Anyone Replace Bridge on SFIII?

[GAD]

I've owned a few hollow body Guilds, and I've never liked the bridges on them.

Now, I can easily replace the top part with a Compton, but what about the base? My Gretsch had a wooden base. The metal base on the Guild scratches the finish and just looks like ugly pot metal to my eye. Anyone put something sexier on there?

Mine's got holes in it, so it's gotta go anyway.

Here's what the bridge on my SSLVO looked like before I put the Compton on and took off the ugly pick guard:

 

[txbumper57]

If I am changing from the original setup and the guitar has a bigsby I usually run a Rosewood Base with a roller tun-o-matic top to it. The roller T-O-M bridge works great for returning the bigsby to tune after use and makes intonation a snap. I have the roller bridge on my SF4 and my SF5 which are both fixed bridges but I also have it on my X160 with a Rosewood Base and My 1981 Aria Pro II Herb Ellis 175 with a Rosewood base. Here is a pic of my old Starfire II that I converted to a SF3 with the same Bridge setup. I sold it locally back before Christmas due to the neck being too Skinny.

 

[GAD]

Did you notice a difference in tone with the wooden base?

 

[txbumper57]

If there was a difference it was very little. I originally had Daddario 10 round wounds on it and there were too bright for my taste before I did the bridge and bigsby swap, so I went to Chrome Flatwound 10's. That guitar had the greatest tone to it but after my surgery I couldn't play the thin neck and I had to get rid of it. The bridge setup didn't have any noticeable effect on sustain to me and if anything it took some of the "Piercing" tone out of it. Still had the same spank and pop to it just no "Shrill" on the high end. Every Hollowbody or semi-hollow I have with a bigsby has that setup with the exception of my SF3 P90. I just haven't got around to changing it out yet but I will eventually.

 

[Zelja]

I've replaced the Bigsby bridges on my Starfires with a Gibson ABR-1, rosewood bases as well. I also have a Compton to play with. I quite dislike the aluminium Bigsby bridges. Sound a bit ratty to me.

 

[Synchro]

My NS came with a rosewood base, so I just slipped a titanium Compton in place and went from there. Finding a rosewood base is pretty straightforward.