The Best Guitar Bridge For Sustain

[@sidestyle05]

"Jazzmasters can have this problem." Let me edit that for you Dylan...."Jazzmasters can have that added bonus feature."

[@richszmal1653]

I installed a roller bridge on my sg and the sustain was about the same but it helped the guitar stay in tune a lot better and got rid of string breakage.

[@jimkalfakis9893]

You’re a 100% Rich!

[@hollowpoint3188]

Better bends to I did the same to my special

[@EXSENTRIX]

I'm doing the same for my SG too. 🤘🏼💀

[@Riverdeepnwide]

The local studio called me up to find a ringing overtone on a lovely DeArmond they were recording. I slipped an earplug between the B & G above the nut and that solved it for the session. We later discovered that the ringing occurred only in one room, the other rooms didn't propagate that particular overtone. Cool videos Dylan I appreciate your ideas and approach to things!

[@DylanTalksTone]

Riverdeepnwide I have had that same thing with this guitar. It doesn’t always do it

[@boogiemorgan]

I appreciate your comments and testing, because I have been contemplating changing my original bridge with a roller, on my Less Paul, thanks again!

[@grimora-dg3vq]

I did it to mine 5 years ago. Better sustain AND easier bends. No downsides!

[@antonyyul]

Do you think Bigsbys sucks sustain? I´m not shure and I´ve been using it for 40 years. I have 9 Bigsby equiped guitars, I love the sound, the vibrato, the way they feel and I can´t play a guitar with stop tail piece. When I play acoustic my right hand is always looking for the Vibrato arm

[@alabamahebrew]

Im stopping it at 4:08 to comment - No, it won't lose any sustain. I think people get carried away with what will affect a guitar or not. I would like to see this done comparing the normal stop piece tail vs the string through vs the single wrap around tail piece. edited after watching entire video Ok I'm at the end now and the Roller was longer, but like you said Dylan, was it a better sound just because it was longer? We could not hear the excess string noise, at least I could not. I was thinking though that maybe install the roller bridge back on and then out some type of string muters, pieces of cotton, piece of material or rubber, through the strings just before the enter the body and come out the other side. I would be curious if that would stop that noise you were complaining about and what it would do to the sustain as well. A question regarding string through for you Dylan - is there like a standard distance from the bridge to where the strings begin to enter the body? I have a Firebird Zero I am customizing and am thinking of going to the string through on it.

[@JC-11111]

Dylan tested wrap around vs stop tail and got some very, very, very interesting results.

[@kohlscunty]

After multiple tests, I personally found that the roller saddles on my tele had tons more sustain than the previous saddles.

[@brianmclaughlin4419]

Huh? I don't follow. The Roller elements can't Roll, defeating any purpose....whatsoever; unless you forgot to mention you have a Whammy on a Telecaster.

[@kohlscunty]

@@brianmclaughlin4419 on normal saddles everytime the string moves when you strum it or bend it, theres a lot of friction as the string moves around and tightens against the groove. With rolling saddles, the sadles roll with the string allowing them to move freely with almost no friction. It doesnt change the sound much, but it makes the strings feel looser, almost like you went down a string gauge and makes for more tuning stability. That said, ive switched back to more traditional brass saddles on this guitar. I like the sound and feel a bit more.

[@entropy1454]

@@brianmclaughlin4419 Roller bridges don't reduce friction by rolling(just like you said, they aren't like roller bearings, although most people seem to think that's how they work). They turn the sliding friction into a torque, and since the axle is smaller than the overall roller(where the string is in contact), the string experiences friction that is inversely proportional to how much bigger the roller is compared to the axle. If the roller contact is twice the diameter of the axle, the friction at the string is halved.

[@entropy1454]

@@kohlscunty Roller saddles don't roll. Ball bearings reduce friction because the actual contact point never slides(only in theory, which is why real ones do have some friction, but in a perfect world roller bearings actually have 0 friction). A roller saddle is essentially a plain bearing(not a good one either), meaning the surfaces are sliding just like how a string slides on a normal saddle. I explain in the other comment why roller saddles still do reduce friction at the string(which is why you feel the difference).

[@ooloncaluphid]

You could cram a piece of sponge or cloth under the strings behind the bridge to deaden sympathetic vibrations and see what results you get then.

