Anybody familiar with Armadillo guitar parts?

[_MementoMori_]

They've got a brass bridge that I'm considering for my partscaster build. It's between that and a Bill Lawrence copper bridge. I'm trying to go with non-standard chrome, nickel, black, or gold on this build. I like the look of the Lawrence copper bridge more, but I'm slightly concerned about the softness of solid copper and the brass would give me a little more peace of mind.

I don't see anyone talk about Armadillo here though. Thanks!

 

[Mister_Hand]

They've got a brass bridge that I'm considering for my partscaster build. It's between that and a Bill Lawrence copper bridge. I'm trying to go with non-standard chrome, nickel, black, or gold on this build. I like the look of the Lawrence copper bridge more, but I'm slightly concerned about the softness of solid copper and the brass would give me a little more peace of mind.

I don't see anyone talk about Armadillo here though. Thanks!

They have a good reputation. They make a nice brass replica of the one Andy Summers has on his famous Tele.

 

[Ronkirn]

yep. I've used Armadillo too, very nice.. as for the Bill Lawrence bridge.. I'm not aware of it, and I was good friends with Bill.. are ya sure it's not Bill Lawrence USA... if so Run Awayyyyyy,,

r

 

[Dan German]

yep. I've used Armadillo too, very nice.. as for the Bill Lawrence bridge.. I'm not aware of it, and I was good friends with Bill.. are ya sure it's not Bill Lawrence USA... if do Run Awayyyyyy,,

r

It's marked "Bill Lawrence USA" so...

Also, this ad copy: "The Copper metal used for this unique bridge naturally vibrates at 464 Hz (B flat) as opposed to steel which vibrates at 440 Hz (Concert A). From a guitar player's standpoint the result is a much rounder, fuller, smoother, Bigger tone that blends superbly with the Tenor Sax and the Contrabass, as well as B flat Horn Instruments."

I was unaware that I needed different alloys depending on the instrumentation of my band. (I'll admit it looks kind of cool, other than the name and the frequency engraved in it.)

 

[_MementoMori_]

yep. I've used Armadillo too, very nice.. as for the Bill Lawrence bridge.. I'm not aware of it, and I was good friends with Bill.. are ya sure it's not Bill Lawrence USA... if do Run Awayyyyyy,,

r

It IS in fact Bill Lawrence USA. That's a bad move, huh? I'm only vaguely aware of the difference between Bill Lawrence and Bill Lawrence USA. Glad I asked.

 

[viking]

LOL....

 

[jkingma]

They have a good reputation. They make a nice brass replica of the one Andy Summers has on his famous Tele.

I've got the Armadillo Andy Summers bridge and a guitar in the works that it will be going on. It's very well made & worth the price, but until I get the guitar done I really can't say much more than that.

 

[_MementoMori_]

It's marked "Bill Lawrence USA" so...

Also, this ad copy: "The Copper metal used for this unique bridge naturally vibrates at 464 Hz (B flat) as opposed to steel which vibrates at 440 Hz (Concert A). From a guitar player's standpoint the result is a much rounder, fuller, smoother, Bigger tone that blends superbly with the Tenor Sax and the Contrabass, as well as B flat Horn Instruments."

I was unaware that I needed different alloys depending on the instrumentation of my band. (I'll admit it looks kind of cool, other than the name and the frequency engraved in it.)

I'll be honest with you - I like it for the aesthetics alone. But the solid copper construction does worry me. I've made a few jewelry items out of solid copper and I don't know if I trust a metal that I can bend with my hands.

 

[Dan German]

I'll be honest with you - I like it for the aesthetics alone. But the solid copper construction does worry me. I've made a few jewelry items out of solid copper and I don't know if I trust a metal that I can bend with my hands.

Yeah, copper doesn't strike me as the most functional metal for what should be one of the heftiest pieces of metal on a tele. A moot point for me, since I wouldn't own anything with that brand name on it, no matter what.

 

[Ronkirn]

It wouldn't matter what the Bridge is made of, Bill Lawrence USA. is run by a guy that was a former partner of the real Bill Lawrence. and has made a living by infringing on Bills IP for decades.

Bill took him to court on many occasions. winning every time, the phony has been a thorn in Bill's, now Becky's, side ever since he "stole" the company He and Bill formed in the 70's. (that's a long story that's been posted before do a search..)

the general consensus here in the TDPRI has been for almost 20 years, buying ANY of the Bill Lawrence USA products, new or used only perpetuates his
company...

Stay away from anything labeled Bill Lawrence USA .. I don't care if it's being given away.

r

 

[_MementoMori_]

It wouldn't matter what the Bridge is made of, Bill Lawrence USA. is run by a guy that was a former partner of the real Bill Lawrence. and has made a living by infringing on Bills IP for decades.

