So Uwe, do you collect for bridges?

[uwe]

Aw, how you can read my mind, ze Göldtöp bitte!!!

Only for the bridge of course.

[Bionic-Joe]

ABOUT DAMN TIME they get the bridge right. They should use those bridges on the current thunderbirds as well. FINALLY!!!

[OldManC]

I have to hand it to Henry, even if most models have been severely limited editions (by design or at the behest of the marketplace), Gibson has treated it's four (and five) string customers very well over the last few years.

[uwe]

That bridge is unfortunately not "right" at all, it does not offer enough range for obsessive intonators like me (who want that D minor 7 chord in the 17th fret to still sound clean), all it enables is "just about right". It's the bridge known from the BFG bass and - alas - Dean basses. To think they discarded deutsche Ingeneurskunst for zis ... Himmler!!! ... Err, I meant "Himmel" of course!

[OldManC]

I wonder if a BadBird bridge would fit...

[Barklessdog]

Gold top is the coolest. They should have put three pickups on the Black Beauty.

[Basvarken]

That bridge is unfortunately not "right" at all, it does not offer enough range for obsessive intonators like me (who want that D minor 7 chord in the 17th fret to still sound clean), all it enables is "just about right".

I'm not too sure about that Uwe. The angle under which the bridge is positioned should get it almost right if the saddles were all in line . And then the individual saddle travel offers enough fine tuning for perfect intonation. I don't see why this would work on each and every Les Paul guitar and not on a bass...

Unless of course you'd want to string the bass with a very uneven set of strings. Then you might need more saddle travel

[dadagoboi]

I'm not too sure about that Uwe. The angle under which the bridge is positioned should get it almost right if the saddles were all in line . And then the individual saddle travel offers enough fine tuning for perfect intonation. I don't see why this would work on each and every Les Paul guitar and not on a bass...

Unless of course you'd want to string the bass with a very uneven set of strings. Then you might need more saddle travel

Well said, all that is required is to properly locate the bridge...assuming of course the builder knows how to do that.  Judging by the 1963 attempt left uncorrected through 1967 I'm not sure Gibson has that ability.

I'll be installing Tonepro studs and a Badbird bridge on Scott's JAEbird. First I'm gonna get trashed, lose my glasses and cut 1/4 inch off the tape measure to simulate Factory conditions.

[godofthunder]

Watch your fingers!

[Dave W]

....
I'll be installing Tonepro studs and a Badbird bridge on Scott's JAEbird. First I'm gonna get trashed, lose my glasses and cut 1/4 inch off the tape measure to simulate Factory conditions.

Be sure to do it on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon.

[dadagoboi]

Be sure to do it on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon.

Luckily it's evening as I read that or I'd be cleaning my new keyboard.

[uwe]

A regular 105-45 set could not be intonated perfectly on my BFG because the saddle travel is minimal and not much more than on a guitar with its thinner strings (not that 9 out of 10 guitarists even have the faintest grasp what intonation is). Same thing on the - structualrally similar - Dean bridges by the way. It won't get you kicked out of a studio, but it's not as good as it could be. Form over function. Unlike the here so much derided three point which offers perfect intonation.

[FrankieTbird]

Nice looking bass!  That neck-position pickup looks like it's in a pretty good spot.  Now if only they had left off the other pickup! 

[Barklessdog]

A regular 105-45 set could not be intonated perfectly on my BFG because the saddle travel is minimal and not much more than on a guitar with its thinner strings (not that 9 out of 10 guitarists even have the faintest grasp what intonation is). Same thing on the - structurally similar - Dean bridges by the way. It won't get you kicked out of a studio, but it's not as good as it could be. Form over function. Unlike the here so much derided three point which offers perfect intonation.

You could retro fit it with the brilliant german engineered one?
 
They really took a step backward with the bridge, functionally (the German in me) speaking. There is no adjustment it can't do. Great bridge.

[Basvarken]

You could retro fit it with the brilliant german engineered one?

That would involve major routing.

Again I'd vote for the Duesenberg two point bridge if you might feel the urge to replace the bridge. No routing involved.