[@montag4516]

A narrow strip of Velcro works good to and can look pleasingly tidier than sponge, foam or some other methods. 1/8" to 1/4" wide is plenty enough. It doesn't require much dampening to stop that ringing sound. Also with velcro you can remove it and replace it as desired, and keep spare/fresh pieces of it in your kit bag or guitar case.

[@CamiloVelandia]

Have you noticed a difference in tuning stability since removing the roller?

[@mikkosutube]

this test should be done with a capo or even just on the open strings thus limiting the possibility of the user adding or removing sustain themselves. The main thing about a roller bridge is that it should allow the string to move the roller when bending rather than having the string catch on the next wind outside of the strings core, more useful on the lower strings i would imagine..what about a bridge that has rollers for the EA and D, but regular saddles for the unwound strings?

[@frantisca]

The contact with the string is on a larger surface on a roller bridge than on the conventional (just on the edge). With my Bigsby equipped Tele, I haven't got these long strings behind the bridge with undesired overtones. So actually, it's a good sustain (brass rollers) and it helps a lot keeping in tune while using the Bigsby. My 2c. Is that Flying V of yours demi-hollow ? Nice axe 👍🏻

[@RJW14]

After multiple tests my floyd rose guitar sustains like crazy (stock block) and my les paul has it's issues. This and your test makes me believe the actual shape of the saddle is key in sustain. Also I could notice a clear difference in tone between the bridges so it might be a trade off for some.

[@davanders2006]

How would it sound and amount of sustain with a tailpiece? I would like to see the test with a LP setup instead of the thru body string setup.

[@DylanTalksTone]

David Anderson there is really no reason to use rollers on a Stop bar Tail Piece. There was actually no reason for it on this guitar, but I didn’t design this lol.

[@smollande]

1. How does the number of windings affect the tone? As the number increase, what happens? 2. How does the wire gauge used affect tone? 3. How does the current induced in pickups carry volume and pitch information at the same time? I'm asking because you have a great no bs way of explaining things and I feel you're an authority on this. Love your show!

[@820hurleyj]

I realize this vid is 4 yrs old, but... I'm not surprised at the results. I've been researching roller bridges for quite awhile and have decided to swap out my stock TOM bridge with a Schaller roller bridge. It's my understanding that the material of the saddles is what is most important. Brass seems to be the best by consensus. Cheaper bridges often don't use brass saddles. I'm going to swap mine out because LP's are notorious for not staying in tune after some major string bends. My plans are to also swap out the nut (haven't decided between bone, Tusq or brass yet), put in some locking tuners and finish it off with a TP-6 style tailpiece. My first LP was a '71 Custom I bought new and kept for 40+ yrs. I'd had the frets replaced with stainless steel jumbos and it also had a TP-6 on it. It would still "ping" no and then, but I ran a tuner inline and would just nudge it back into tune with the screws on the TP-6. I always took it to an EXCELLENT father/son run luthier shop. I knew almost nothing about guitar maintenance or modding then. I just trusted those guys and did what they recommended.

[@ronb7481]

You can place a damper wrap of some kind around those long string portions below the bridge to stop them from ringing out sympathetically.

[@MillerCustomGuitars]

How can you be sure your sustain wasn't affected by the yellow strap instead of the Black one? Or because of that "22" hat? lol

[@OzziePete1]

07:40 I have a Warmoth Jazzmaster styled guitar that is fitted with a Wilkinson Strat styled tremolo system bridge & it also experiences that noisy ringing. There's no more string behind the bridge than on a Strat but ti does ring like you described. I think in my case, the phantom ringing noise is caused by 2 things. 1. An active EQ system with the guitar that amplifies by up to 6dB if you push it and 2. No string trees at headstock. I have seen heavy metal players & those who play in alternate tunings, wrap velcro straps around the strings past the nut at the headstock& I think that's why they do this. Stops the ringing of the string after it had been played.

[@leonardsullivan]

Actually the string muters that you wrap around the head stock are mostly for recording purposes. And more specifically, really important for recording solos. It completely gets rid off all that extra, and undesirable, amplifier noise from your hands brushing against or touching the other string when you are playing. Especially while playing fast. Try this, and you'll see what it does! Tie a sock or really anything soft around your headstock where the nut meets the head of the guitar. Now go ahead and play any kind of tapping lick with distortion. You will be shocked how much cleaner it sounds. That is the most drastic type of test to really see the difference. But try it with a regular distortion lead lick and them try it with the muter on! You'll love it, especially if you record!

