Tune-O-Matic help

[Jondog]

Mainly been a Fender player my whole life, and any guitars I’ve had with Tune-O-Matics never had an issues. My latest guitar, a Gretsch developed a strange vibration and I’ve pinpointed to this “spring retainer” across the adjustment screws. Do I need this?

[Les Paul Lover]

I'll try to check tonight, but I do t recall the tunomatic bridge on my LP and SG having that...... doesnt mean it isn't there though!

I'll have to check tonight.

[PBA]

The retaining spring is there simply to hold the six saddles in place. If you remove it, there is the possibility that saddles will fall out if you remove the strings.
There's also the possibility that the whole bridge will fall off but they don't have a spring for that
To remove it, use a pair of pliers to grip the spring near the end. Pull towards the headstock and the piece of spring bent to 90 degrees should slide out of the bridge. The other end should be the same but should come off will less effort. It should be possible to do this even with the strings on.
If it solves your problem - great. It might be worth bending the ends slightly so that it presses more firmly on the bridge and re-fitting it but that's up to you.

If it doesn't fix the problem it might be one of the saddles. I've had far more problems with saddles than spring retainers...

[Rlw59]

I'll try to check tonight, but I do t recall the tunomatic bridge on my LP and SG having that...... doesnt mean it isn't there though!

I'll have to check tonight.

Gibson uses a few different Tune-O-Matics. The ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic has the retaining wire, and is mostly used on Historic Reissues and actual vintage Gibsons. (Mostly -- some regular production models have also used it.)

Most regular production modern Gibsons use the Nashville Tune-O-Matic. No wire, a bit wider (more intonation range), and the saddle screws are held in place with circlips.
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The earliest version of the ABR had no wire. But '50s manufacturing tolerances weren't super tight -- sometimes the screw and saddle would fall out if you broke a string. (PITA looking for a saddle on a dark stage.)

There are modern wireless ABR's that have tight tolerances and retain the screws/saddles well.
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The Gibson Nashville and ABR aren't directly interchangeable. The ABR bridge posts are skinny and screw directly into the body wood, and have separate thumbwheels for height adjustment.

The Nashville has thicker posts that thread into metal anchor bushings in the body. The "thumbwheels" are actually part of the posts, and the posts move up or down when you adjust string height.

The post spacing is a little different. And if you put a Nashville on ABR posts the huge holes in the Nashville let it shift around. To put an ABR on Nashville posts you have to enlarge the holes in the ABR. There are several companies that make conversion posts to put ABR's on Nashville equipped guitars. (Snobs look down on Nashvilles so practically nobody puts them on ABR equipped guitars.)
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ABR vs Nashville is why some Gibsons come from the factory with the intonation screws facing the neck (ABR) and others have the screws facing the tailpiece (Nashville).

[Rlw59]

Mainly been a Fender player my whole life, and any guitars I’ve had with Tune-O-Matics never had an issues. My latest guitar, a Gretsch developed a strange vibration and I’ve pinpointed to this “spring retainer” across the adjustment screws. Do I need this?

Having just talked about Nashvilles vs ABR's, yours is a common style of import TOM's that combines some features of both. The bridge itself is like an ABR but the posts are like a Nashville.
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As PBA said, you can remove the wire if you want and it may work fine.

And as he said, it may be a saddle or two rather than the wire. Sometimes, giving the intonation screw a tiny fraction of a turn will let the saddle settle down into better contact with the bridge and stop the buzz (many intonation screws are a little eccentric).

Some people bend the wire into a zigzag pattern to put more downward pressure on the screws to eliminate the buzz. Often they suggest pushing on the wire with a screwdriver between the saddles while the wire is in place, but it works a lot better to remove the wire and bend it with pliers (trickier and more work, but works a lot better).

Some people just put dabs of nailpolish where the wire touches the screws. You have to reapply each time you adjust intonation but it's quick, easy, and usually effective.

[Gray]

(Snobs look down on Nashvilles so practically nobody puts them on ABR equipped guitars.)

Snob reporting for duty. I've owned Gibsons with both and the ABR screwed directly into the wood sounds better. Resonates louder, sustains longer.

[Jondog]

I know it’s the wire. Stabilizing it with a pen made the vibration stop. Pulled it off.

[Rlw59]

(Snobs look down on Nashvilles so practically nobody puts them on ABR equipped guitars.)

Snob reporting for duty. I've owned Gibsons with both and the ABR screwed directly into the wood sounds better. Resonates louder, sustains longer.

I've generally found that to be true. But I've heard great Nashvilles. I've never done a conversion from one to the other though, which makes it hard to say if the bridge was only factor.

[Les Paul Lover]

I know it’s the wire. Stabilizing it with a pen made the vibration stop. Pulled it off.

Well, that's that sorted.

I've checked, both my SG and LP have the Nashville bridge seemingly.