2500na-RE Aluminum
Fashioned after the classic Tune-o-matic, for guitars compatible with the ABR-1 standard, this bridge is crafted from aluminum for fast attack and flat frequency response.
ABR-style Bridge
Various vintage components were measured and inspected to craft these bridges with the same methods and materials that were used in the late 1950s.
GE104B
This modern version of the Tune-o-matic is available in a variety of different finishes and is an attractively priced replacement option for an ABR-1-style bridge.
GTM
These bridges were designed to fit all Les Paul-style guitars, feature special retainer springs to prevent rattles and buzz, and come without pre-slotted saddles for custom string-spacing options.
TP6G
This Nashville-style Tune-o-matic features “G Formula” notched saddles, which use a proprietary formula based on the nylon saddle material found on guitars from the ’50s and ’60s.
Babicz FCH Tune-O-Matic
Thanks to the elimination of unwanted space between the bottom of the bridge and the surface of the guitar, this design intends to offer added sustain, stability, and improved fullness and tone.
ResoMax NV2
Outfitted with the company’s String Saver saddles, this triple-plated bridge has an exclusive locking feature that secures the unit magnetically, without the need for tools.
Tone-A-Matic
This bridge’s aircraft-grade aluminum construction offers increased sustain and tone, while its unique saddle design is intended to eliminate saddle rattle and more effectively transfer string energy.
Tune-O-Matic Powerbridge
This drop-in Nashville-style bridge delivers acoustic-like sounds thanks to its piezo-loaded design, and it can be run solo or in combination with a guitar’s existing pickups.
Radiused Tune-o-matic Bridge
This U.S.-milled bridge easily adapts from an 11" radius to either a 10" or 12" radius, and features a lightweight aluminum body, brass screws and saddles, and stainless-steel clips.
Grace and Power
The T-Pine manages the cool trick of looking
practical, elegant, luxurious, and understated
all at once. The natural, straight-grained
pine body is decked out with
ivoroid binding on front and back, while a
curvaceous ivoroid pickguard winks at traditional
Fender thinline pickguard shapes.
The roasted bird’s-eye maple bolt-on neck is
topped with a bone nut and capped with an
Indian rosewood fretboard and super-shiny,
jumbo stainless-steel frets. The visual sum
of those parts gives it a vaguely Western
appearance—a little like a nice leather saddle
or a pair of handmade boots. The hardware
is traditional but, like everything else,
a little fancy—locking vintage-style tuners,
Lollar Special T pickups, a Callaham bridge
with compensated saddles, and Schroeder’s
signature S-shaped jack.
Craftsmanship in the T-Pine is excellent, and it’s especially evident when cradling the neck: The rounded, medium-thick C shape has a comfortable, late-’50s Gibson feel, with fretboard edges that have a broken-in feel and exquisite fretwork that’s precise, ultra polished, and icy smooth. As a result, playability is super fast right up to the 22nd fret, which is easy to get to thanks to a cleverly sculpted heel. The 2-piece pine body is light too, which makes the T-Pine extra comfortable to hold whether you’re standing or seated.
Ride It Like You Stole It
Even without an amp, the T-Pine’s lively
resonance makes it easy to discern subtle
sonic differences in the softer pine body. It
has a bright, ebullient sound that’ s just a
bit rounder in the midrange than a traditional
ash Tele, with a slightly softened top
end. Individual notes sustain beautifully, a
likely result of the beefy Callaham bridge
and sturdy neck joint. Even up at the fretboard’s
upper reaches, chords have surprising
air and body.
These same fundamental flavors come alive when plugged into a dimed Fender Champ. With the guitar’s volume rolled back a bit, the tones from the Lollar Special T were fat and funky, with noticeably more punch than you typically hear from a bridge single-coil—almost a cross of T-style tone and P-90 attack that’s perfect for rhythm sounds. Turning the guitar’s volume back up yielded a detailed, slightly aggressive and bluesy clean tone. The Schroeder will drive a small tube amp deliciously in these situations—conjuring tones that are at once rich, airy, and replete with harmonic overtones. Really digging in with a flatpick produced some of the rudest sounds I’ve ever heard from a single-coil—percussive, visceral, and gritty.
Ratings
Pros:
Amazing fretwork. Beefed-up T-style tones.
excellent build quality.
Cons:
A little expensive.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$2,850
Schroeder Guitars
schroederguitars.com
Switching to the middle position drives home the T-Pine’s versatility. With the volume wide open, I got a tasty, toothsome bark that was punchy and a bit more compressed than I expected. And I only had to back off the volume a touch to get the plucky clean sweetness you expect from the middle position on a T-style instrument.
Plugged into a Jackson Ampworks NewCastle, with its higher-gain Britishstyle tones, the T-Pine delivered midrangey, rock-flavored country lead tones (think Keith Urban) that bordered on spectacular. And with a few tweaks, I got convincingly Marshall-like rock tones that highlighted the Lollars’ low-end potency and high-end clarity. Fiery, Billy Gibbons-like pinch harmonics popped off the strings with ease, and the pickups exhibited a cool compression that helped me hold distorted bends and coax cool controlled feedback out of the amp. But even in these more aggressive environs, it only took a roll-back of the volume knob to get a cleaned-up, Andy Summers-like sound with a dusting of crunch and nice presence.
The Verdict
Though much of the Chopper T-Pine’s success
is attributable to Schroeder’s knack for
taking the best from proven platforms, his
judiciously chosen tweaks, styling twists,
and penchant for quality and tone make
the T-Pine a very special guitar. It’s a wildly
versatile instrument—country guitarists
will like its ability to nail traditional tones,
and rock or blues players will appreciate the
added midrange power and unruly attitude.
The T-Pine is an instrument that would fit
into almost any player’s arsenal and probably
replace a lot of lesser instruments for
good in the process.
