Couldn't resist...

[zizala]

Walter....

Very good looking X-175. This black version has upset my "I want" sensibility control!

I have a thing for black guitars as well, right now represented by a couple of old Gibson archtops.
I'd been studying the black A-150's I'm seeing on Ebay and wishing I had one of those on hand to try.

But having just brought back home a '61 X-175 its tempting to have one of these NS versions to mess around with too.

D

 

[Walter Broes]

old pickups installed, much better already. Still not crazy about the "new and improved" location of the lead pickup. I'll probably rectify that later on.

 

[Jeff Haddad]

Great-looking guitar!

 

[jp]

jp-how about posting photos of your T-100? Is the finish original?

Hey there, Aristocrater -
I think I'll refrain 'cuz I don't want to hijack Walter's thread. This is the moment for his beauty to shine. layful: And his has a Tru-Arc bridge! I'll send you an email.

 

[Guildadelphia]

That is sweet. The love affair with my NS X175B continues. I'm also thinking with the hotter wound, fatter sounding pu's that the revised placement of the bridge pu was probably not needed. Interestingly, Gretsch (under FMIC's Mike Lewis also at the time) did the same thing with the Electromatic 5120's; the reason given was to fatten up and reduce the "spikiness" of the bridge pu. That all being said, never having had the pleasure of playing a vintage 175, I'm perfectly thrilled with mine......sometimes ignorance is really bliss.

 

[Walter Broes]

Yep, he did the same thing with the Gretsch Electromatics. And truth be told, the bridge pickup location, as it is on the NS X175, probably makes for a better, fatter sounding plain more useful lead pickup for most people.

On the original guitars, the lead pickup by itself can be a little thin-ish or spiky, but it's what I'm used to, and I spend more than half the time in the middle switch position, and that becomes a little too mellow compared to what I'm used to hearing.
Also, my right hand seems to be very used to my old guitars : I'm constantly clicking my pick against the pickup cover on the NS guitar.

 

[parker_knoll]

yeah, with the Duane i just rebuilt the bridge pickup is ultra spikey. works well with distortion, but most of the time in middle with the neck pickup backed off a little.

 

[mad dog]

Walter:

That is one pretty guitar!

A question if I may ... When you put a tunomatic on the bridge, will it have metal saddles? My NS X-175 came to me modded with a fancy tunomatic bridge of some sort. The saddles are not metal, greyish. Not sure what they are, and not sure I like them. Have you had any experience with different types of tunomatic saddles on your guitars?

Thanks.
MD

 

[dhdfoster]

Oh man....that's amazing looking.

 

[Walter Broes]

Walter:A question if I may ... When you put a tunomatic on the bridge, will it have metal saddles? My NS X-175 came to me modded with a fancy tunomatic bridge of some sort. The saddles are not metal, greyish. Not sure what they are, and not sure I like them. Have you had any experience with different types of tunomatic saddles on your guitars?

The last TOM I bought that I really like is now on my '62. Getting one of those for this guitar too : it's a "wireless tune-a-matic" from Philadelphia luthier, and I replaced the saddles for the plain strings with nylon saddles, from the same vendor. Looks like a cool old small-size tune-a-matic, no rattles whatsoever, and even if I'm kidding myself and those nylon saddles aren't adding anything, they're not hurting anything either.

Grey-ish? Maybe something from Graph-Tech? I don't know.

 

[Guildadelphia]

Probably a Graphtech / Graphtech Resomax bridge with those "grey-ish" saddles. I have a Graphtech Resomax bridge laying in my parts box that I originally used on my Gretsch until I bought a Tru Arc. The saddles are metal, but coated with some kind of space-age, super slippery stuff...and yes, they are grey. The ABR 1 style TOM from Philladelphia Luthier are excellent bridges...if I am not mistaken, the saddles actually "snap in" eliminating the need for a saddle retainer wire. I'm hanging in with the stock MIK ABR 1 style on my X175B (I realize the X175's come with wood bridges). It came correctly radiused for the 9.45" fingerboard radius and since I used some clear nail polish on the saddle retainer wire it doesn't rattle (at least for now).

 

[Walter Broes]

The ABR 1 style TOM from Philladelphia Luthier are excellent bridges...if I am not mistaken, the saddles actually "snap in" eliminating the need for a saddle retainer wire.

Yep, that sums it up. I believe it's what Gibson is currently using on some models too. Good, and cheap too, which is always nice.

The Tru-Arc bridges are great, and Tim (Mr Tru Arc) is a super nice guy, but with my guitars and rig I find them a little "much" : they're fantastic for guitars that can do with a little extra liveliness, resonance, and "zing". the change isn't all that subtle : you really gain punch with those bridges, almost as if you click on a very subtle little preamp.

Thing is, my single coil Guilds, old or new, don't need any help in that department, they're loud, full, bright, clear and punchy enough with a regular old tune-a-matic. In fact, those ABR-1 style TOM bridges may be such a primitive finicky old design that they actually narrow down the bandwith of the guitar a little bit and turn a full-bodied almost acoustic guitar into a twangier, more electric feeling and sounding guitar, but whatever's going on, I like what they do for the Guilds.

A little bit of information for folks who have a Newark street X175 with the wood bridge : the post spacing on the stock bridge base works for tune-a-matics with the narrower, old style mounting posts. (like the bridge that comes on the natural finish Bigsby-d model) No need to get a base if you're planning on swapping in a TOM - well worth it to have the stock bridge base contoured to the guitar body better than factory by someone handy who knows what he's doing.

 

[Guildadelphia]

The Stainless Steel Tru Arc I put on my Gretsch 6116PTV (which has the higher output TVJ Powertron PU's and a very heavilly trestle braced interior) accomplished exactly what Walter said, which worked very well with those pu's which tend to be a bit "middier" than TV Classics and made the guitar sound, for lack of a better term: "Gretschier". The pu's on my X175B, with the pole heights properly adjusted and balanced get the "sound that's in my head" ie loud, full, bright and punchy. It's amazing how different two archtop hollowbody electrics can sound....both being great sounds too. That's one of the things I love about Guilds and Gretsch, nothing generic about 'em. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[parker_knoll]

Yep, that sums it up. I believe it's what Gibson is currently using on some models too. Good, and cheap too, which is always nice.

The Tru-Arc bridges are great, and Tim (Mr Tru Arc) is a super nice guy, but with my guitars and rig I find them a little "much" : they're fantastic for guitars that can do with a little extra liveliness, resonance, and "zing". the change isn't all that subtle : you really gain punch with those bridges, almost as if you click on a very subtle little preamp.

Thing is, my single coil Guilds, old or new, don't need any help in that department, they're loud, full, bright, clear and punchy enough with a regular old tune-a-matic. In fact, those ABR-1 style TOM bridges may be such a primitive finicky old design that they actually narrow down the bandwith of the guitar a little bit and turn a full-bodied almost acoustic guitar into a twangier, more electric feeling and sounding guitar, but whatever's going on, I like what they do for the Guilds.

A little bit of information for folks who have a Newark street X175 with the wood bridge : the post spacing on the stock bridge base works for tune-a-matics with the narrower, old style mounting posts. (like the bridge that comes on the natural finish Bigsby-d model) No need to get a base if you're planning on swapping in a TOM - well worth it to have the stock bridge base contoured to the guitar body better than factory by someone handy who knows what he's doing.

As i remember there are two main bridge spacings, 3" and 2 7/8". the vintage ones are smaller.

 

[mbuc]

Black guitar, nickel Bigsby and hardware, cream P90s, beautiful beyond words. Congrats & enjoy!