Three-Point Bridge Question

[mc2NY]

OK.....

I have a number of Gibson Basses with three-point bridges on them. I don't mind them and can usually get them playing pretty well.

So, recently I picked up an '87 TBIrd. Someone had screwed with the three-point bridge and bent an arch into the base plate, I guess trying to match the arch of the fingerboard. Anyway, they had put a crack in the base, so I bought a replacement.

In looking at Gibby three-point replacements, I noticed most older ones have flate bass plates but I did run across a couple with slight arches to the base.

Did Gibson actually make two versions of the base, one flat and one arched?  Or was the arched one something done aftermarket? I gues an arched one would make sense for one of the basses that had a slightly arched top ?

But wondering if anyone knows for sure if any models definitely had arched three-point bridges?

Also, the saddles in my broken three-point were not the typical T-shaped ones. They were straight rectangles with no T at the top. Anyone know if any three-point bridges came with those or did someone swap another brand of saddles onto it?

[Granny Gremlin]

I have never seen non-T saddles.  What we have definately seen is the saddles out of proper order or obviously replaced (one doesn't match the rest). 

I have never noticed an arched base on a 3 point.  I wonder if the later Epi or Allparts replacements were like that vs the original Gibby 70s ones. ... Asian ho?

[uwe]

I have arched ones on a couple of my basses, probably too frequent to all blame it on manhandling, I never gave it a thought. The arch would have nothing to do with an arched top, the bridge is "floating" after all, but the radius of the fretboard, even though that could be accomodated by saddles of various heights too rather than an arched plate.

[gearHed289]

I have arched ones on a couple of my basses, probably too frequent to all blame it on manhandling, I never gave it a thought. The arch would have nothing to do with an arched top, the bridge is "floating" after all, but the radius of the fretboard, even though that could be accomodated by saddles of various heights too rather than an arched plate.

And proper filing of the grooves.

[TBird1958]

The original black one on my '89 was arched.
It wasn't chrome so I didn't care 


The chrome replacement is arched too.