new bridge on the old Epi

Started by FrankieTbird, February 21, 2010, 10:11:35 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Pilgrim

So, for someone not fluent in Gibson....

1) What is the new two-piece bridge called?

2) Does the saddle assembly mount to the original bridge posts? 

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."

FrankieTbird

Quote from: Pilgrim on February 23, 2010, 03:08:00 PM
So, for someone not fluent in Gibson....

1) What is the new two-piece bridge called?

2) Does the saddle assembly mount to the original bridge posts? 



The bridge I used is this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHROME-BASS-GUITAR-BRIDGE-FITS-SG-GIBSON-LES-PAUL-LP_W0QQitemZ330406897069QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item4cedc925ad

I guess it's just called a Tune-O-Matic bass bridge.  Not sure what the original application is.  Anyone?  Mounting it on the Embassy was not exactly straightforward.  The stud spacing is almost perfect, but the mounting studs supplied with the bridge are metric thread.  The original Epiphone inserts are of course SAE.  Also, the inserts supplied with the bridge have a MUCH smaller diameter than the originals.  What I ended up doing was pulling the original inserts out of the body.  Then I took another old set of Gibson inserts I had and retapped them to the metric thread.  Popped them in the body and mounted the new bridge.  Works fine.  Also, the string spacing of the Tune-O-Matic is about 3/16" wider overall than the old 3-point, which I think is a good thing.  I think it worked out pretty well, and I didn't spend $200 for a Thunderbird repro.  I'm happy.






FrankieTbird

Quote from: dminer on February 22, 2010, 02:45:07 PM
More like 227 were shipped according to the shipping totals book:
SB 232- 149 from 61-70
SB232ch- 78 for the same years
...rarer'n hens' teeth
Great job on bridge swap.


507 according to this page:

http://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/EmbassyShippingFigures.php

dminer

Quote507 according to this page:

http://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/EmbassyShippingFigures.php

   Thanks, I stand corrected...I had put a small embassy note in my gibson shipping totals book next to the sb 232 which now, obviously, was a reference for a friend of mine with some old epi solid body guitars. They did make an embassy guitar didn't they?

   But, The gibson totals book does have 11 ebdl's shipped in 1970 which are not listed on the fly site. So if this is correct then there were actually 518.

uwe

"Then I took another old set of Gibson inserts I had and retapped them to the metric thread."


Good boy. American civilization is not beyond recovery after all!
We've taken too much for granted ... and all the time it had grown ...
From techno seeds we first planted ... evolved a mind of its own ...

Dave W

Quote from: dminer on February 23, 2010, 07:25:52 PM
   Thanks, I stand corrected...I had put a small embassy note in my gibson shipping totals book next to the sb 232 which now, obviously, was a reference for a friend of mine with some old epi solid body guitars. They did make an embassy guitar didn't they?

The guitar is the Epi Crestwood.

Pilgrim

Thanks!

Quote from: FrankieTbird on February 23, 2010, 06:18:42 PM

The bridge I used is this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHROME-BASS-GUITAR-BRIDGE-FITS-SG-GIBSON-LES-PAUL-LP_W0QQitemZ330406897069QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item4cedc925ad

I guess it's just called a Tune-O-Matic bass bridge.  Not sure what the original application is.  Anyone?  Mounting it on the Embassy was not exactly straightforward.  The stud spacing is almost perfect, but the mounting studs supplied with the bridge are metric thread.  The original Epiphone inserts are of course SAE.  Also, the inserts supplied with the bridge have a MUCH smaller diameter than the originals.  What I ended up doing was pulling the original inserts out of the body.  Then I took another old set of Gibson inserts I had and retapped them to the metric thread.  Popped them in the body and mounted the new bridge.  Works fine.  Also, the string spacing of the Tune-O-Matic is about 3/16" wider overall than the old 3-point, which I think is a good thing.  I think it worked out pretty well, and I didn't spend $200 for a Thunderbird repro.  I'm happy.






"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."