Visual Sound 1 Spot Adaptor

Quick Test
Pigtail Music ’50s Tailpiece Replica £50
Verdict
If you need a replacement bridge/
tailpiece for your old Jr or Special (or a
more modern one), the ’50s Tailpiece
Replica is as close to the real thing as
you can get without paying silly vintage
prices – if you can even fi nd an original.
The acoustic-like intonation is all part of
these simple guitars’ performance,
though if you need it, Pigtail’s
adjustable wrapover is a fi ne piece too.
RATING
Jacques Trinity Filter Auto & Classic Wah £105
140 SUMMER 2006
KEY INFO ❘ PIGTAIL WRAPOVER BRIDGE ❘ PRICE: £50 ❘ TYPE: ONE-PIECE ❘ TEL: [phone] ❘ WEB: WWW.PIGTAILMUSIC.COM
PIGTAIL MUSIC MAKES A growing
range of guitar hardware, and the
company’s original string-winder
product (£19.95) is proving very
popular with pros and guitar techs alike.
Pigtail Music’s range of hardware
includes bridge/tailpiece studs, tremolo
blocks, tuner bushings and various
bridges. Now they’ve added this neat
wrapover bridge too, designed as a
direct replica of those fi tted on original
Juniors and Specials. “The only
tailpiece on the market with correct
contour on top for better intonation and
tone,” says Pigtail. “Weight is identical
to the ’50s tailpieces within milligrams
(average weight between 30 and 32
Need a real replacement for your broken vintage Gibson bridge? Look no further… by Dave Burrluck
Funky fi lters, wah-wah and more, from one compact stompbox by Chris Vinnicombe
RATING
with a six-string electric or a bass,
performance is equally effective, and
when used in conjunction with fuzz and
delay pedals, the fi lter can create some
pretty far-out textures.
Verdict
Ultimately, this is the kind of effect that
has limited appeal to anyone who
doesn’t at least fl irt with funk playing.
However, if that’s your bag then the
Trinity is a versatile, space-saving
solution that does the job of several
dedicated units.
suitably robust and roadworthy,
although we did fi nd the plastic switch
that toggles the effect on and off to be
somewhat fl imsy and a possible weak
point further down the line. However,
it’s nice to see a simple battery access
hatch around the back, without the
fussy clip arrangement you’d usually
fi nd inside a compact effects pedal.
SOUNDS: The Trinity packs a great
deal into a standard-sized stompbox,
delivering squelchy envelope fi lter
textures in abundance, pseudo-tremolo
sounds, auto-wah and even traditional
wah-wah, in combination with an
optional dome expression controller
(an additional £35). Although
conversion to the Trinity and the feel of
the dome controller take some getting
used to, the resulting smooth wah-wah
sounds may even fi nd you abandoning
your trusty Cry Baby or Vox unit. The
Trinity’s other voices are balanced and
musical, delivering plenty of top-end,
without ever becoming harsh and
scratchy. Whether you’re plugging in
THE FRENCH BRAND JACQUES
is gaining global kudos for its pro-
quality range of stompbox effects. The
new Trinity unit is a combined fi lter and
wah unit, with hidden depths unlocked
by just four rotary controls. Most
aspects of the pedal’s construction are
With originals both
pricey and rare, the
Tailpiece Replica is
an ideal solution
Fans of funk would
do well to check
this pedal out
PIGTAIL ’50S TAILPIECE TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED As close to the original as you
can get
■ WE DISLIKED It’s an expensive piece but
way cheaper than an original bridge
JACQUES TRINITY TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Smooth sounds; versatility;
playing the Grange Hill theme with the fi lter
■ WE DISLIKED The switch lets down an
otherwise admirable design
grams). Tailpieces for Les Paul Juniors
and Specials have adjustment screws
and grooved backs without counter
bores, just like the originals. Tailpieces
for Standards and Customs – which are
also available from Pigtail – have
counter bores for string balls on the
backside. All manufacturing methods
used on the original units were retained
for the utmost authenticity in tone and
appearance.”
IN USE: The original bridge on this
writer’s old Gibson Jr broke some years
back and was replaced with an Allparts
tailpiece. The Pigtail unit is virtually
identical to the original, both in profi le
and weight (Pigtail offer an ‘aged’
version, too). It’s much closer than the
Allparts version, and others we’ve come
across. Sound-wise, the bridge
maintains that open-sounding ring
that’s an essential part of the tone of
these early Jrs.
KEY INFO ❘ JACQUES TRINITY FILTER AUTO & CLASSIC WAH ❘ PRICE: £105 ❘ TYPE: EFFECTS ❘ WEB: WWW.FILLINGDISTRIBUTION.COM
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