for just that effect.
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u/Training-Target-9550 3d ago
If you want you could look for a used electromatic bridge base. Some of the older models had a small hole that fit over the pins instead of the oval cutout that allows the bridge to move
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u/CSassano7 2d ago
Yeah pinning that will change tone. You’re new to gretsch and you should do the research on what that bridge is for. Plus pinning it would decrease the value.
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u/Adventurous-Ad-6729 5d ago
The bridge should be on the pins but exact placement doesn’t matter as long as intonation can be adjusted properly using the ToM bridge. Some flex is normal since you’re increasing tension by pressing down on the bar.
Most new guitars can benefit from some nut work to get it dialed in so it would be a good idea to get a setup from a reputable tech/store. The ToM/AoM bridge style doesn’t help either. A lot of people end up replacing them with roller or a fixed bridge. Compton are a popular choice.
Great looking guitar BTW. Hope you enjoy it!