[@boogiemorgan]

My Gibson Les Paul, the first string was touching the bridge base, and I didn't want to wrap my strings, so I raised my tailpiece to clear bridge frame, approximately one quarter of an inch, and it seemed like it doubled my sustain, and it is super clean sounding, love it!

[@stefanfelssner]

Can you do a video about break angle at the nut? What do you think is the minimum required angle

[@normbarrows]

just enough to keep things in place, or go zero fret and vertical roller guides for string spacing.

[@X-boomer]

I wonder if using a guitar mute (could be just a lump of sponge or foam rubber) behind the roller bridge would kill off the extra sustain?

[@fenrir7969]

That V is sweet, I can see why it's one of your favourites. Cool demo, I'm still very much a newbie so I had no preconceptions as to which would be better. I wonder, if you used the roller bridge with some foam or a Jimmy clip to mute those overtones (sometimes done when recording or playing with very high gain) could you get the best of both worlds perhaps?

[@Fugettaboutit]

It's never just about technical sustain, it's response and the feeling of control you have over dynamics. What makes it easier to express yourself through playing and not fight what something's NOT doing enough? There's your answer.

[@kylezakk]

I got the GFS roller bridge to work with my les-term but I had to modify it a lot to get it to roll properly. I also filed the roller groves so the strings sit without a gap underneath, all cheap roller tom bridges are like that.

[@brianpetersen3429]

Good test! Perhaps if you added a foam damper pad to the strings that resonate it would give a better result for the roller bridge.

[@74dartman13]

Glad to see the roller bridge didn't rob any sustain. I just got one for a build I'm working on! Using a Bigsby clone and the rollers are nice for those. 👍😎🎸🎶

[@butteredbiskit3497]

A roller bridge is mandatory for a Bigsby IMO.

[@joelhansen6241]

Dylan I have replaced my Nashville Tune O Matic Zinc Bridge that came on my Gibson Explorer with a Pinnacle Stainless Steel Nashville Bridge from Philadelphia Luthier Supply. The Stainless Steel transfers more string vibration (due to it's Mass) than Zinc Brass or Aluminum resulting in more sustain and better tone. The Stainless Steel was an upgrade over the Zinc. I'm not sure what brand and what metal your replacement T.O.M. Bridge is but it looks Nashville style.

[@collintheplonker4809]

How does the tightness of the saddles affect sustain? Does a bridge with locking saddles sustain better than a regular design?

[@gregsmyk542]

On a mandolin I have, a small piece of leather lace woven between the strings to keep out any harmonics… easy when double strings are so close together. Read an earlier comment with an ear plug doing the same thing. Now to figure a way that works and looks the part!

[@troygriffen9200]

You could try muting the strings with foam before the bridge, and after the headstock nut, then repeating the test.

[@DylanTalksTone]

Troy Griffen yeah, but who wants foam in their strings

[@troygriffen9200]

Thank you for your reply. I love your stuff. I use foam for recording. If you would like to go for a more "live" set up for the experiment, cooler options exist, like the fret wraps.

[@RockG.o.d]

wow thanks for the video, I didn't think there would be much difference, but I was delaying a purchase of a roller bridge for a while. I thought a roller bridge would have less sustain due to roll off from the curve. Now i am wondering what a roller bridge will be like on the gibson les paul, because really don't want anything to change apart from occasional string breakage of the high e string.

[@johnmeehan4518]

Curious what the results would be with a tremolo.

[@steefan2248]

Good question. Depends on what brand of tremolo you use, of course you would want one with quality metal and with the saddles close together.

[@kerigregory7664]

The roller bridge has more mass. Try putting the little rubber washers for plumbing on the back ringing. I used the roller bridge for my Gretsch to get more sustain with out the long ringing strings like on the gretsches. It worked for me.

[@angelvogel7184]

Ive got the same problem with my stopbar distance between the bridge on a luthier guitar ive paid. It fullfill a lot of harmonics behind the notes, maybe if you put something gently touching the strings behind to mud up the noice. I kind of like it in my guitar, it is what it is

[@normbarrows]

a bit of foam below the bridge can eliminate unwanted sound from the strings below the bridge. try it again with some foam to factor out the sounds from the strings below the bridge. same trick works for strings above the nut.