Bill took him to court on many occasions. winning every time, the phony has been a thorn in Bill's, now Becky's, side ever since he "stole" the company He and Bill formed in the 70's. (that's a long story that's been posted before do a search..)

the general consensus here in the TDPRI has been for almost 20 years, buying ANY of the Bill Lawrence USA products, new or used only perpetuates his
company...

Stay away from anything labeled Bill Lawrence USA .. I don't care if it's being given away.

r

Got it. I was not aware. It's not too late though - I don't have any Bill Lawrence USA stuff on this build. Armadillo it is!

 

[warrent]

The armadillo stuff is nice as for the copper bridge it was covered here:
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/copper-bridge-plates.920125/
caveat emptor indeed

 

[Ronkirn]

a piece of metal's resonant frequency is dependent upon the size and/or shape..

the statement in the ad, "The Copper metal used for this unique bridge naturally vibrates at 464 Hz (B flat) as opposed to steel which vibrates at 440 Hz (Concert A)." suggests someone doesn't know squat about the resonating tone coming from anything...

r

 

[gtrwrks]

I've bought from Armadillo for several years - knobs, switch tips, etc. - good quality machining.

 

[ElJay370]

Hmmm...Interesting.

Looks like reproductions of old Schecter/Schaller/DiMarzio parts from the 70's made from nicely machined brass and aluminum.

Copper, though? I dunno...seems pretty soft for something that will see a lot of vibration, handling, and wear. Will also tarnish and look like garbage even faster than brass. Benefit?

 

[knockeduptele]

Michael is a lovely man and a fine craftsman - I have Five of his Tele Bridges and a number of Strat saddle sets and he has done custom work for me with no real cost impact

Exceptional work on time and on cost - you couldn't ask for more

 

[brookdalebill]

They made me a few bridge plates and assorted parts.
Nice, talented guy!

 

[Frankentar]

Armadillo Guitar is a fellow named Michael Slotboom. He’s a nice guy and he does beautiful custom work at very reasonable prices. Though he says that materials don’t make a great difference in a stratocaster bridge, two of the best-sounding instruments I own have hardtail bridge plates that Michael made — a cold-rolled steel plate with aluminum saddles and a brass plate with brass saddles. Anyway, back in November 2018, I emailed him with a couple questions about bridge-plate materials and about the various sizes, shapes and materials he offers for bridge saddles. Here is what he wrote back, unedited:

Yes, there are a lot of tonal differences in the various materials, but they really only come into play if you are dealing with plates that incorporate the pickup in the assembly like the Tele. In Strats, where there is no connectivity between plate and pickup, there is not really too much to color the tone substantially. I do know however that brass plates and tone blocks in a Strat will increase sustain.

As far as the saddles are concerned, most of the difference is simply in style and design. However, on a Strat, you are going to be limited due to length. Strat saddles need to be shorter due to the location on the string through holes. If the saddles are too long, you won't have enough adjustment for proper intonation.

In general, brass is the most balanced sound throughout the entire range and offers the most resonance and sustain. 1018 mild steel offers that characteristic Tele twang. This is due to it's high magnetic properties. But needs to be either nickel or chrome plated unless you don't mind dealing with the rust issue. But again, that sound property really won't translate to a Strat. Stainless steel tends to accentuate the highs a lot, mids are supported okay, but the low end kind of drops off, so you constantly need to be able to adjust for volume, which can become a real drag, especially if you are soloing. Once you drop below the 9th fret, you need to keep increasing the volume as you work down the fret board. Copper is similar to brass but has kind of a bell tone and ring. But again, most of that is lost on a Strat.

Sure hope this helps.
Michael​

 

[Wayne Alexander]

I've got Armadillo bridges on several Tele partscasters. They are very well made, intonate well, are quite sturdy. A think brass bridge plate with six thick brass saddles isn't going to sound like the sheet metal bridge on a vintage tele, but it solves a lot of intonation issues, and to my ears, at least, the Armadillos are sonically equal to or superior to the vintage type stamped steel bridge with compensated brass saddles (not sounding the same, but sounding as good to my ears).

 

[Mike Caffrey]

I've got Armadillo bridges on several Tele partscasters. They are very well made, intonate well, are quite sturdy. A think brass bridge plate with six thick brass saddles isn't going to sound like the sheet metal bridge on a vintage tele, but it solves a lot of intonation issues, and to my ears, at least, the Armadillos are sonically equal to or superior to the vintage type stamped steel bridge with compensated brass saddles (not sounding the same, but sounding as good to my ears).

Do you have any idea what the difference between the Micawber and Andy Summer bridges are? I can't find anything on the Armadillo site.