string overs and curved bridges

[Jim Berry <jberry@xxxxxxxx>]

String overs... The strings are sometimes put on so that the strings go over
the top of the TAILPIECE not the bridge. It was quite common in the 70's.
This is done so that the tailpiece can be made lower and closer to the top
without causing the strings to bind on the side of the bridge. A lot of Les
Paul players swear by it, they say it increases "resonance". I am not sure,
there is no scientific evidence to support that. I tried it on my Les Paul
and didn't find it made any noticiable difference. But, that is the gist of
why this is done.

A Les Paul has a curved fretboard. It is curved for variuous reasons but it
all boils down to it make a guitar easier to play, as it fits your hands
better and does not "fret out" with wide string bends. As such the bridge on
a Les Paul is also slightly curved to match the fretboard. Different years
and different guitars used different curvature radii. Almost all electric
guitars have some curvature so a Les Paul is nothing special in this way.

You can curve the bridge on a Les Paul even more by filing the bridge sadles
(the little pieces of metal the strings touch on the bridge). It will cause
problems if you make it too much different from the curvature of the
fretboard. It can be done, but as you have surmised, you will have to give
up something in playability.

Jim