[@GlennMarshallRocks]

I tried putting a roller bridge on my Ibanez AS-100 (335 style guitar) and it radically changed the tone of the guitar. The guitar had less bass, and a lot more treble... it seemed to have a bit of a buzz to it, which could have been the vibrations from the string ends from the tailpiece, but whatever caused it, it just killed to tone of the guitar. When I put the original ABR-1 style bridge (though unique to Ibanez in dimensions) back on it, the tone came back again. So, now I'm trying to find a new original Ibanez AS-100 bridge to replace the old one with just to keep the guitars tone intact. I'm considering replacing the bridge and tailpiece on a Firefly Les Paul to help increase it's sustain, and came across someone who had replaced an ABR-1 style bridge on a Firefly 338 and said it dramatically increased the sustain, but he didn't mention anything about it affecting the tone at all, so, that's a bit of a mystery. But I've found other ABR-1 replacement bridges made out of different metals, which are supposed to increase the Les Paul's sustain, as well. So, I've got a bit of experimentation coming up to see if one of these might actually make a noticeable difference. Some of these replacement ABR-1 bridges aren't too expensive, going for around $18, with people reporting significant improvements, while a TonePros bridge goes around $62, though I haven't come across any reviews yet from anyone comparing the difference in the $62 TonePros to a $42 Tone Ninja, or one of the $18 models, but folks seem to be saying all of them produce better sustain than a stock Gibson ABR-1 bridge... Then there are those who claim changing the Tailpiece to one of a different metal (zinc, aluminum, steel, etc.) increases sustain as well... So, that might be an interesting video you might make, comparing tailpieces made of different metals on a Les Paul to see if any of them actually affect the sustain and if it's a worthwhile upgrade...

[@tomosborne5949]

Hi Dylan, the way we always time the sustain is open E #6 string. Finger off.

[@keithrowe1007]

I have a Hag with a trapeze tailpiece. I put a piece of double sided velcro wrap on the strings between the trapeze and the bridge. It completely kills that ringing you're talking about. I don't care what it looks like, but I'm sure there are those who could come up with a way to prettify it.

[@valueofnothing2487]

I also noticed more sustain on a my roller bridge. But it seemed to suck the tone out.

[@johngonzales8224]

I have put roller bridge on my Gibson Les Paul, SG, Flying V and ES335. my Tele with a Bigsby. and I feel my tone is better and Sustain was longer. I don't feel that your complaint was noticeable on any of my guitars.

[@cugir321]

I wonder if a piece of tape or felt weaved between the strings, behind the bridge, would solve the overtone problems....without causing another problem. There is an advantage to the Wilkinson style bridge.....if someone is having intonation problems you can adjust the bridge forward or back....along with the saddles. The tune-a-matics aren't that different between them for intonation.

[@normbarrows]

Yes - foam below the saddles or above the nut is a common trick for silencing overtones from extra string beyond the nut and saddles. Others here have mentioned it in the comments as well.

[@curtjohansen5742]

You could put a string dampening hair tie or wrist band behind the roller bridge to keep those strings from making noise.

[@jameslanclos568]

Why is there a roller bridge on a non tremolo guitar? I felt it necessary to put one on my SG because it has a tremolo on it.

[@tomjohnston3256]

I've tried roller saddles on my strat where the strings go right into the sustain block and I had unwanted overtones too. I'm not a fan of roller bridges or nuts

[@nelsonechevarria7009]

Good video,thank you.I think the better option is the bridge with the roller saddles because with the regular bridge there is drag on the guitar strings which is never a good thing.Try pulling a rope over a pulley that does not move freely as compared to pulling a rope over a pulley that moves with the rope as the rope is pulled over the pulley.I have a Squier classic vibes 70's Jaguar which is like the Jazzmasters,the difference between the Jazzmaster and the guitar that you have is that with Jazzmasters and Jaguars the guitar strings at the headstock are not split three to the left and three to the right at an angle which can cause tuning issues.Les Pual style guitars suffer from tuning issues because the strings at the headstock are three to the left and three to the right.You should look into getting a string butler which helps control tuning issues caused by guitar strings being split three left and three to the right.

