Hardware Innovations

© 2023 JHS. All rights reserved.

It’s frightening to think how many vintage classic single coil guitars had their bodies routed out to accommodate humbuckers, whilst the trend amongst many of the big named players at the time, had them switching from high output humbuckers to lower-gain single coils.  

As the saying goes, ‘what goes around comes around’ and continues to do so with scores of mainstream and independent pickup manufactures offering literally hundreds of alternative models based on a handful of original designs. 

For some guitar players, custom pickups and exotic tonewoods alone, are the key factors for taste and versatility, whilst others would agree, many insist that hardware built from high quality, sustain enhancing materials is the other half of the sonic equation. 

Decent quality hardware from machineheads to the tail-piece via nuts, saddles, bridges and vibrato systems are also essential for stable tuning, return to pitch vibratos and pin-point-accurate intonation. 

Popular hardware brands like Grover, GraphTech, Guitar Tech and Floyd Rose all have bumper-filled catalogues of problem-solving hardware and accessories, designed for quick and easy retro fit installations to significantly upgrade acoustic, bass or electric guitars. 

One of the easiest and beneficial upgrades on any guitar is to invest in a premium set of machine heads. The important role they play in keeping an instrument in tune is often overlooked. 

For decades, Grover has been recognised worldwide as industry leaders for high quality replacement hardware, including machine heads and bridges for acoustic guitars, electric guitars, basses and folk instruments. 

With all models meticulously designed and renowned for their reliability and excellent tuning stability, amongst many lines, the Roto-Matic and Roto-Grip Series locking tuners, are designed as an upgrade for modern or vintage guitars without undertaking any modifications to the instruments which, with or without experience can be daunting, so keep that tool box closed.  

In a host of classic and modern styles with precision engineered worm and gear components to eliminate string slippage, super-smooth ratios, open-geared or self-lubricating closed housings in a choice of beautiful finishes, Grover is the perfect choice for rapid and convenient string changing from banjos to baritone guitars and a blessing for virtuoso vibrato guitar players and a firm favourite with musicians around the world.  

The density of an instrument’s nut is of course another point of contact that contributes to the tonal qualities and sustain of the strings. 

GraphTech are one of the world’s largest manufacturers of instrument accessories and renowned for producing precision-cut nuts constructed from the company’s world famous, formulated TUSQ man-made ivory. 

Impregnated with PTFE, a material that remains self-lubricating, GraphTech nuts dramatically reduce string drag, ensure stable tuning, assist string bending and accurate vibrato return to pitch, while improving the sonic performance of the instrument by enhancing sustain and revealing hidden harmonics. 

Whilst also producing some of the most innovative saddles, bridge pins, bridges, machineheads and pickup systems, GraphTech nuts are installed on some of the biggest instrument brand names in the guitar world, designed as an invaluable upgrade for guitars built from the 1950’s onward.  

It’s well over 40 years since Floyd Rose introduced the world’s first double-locking vibrato system and completely revolutionised the electric guitar and with it, a whole new generation of players. 

Now with a vast array of replacement vibrato systems for 6 and 7 string guitars, constructed from various metals in a host of cool finishes to match the instrument’s existing hardware, Floyd Rose products, including the company’s innovative series of locking nuts, are used and trusted by some of the most influential and famous guitar players on the planet. 

With a host of upgradeable parts Floyd Rose fans are customising their systems with noiseless vibrato springs finished in Black, Red or Green, coated in a revolutionary new polymer eliminating  possible ‘string ping’ and sonic transmissions through the guitar pickups, along with nut clamping screws, clamping blocks, fine tuning screws, string retainers, string lock screws, bridge saddles and saddle screws, bridge mounting machine studs, vibrato arms and Floyd Rose Brass Fat and Tungsten Fat replacement sustain blocks. 

Whether you play folk, country, bluegrass, classical, jazz, blues, rock, metal and everything else in between, on acoustic, electro acoustic, electric guitar or bass guitar, Guitar Tech, with a global reach and an army of guitar luthiers, loyal musicians and store owners, stocks a vast number of accessories for ‘all things guitar’.  

From a banjo tailpiece, to a high output humbucker, Guitar Tech have quality built replacement parts that include, amongst thousands of products, vibratos, bridges, locking nuts, tailpieces, pickups, electronics, strap locks, machine heads, toggle switches and bridge pins, for that personal customised visual approach. Guitar Techalso has an interesting range of control knobs and scratchplates in various designs and finishes.

© 2023 JHS. All rights reserved.