An electric guitar has three points of contact in order for the strings to sound/vibrate: the nut, the bridge, and the frets between the two. The options for guitar nuts and fret wire are fairly straightforward – your choices are limited to material and dimensions. For the electric guitar bridge however, there are many, many types. As the main point of contact for the strings, as well as where the majority of adjustments are made (string height, spacing, intonation, etc), it’s incredibly important to understand the differences between them.

There are four main/common types of electric guitar bridge...

Tune-O-Matic Bridge

The Tune-O-Matic is considered the traditional option – it’s been around a long time. You’ll find it on many Gibsons, archtops and hollow-body guitars.

The bridge is bar-shape - narrow and thin - and usually fitted with 6 tall, individual saddles. The string passes over the top of those saddles and down to a tailpiece of some sort. There are plenty of options for the tailpiece including a Stop Bar, Vibrola, Bigsby, or similar.

The bridge sits on top of two posts which are screwed either into the electric guitar body (directly or into small inserts) or into a base (known as a floating bridge). The height of the bridge is adjusted by thumbwheels on those posts, and the intonation is adjusted by screws that pass through each saddle.

There are three main versions of the Tune-O-Matic:

• ABR-1 – The “vintage” option. A slimmer bridge with a wider post spacing. The posts screw directly into the body.
• Nashville – Slightly wider bridge for better intonation, with a narrower post spacing. The posts screw into inserts that are pressed into the guitar body.
• Metric – Same specification as the Nashville, apart from its use of large M8 posts.

Wraparound Bridge

The Wraparound is much like the Tune-O-Matic; it has very similar shape and mounts to the guitar much in the same way. However, it differs greatly in its setup and adjustability.

As its name suggests, the string isn’t held by a tailpiece but is instead wrapped around the bridge. The string passes over the top of the saddle and is pulled down and underneath bridge, with the ball-end then hooked at the front.

Any guitar with little space on its top will benefit from this type of electric guitar bridge, but will suffer with the reduced break-angle, and often limited adjustability.

Hardtail Bridge

This is possibly the more common of the various types of electric guitar bridges available. It is simple in design and easily adjusted, making it suitable and preferable for many guitar makers. You’ll find them on Fender Strats, Ibanez, PRS and many more.

The most basic version of a Hardtail is one with 6-saddles sat on a single metal plate, which is bent up at 90 degrees at the back to fix the intonation screws to. They are generally mounted by screws through the baseplate and into the bridge.

Variations include top-loading or string-through setups (saddles will have off-set screws), 3-saddle models, Hi-Mass and Low-Profile versions, and Telecaster bridges with an extended baseplate to accommodate a pickup.

Tremolo Bridge

The Tremolo Bridge is effectively a Hardtail Bridge with a block attached to its underside. Instead of being fixed onto the electric guitar body, a Tremolo is mounted via screws or posts located at its front edge, allowing it to pivot back and forth. An arm, fixed to the Tremolo unit, allows the user to control its movement.

The string passes through the saddle and down into the block where the ball-end is held. Everything else (heigh, intonation, etc) adjusts the same as the Hardtail.

Prominent variations of the Tremolo include:

• “Vintage” 6-Screw Tremolo
• 2-Point Tremolo
• Floyd Rose

The option used will largely depend on the make and model of guitar, as well as the user’s style of playing. It would be unusual, for example, for a Floyd Rose to be fitted to a ’63 Fender Strat Reissue, and for that guitar to be used for a Beatles tribute band.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the four common types of electric guitar bridge:

• Tune-o-Matic
• Wraparound
• Hardtail
• Tremolo

There are no right or wrong options, only what works best for the make and model of guitar, and the playing style.

You can view all of guitar bridges HERE