[@grimora-dg3vq]

Another test for you to try Dylan? How about a soft spring on a Bigsby guitar like a Gretsch? Easier to handle better response and also makes the Bigsby much more user friendly for the player and the audiences ears. ;)

[@nacienlos70]

How about you dampen the strings after the bridge?

[@richardbspeck147]

Thanx Dylan, I'm @ the moment, havin' my Jackson RR3 "copy" guitar converted to a string-thru design. Havin' an Eagle SCK736 bridge fitted.

[@yikelu]

If there was one thing that could have been better controlled (not sure if it was), it would be the amp level and spatial relationship from speaker to guitar. You could bypass that by just using headphones. When you have an amp in the room, you are now testing the efficiency of the amp-guitar feedback mechanism, not the pure sustain of the guitar itself. It's a valid test in itself, but it's fundamentally a different test. You could easily get contrary results between the two, where for example a semihollow could sustain much better amped but much worse in a DI situation compared with a solid body. Also, the sympathetic vibrations, you could use some tape or other material to dampen them.

[@electroKrunch]

I might a few P90 in the future, should I send you the current tones?

[@xanatos7850]

Excellent video dude!! thanks for your job

[@SevasGuitar]

I guess the roller saddle compromises string length when you are choking which results in less choking and longer sustain compare to the original one.

[@PintsofGuinness]

ive also had people tell me graphtech saddles kill sustain, but i have 2 guitars with them and ive never noticed a lack of sustain.

[@frantisca]

Pints of Guinness My experience: Graphtech saddles don't kill sustain, but dampen a little the highs, which can be good in an ice pick type of tone with some guitars.

[@zettepix2009]

Today I have checked with a plugin called voxengo span and have compared the two frequency curves with a decent tune o matic and a sung il roller bridge. With a clean amp, the TOM produces the fundamental and 3ir 4 clear and clean harmonics. With the roller it added ple ty of nasty harmonics all over the place making the signal dirty. Regarding this particular roller model it has lasted not even 24 h in the guitar. Back to the normal one.

[@elliottmelan3457]

What would be the difference between an aluminum and titanium saddles? I would like to here that comparison for sustain and acoustics.

[@frantisca]

Elliott Melan Not much different in sustain, but the Titanium adds quite a bit of brilliance in your tone. Matter of taste…or guitar if it is dark or muffled.

[@TVoltG]

My Schaller roller bridges I use are bigger, bolder and a lot of sustain. I pretty much use them on every guitar I make now. I also use brass top-loading tail pieces with them. I'll never use a standard tune o matic again..

[@rockandrollmd541]

Just put foam under the strings behind the bridge to kill the overtones. I put foam in my Strat trem cavity between the block and body to kill the spring noise.

[@maclarke74]

An easy way to address the sympathetic vibrations is to put rubber grommets between the strings. I do that on all of my guitars that have trapeze-style tailpieces.

[@brythecracker]

Very nice experiment Dylan, appreciate you documenting it👍

[@davedee6339]

You added an unaccounted for variable by using vibrato on the note. Why not capo a note and let it decay without interference?

[@thought1212]

id like to see kahler, floyd, standard type bridge and maybe an evertune.

[@gilleslafontaine797]

You can try something. Put something to choke the strings behind the roller bridge and try again to see if that's makes a difference. Oups, sorry, someone (Brian Petersen) got the same idea.

[@nokooyeh4538]

My thought exactly, maybe some felt dampers. I've used roller bridges on Epiphones with Bigsby vibratos. For me they improved tone and in my case gave me some more high end, which had been lacking before.

[@tricitytypebeat8622]

Such a cool guitar!

[@gstube1]

Best tune o matic bridge for tone?

[@hadleymanmusic]

Can u help me find a bridge with a wider string spacing? Than a tunomatic.

[@TheAhirishman]

The schaller roller bridge has adjustable string spacing

[@qua7771]

It sounded to me like the sustain quickly fading out into funky overtones woud be due to magnetic pull from one of the pickips being too high. Most likely, the neck pickup, especially if it has a ceramic magnet. I like A2 magnets in the neck position partially for that reason.

[@CusterFlux]

FWIW - I've heard from a number of folks who know better than I do - that too much string behind the saddle, usually screws up sustain in some form or another, and while it may LOOK cool, it's generally best avoided in guitar design if lots of sustain is what you're after: unfortunately - I have no idea how somebody could EASILY test this … since I doubt just using dampening on the pre-bridge short strings is a proper test.

