Stud screws carry or kills your tone?

[jackson1]

I have two electrical guitars that when played acoustically, they sound incredibly loud and snappy - a monster acoustical tone. These two guitars both have a chrome OFR non-recessed, using the old school stud screws that goes directly into the wood (no inserts). This type:


I also have other OFR equipped guitars, but all these use the machine threaded metal stud inserts. They don't have this huge tone (un-amplified). Neck-thru or bolt-on, doesn't matter.

I'm almost certain that the direct-to-wood type of stud screws are the reason for the good resonant behaviour.

Have you noticed the same on your guitars and what's your comment on this?

[Budman68]

I have found this to be true as well on guitars I've owned in the past. It's a good tip that when you get the depth set correctly for the screws, put a few drops of liquid super glue (not the gel), and roll the body around on the sides in the air to get the glue into the walls of the screw holes. This strengthens up the walls and helps prevent the "ovaling" of the holes that happens so frequently with this type of fastener.

[len]

thanks guys...
you learn something new every day

[Model1VH2]

I have found this to be true as well on guitars I've owned in the past. It's a good tip that when you get the depth set correctly for the screws, put a few drops of liquid super glue (not the gel), and roll the body around on the sides in the air to get the glue into the walls of the screw holes. This strengthens up the walls and helps prevent the "ovaling" of the holes that happens so frequently with this type of fastener.

Cool tip Dave!

[jgcable]

I have noticed no difference between studs and direct screw mounted Floyds. There is a difference between top mounted and full floaters that have body routes though.

[mm2002]

I can see in theory where there should be some difference in tone, but my ears aren't that good anymore!

[jackson1]

Yeah, there could possibly be other valid reasons for the snappy passive tone. The two guitars in question also has very thin coats of paint - one (Fernandes) is my own paint job, the other is an old 1980' Kramer. Also, the Fernandes has soft maple for body wings, which could add to the snap too.

Dave, what happens after you put super glue in there, if you want to adjust the screws again after it has hardened?

[Sunbane]

How about the finish on the trem itself? This may or may not have much of an impact, but iirc, EVH swears by chrome plated bridges?

[DonP]

Is the wood the same on the guitars being compared? Maple to maple or basswood to basswood, and same neck woods as well?

I have a project axe that currently has the OFR screws, but I was thinking of converting it to studs. I don't want to loose the tone, however. It's a 3 piece maple neck-thru with alder wings and ebony fretboard.

[Zerberus]

Any guitar is the sum of it´s parts.

While the Wood screws do (IMO) sound better, they´re certainly not the only reason for a guitar being more resonant than another. Just the fact that it´s 2 different pieces of wood is more than enough reason in itself, and this detail alone will corrupt any comparison, even if it´s the same trees and otherwise an identical guitar

[Budman68]

Dave, what happens after you put super glue in there, if you want to adjust the screws again after it has hardened?

Adjust for what? That would depend on what you wanted to do and that's why I suggested you make sure you know your depth first. Possibly I'm not understanding what you mean? I'm not saying dump the whole bottle in there or anything like that, you're just giving strength to the walls of the hole.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

I notice this on Gibsons as well...guitars with the direct-mounted ABR1 bridges seem to have more sustain and are a little bit louder than the ones with the bridges mounted into the inserts.

[jackson1]

Adjust for what?

If you change your mind later on and want higher action for example. Or want to renew the screws or whatever. But i guess the right amount of glue (sparse) won't make it impossible to unscrew 'em later on.

[fett]

If you change your mind later on and want higher action for example. Or want to renew the screws or whatever. But i guess the right amount of glue (sparse) won't make it impossible to unscrew 'em later on.

I think what he is saying is that if you use the glue and turn it as it drys the glue will bind to the wood and not the post. The post will pick up some of the glue and will make it more tight.

[HoWheels]

I think what he is saying is that if you use the glue and turn it as it drys it will bind to the wood and not the post. The glue will thicken up the grooves in the wood.

Exactly. Wood glue does not bond to metal.

-a