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Wraptails


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So I've been eyeing these (and yes, they ARE more $$ than I'd want to take out of the house, but eventually one's going to turn up used :D ) and I'm thinking the wrap tail, but then I'm thinking, no, it wouldn't intonate properly for me.

How bad is the intonation on a wrap tail (and I'm sure it varies guitar to guitar)? I've heard the TOM referred to as the solution to a problem that didn't exist, but I rarely play first position cowboy chords or open fifth "power chords." I'm usually somewhere between the third and tenth fret playing at least four notes per, so ***** or not, this is a valid concern for me.

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tonepros and other folks make adjustable ones so if the Gibson one won't intonation for you, you can always replace it. Since its just the bridge its a pretty easy "mod" and won't effect anything other than aesthetic (and keep ya in tune).

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The way I've been told is to get both the E strings intonated and the rest sorta just fall in there. I've never really had any issues with my Juniors or Specials in the intonation department. Plenty good enough for Rock N' Roll.

of course, there are those that say "Intonation is for pussies" too.

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I have a Gibson '54 V.O.S. Goldtop with a wraptail and have no intonation issues with it. I don't think I've ever had an issue with a wraptail and, in fact, I really like what they bring to the game.

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A properly set up guitar properly played will always be in tune.

Well, that disqualifies me! :D

I think I can make a sig out of that!

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Those Pauls look killer. I agree - go with the wrap.

The Hamer Artist Korina with the P90s and a wrap - the intonation does not bother me, and i'm probably one of the biggest ****** on this board. :D

I was sure i was going to put a PigTail on that one when i got it. Never needed to.

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Intonate your acoustic some time.

A properly set up guitar properly played will always be in tune.

Proper.

mc-hammer.jpg

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IMHO the wraptails do just fine. But if you have skill to lay your fingers perfectly onto the strings and down to the fretboard with precisely the same pressure on each string and none of the strings pushed or pulled just a touch, then perhaps you need perfect intonation. If you are perfect, then perfect intonation matters. Um you might also want to get your guitar Pleked and get The Buzz Feiten System.

Just my $0.05 (adjusted up from $0.02 to compensate for impending inflation tsunami)

caddie

ps - Plus wraptails look cool. Chicks dig 'em.

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On my Hamer Talladega Pro with a TonePros wraparound, the intonation was off only a little bit - but that's considering I'm very anal about such things. You'd have to have a very good ear to hear it, but it was obvious using my strobe tuner.

I replaced the bridge with a Pigtail adjustable wraparound which many people consider to be the best available. Here's a pic:

Tally4.JPG

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Now, adjustable wraparounds hardly count! :D

As a child, I was abused by an LP/SG with a "lightning bolt" wraparound. Never could get that SOB to play in tune above the fifth fret. What I didn't know is that the lightning bolt was designed for a wound third and that was the root of the problem. The short version of the story was that it made an intonation fussy out of me. That is until Greg put a Pigtail NON-adjustable just plain ol' bar on a P-90 Special conversion he did for me. I'm told that it's "crowned" for an unwound third, but I've used both wound and unwounds and it sounds fine, even to an intonation ***** like me.

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  • 3 years later...

Old thread, but hey,
as I stumbled through here one day looking for answers, it might be nice to add my 0.02 now I've finally found a satisfying solution for the intonation issues with my Talladega Pro.

Satisfying because my Tally pro is now intonated well; close enough to perfect. No longer bothered at all when playing around the 9th fret and lower down the neck.
Satisfying too, because the feel and sound of the guitar did not change at all, and the looks only barely. As is visible in the pic.

So after a few misses (pigtail felt and also sounded too different for me, another wraparound solution did not have the right color), I found this:

http://rockinger.com/index.php?cat=WG084〈=ENG&product=3616C%2F3616A&sid3=bdaa829a297ebd92be339b506d25fb80

The nickel plated version has the right color.

Installing it was a breeze, as it has almost exactly the same dimensions. (Neck curve is the same, too)

Been playing this bridge for more than a week now. To me she now sounds like she was supposed to, even when doodling around the 12th.

One happy Hamer player :)

post-113315-0-25975400-1396211376_thumb.

post-113315-0-93575900-1396211406_thumb.

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Thanks for posting those US alternatives :)

Yup, ABM is very much, if not totally alike. Slightly more expensive than the Rockinger here in Europe.

The Faber, to my personal taste, looks too different from the original.

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Weirdly enough, I've never owned a guitar with a wraparound bridge. More sustain? Less sustain? More snap? What's the advantage of having one? -sorry for the partial hijack.

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Weirdly enough, I've never owned a guitar with a wraparound bridge. More sustain? Less sustain? More snap? What's the advantage of having one? -sorry for the partial hijack.

More sustain is fair to say. The wraparound is simple and solid, and it's just a very direct way to connect the strings and the vibrations to the tone woods.

It's all subjective and subtle ofc, but I can hear the difference. More snap, I don't know. Truer, more woody, I'd say.

I didn't try this one, I'm curious how it holds up.

The pigtail, which I did try, felt like it not only added clutter to the looks of the guitar, but also to the tone.

Not necessarily in a bad way, just not the same tones I fell for in the tally pro.

But I didn't go all scientific about it, so it might be just perception.

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I've got the Faber unit on my wraptail guitar and it is fantastic.

BakerLP91412body1.jpg

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I followed the advice of my high school friend Cmatthes and replaced the Gotoh on my Korina Special jr with the compensated Faber and absolutely love it. With the bridge fully forward, the intonation is spot-on. I will use these fibers with tone pros studs on any wraptail for now on. I love the way they feel and sound. They add sustain and a certain "zinginess" to my P90 jr that is hard to describe....but you can hear it.

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