[@normbarrows]

I made a two string test rig with a zero fret, a metal bar type bridge, a 25.5" scale length, and pins for the tailpiece (string balls slip over the pins). One string had about 1" of extra string below the bridge, and the second string had ~11" to 12" of extra string below the bridge. There was no noticeable difference in tone or sustain, just overtones. Rollers allow expansion/compression waves along the length of the string to more easily travel the full length of the string. Knife edges should tend to reflect the waves back more. The extra sustain might just be overtones though.

[@TheChadPad]

Sick guitar! Don't see a Flying V with f-holes very often! I'm a big fan of Flying V's and that's one of the coolest I've seen! I main one myself. Great test. This is important stuff, cause ever though these are small differences, they add up, and if you're a serious musician, you need to know what tools are available in your arsenal

[@Kreln1221]

Instead of the standard Gibson Tunomatic, I would have compared it to a locking Tone Pros, as it provides better woody resonance and longer sustain...

[@jamess.829]

Dylan, timing a sustained note should not have the left hand vibrato influencing the note. Too much inconsistency. A single held note would have been more fair. I think you need to do a video comparing the Callaham Billet Steel ABR-1 Bridge and Stop Bar set up to the Babitz Full Contact Hardware set up. Both are superior to the normal Gibson style bridge and tail piece.

[@hazardboundband383]

The C-1 Schecter Custom, that you built pickups for (the ones you delivered in person), has a roller bridge thst I installed. I thought I noticed an increase in sustain, but with installing your pickups and the other work I did, I didn't know if I actually was getting more sustain from the bridge, or from the combination of everything that I had done. Either way, I break fewer strings with the roller bridge (no sharp edges sawing the string when I bend). Another great video brother. I will be getting with you in the next week or so to finalize the build you are doing for me! Take care! Please tell Leslie Hello for me!!

[@bradleyshuppert3393]

Pretty simple math here.... the Gibson style has a sharp cut off point that transmits the vibration between the more defined Gibson saddle and the playing surface of the neck....and a roller saddles allow a back flow of harmonics and artifacts from the strings behind the bridge because the string has more surface to rest on ... a roller versus a sharp knife edge... roller bridges are novel and was thought to make for better tuning....but a roller nut would make better use in guitars than a bridge!! Nicely done comparison that chooses less sustain for more definition and no bullshit.... Dylan Rocks!!

[@trackingstationneillindsay]

Us old timers would cut a piece of felt and weave it through the strings (behind the bridge or between the nut and the tuning keys) to stop the sound.

[@roberthastings708]

Always love your scientific approach. The question is..... ?? How much sustain do you need? I think you asked that once.

[@UNGETABLE7]

Nice one! For me besides installing a Sustainer, the Yamaha SG just kills! Have an awesome day man! ✌️

[@davidkrystal9783]

I have the exact same experience with my Les Paul and a Bigsby B7

[@davidkrystal9783]

Abr kills sustain.

[@TheFrankHuda]

AAAnd once again, it's good to hear the little things Dylan is thinking during the course of this video., This is what we need, how does this channel not have more than fifty fucking thousand subs? He's been here for like five dang years!

[@marcwolff1921]

Wiggeling your Finger on the String doesn’t equal sustain.

[@greenmirror5555]

Be interesting to see what a string butler might do with your favorite guitar there....

[@jrdguitar3003]

how about on strat??

[@gstube1]

One has to look at the amplitude of the sustain as well as the duration.

[@tomosborne5949]

Roller bridge for tremolo. This problem behind the bridge can be rectified with painters tape to mute the harmonic rings.

[@HearthVader]

I put a Wilkinson roller on an old Epi LP Studio. Not because I was hoping for better tuning stability, but because the old one was corroded and nasty, and the Wilkinson looked cool and probably comfortable (it turned out to be VERY comfortable) I never noticed any significant change to sustain or tone or anything. I havent tested it any any remotely scientific way, but I've noticed nothing really. I just bought a new Gretsch 5420, and I want to transplant that same roller on to the Gretsch to help with the tuning stability (Bigsby and all that) The general consensus online amongst Gretschies seems to be that rollers are shite, TOMs are passable, but the best way to go is with a solid one piece bar like a Compton or Serpentune. Rollers suck tone/sustain/soul/chakra energy/etc. But then I also know that every guitar fandom seems to have a particular status quo, and those who deviate from that tend to be labeled toneless heathens who shouldn't befoul the sanctity of 😒 I guess I'm just gonna have to try it myself.

[@DylanTalksTone]

Joel Bremner I say do it!!!

[@khoila4873]

How did it go for you?

[@charlesb7831]

The types of metal and how it transfers vibration will make a difference. I reversed wrap my strings on my Gibson and Epiphone guitars, not for the whole sustain thing, but it makes the strings feel "slinky " and smoother to play. Also with plated metals seem to dull the sound and sustain over a bare hardened steel. Ask a blacksmith or blade maker about differences in sound a metal will make during different heat treat processes and between different types of metals. It's like comparing different types of nut materials, I think this whole thing gets overlooked when talking about this. I always tried buying guitars that don't have heavily plated metal parts or I replaced them. Food for thought. Great video's, cheers!

[@totallyunmemorable]

Angle over the bridge also affects sustain. Guitars with long string length behind the bridge usually have less string angle and consequently less sustain.

[@sirbillmumptono.b.e.3946]

Just watched your video and wonder whether the contact point of the string on top of the roller was wider than on a tunomatic (Gibson type) bridge? If so, perhaps the fact that the contact point of the string being wider 'might' just add sustain? No science involved, in fact I'm not even sure whether the contact point is just as wide on both bridge saddles as it's hard to tell from the video, it's just a hunch which in my tiny brain would appear to make sense. I enjoy your videos and learn lots from them, so many thanks, Phil. (England)

[@digable_celestial_dwarfs6778]

7:33 Well I see _somebody_ isn't a fan of "Bull In The Heather"

[@ran-diy-audio]

Could you do this test in a les paul or es335 ?? great test by the way, but that is an unconventional guitar

[@DylanTalksTone]

The physics are all the same

[@1siddartha]

I've recently bought a 2011 Gibson Les Paul and wanted to try schaller and you know what? This guy is damn right! The sustain was a bit shorter on the schaller and that sudden ending of the note you do vibrato is more than annoying. It did not work for me and in about two hours, I changed back to original tune o matic bridge by Gibson.

[@popsfereal]

I have a Cozart with 6.5" of string behind the saddle....crazy "overtones" not always good.

[@ravenslaves]

I'm not surprised. Modern bridges (tend to) have much tighter tolerances than the older designs. Less wiggle room as it were to soak up all that vibration. I had an old Gretsch with a "Space Control" bridge that made any guitar I put it on sustain like a snare drum. Meh... If it works, go with it.

[@vualac]

Why not play an open note?

[@electroKrunch]

I don't see the need for a roller bridge unless a trem is in play. I bend until strings break, a roller bridge wouldn't help...

[@butteredbiskit3497]

Agreed

[@artperez82]

Do the test again but put some foam or something on the strings behind the bridge to muffle them to see if you’re theory holds up.

[@DylanTalksTone]

Who wants foam on their guitar

[@artperez82]

I’m sorry that not the point. What I’m trying to say is stop the strings behind the bridge from ringing just for the sustain comparison.

[@davidkastin4240]

Good video Dylan. Like you say, results will vary from different guitars. I enjoy your videos, good content! 😎

[@GuitarQuackery]

Interesting. I have a theory. The vibrato kills sustain over the conventional bridge, because the pulling of the string makes the string slide over the saddle. But with the rollers, the string does not slide over the rollers, as the rollers are turning. Just a theory... actually hypothesis. It needs to be tested to become a theory.

[@theroguetomato5362]

If you've got a Bigsby, especially if it's a hollow body, get a roller bridge and don't worry about sustain. The Bigsby will tilt the bridge otherwise, and cause long term problems.

[@DoctorWhomThe1st]

I feel in this day in age we don’t need to put as much effort into a guitar to get more sustain. Just a proper nut and that’s basically all you need. With technology we can have infinite sustain with things like the digitech freq out, sustainer pickups, and studio tricks. I would understand the issue for acoustic guitars but even then there are studio tricks to get infinite sustain. I still appreciate these types of videos though

[@JVovk2002]

There is less friction on a roller bridge, which will impede the motion of the string less than on a standard bridge

[@paulknight5300]

That's one of the prettiest guitars I've ever seen!