05' Les Paul Bass on the bay

[Granny Gremlin]

It's just a bass version of the original tune-o-matic bridge. Don't know whether or not it has enough travel for proper intonation, but any Chinese bridges that look like that would be knockoffs of the Gibson original, not the other way around.

Except that Gibson never made this sort of bridge until after the Asians did (or just started using theirs) - the Gibson bass version of the tune-o-matic was the 2 and then 3 point.  LPs still used the Warwick when I started seeing these on Ibanez Artcores, and as aftermarket parts on ebay (shipped direct from China). I remember this clearly because I considered getting one for a project that ended up not happening.

dadagoboi's info supports this.


dadagoboi's info supports this.

[Dave W]

You're missing the point. Gibson invented the bridge. Saying it looks like a Chinese bridge is like saying a Gibson Les Paul looks like one of those cheap Chinese Epis.

The 2- and 3-point bridges were never versions of the tune-o-matic, they don't have separate tailpieces. At least the original T-bird bridges did.

[Granny Gremlin]

OK, but what's the point of looking at it that way?

The fact is Gibson never made a 4  banger tune-o-matic that looked just like the 6 banger tune-o-matic but bigger.  Never (until this recent LP bass iteration).  Obviously the tune-o-matic design belongs to Gibson and the Chinese/Wilkinson/whoever ripped it off and modified it for bass use; nobody would ever dispute that, but the fact remains that Gibson never thought to do this (or used to think it a bad idea if it did occur to them).

I'd consider the individual saddle adjustment mechanism to be the defining feature of the tune-o-matic (as it is the GD namesake of the thing) moreso than a seperate tailpeice.  It was unike anything else at the time that Gibson originally came up with it.  The 2/3 point then used the same saddle design/adjustment mechanism, even if slightly differently implemented vis a vis string anchoring and longer travel for intonation, making the thing(s) look very different.  I think I even remember old Gibson lit referring to the 2 piont as a 'bass tune-o-matic,' but I'll have to check up on that.

I'm not saying it looks like a Chinese bridge; I'm saying it IS a Chinese bridge (that Gibson never designed, even though they designed the original that this one was based on.... and the reason why Gibson never did this themselves being that it probably isn't very good, as regards saddle travel, but then the Artcores used it and it looked pretty cool and nobody here really knows the rest of the story).  The need to slant the bridge to get the right striing spacing is indicative of the metric vs imperial nature of Chinese vs US made hardware.

[Dave W]

Nitpicker. 

[dadagoboi]

Speaking from experience: Range on those slanted ones is tight depending on what string set you have.

I believe it, in my experience the minimum travel needs to be 20mm from E to G

The original Thunderbird bridge was referred to by Gibson as a 'Tunematic" IIRC.  Works fine if located properly, e.g. Peter Cook's Fenderbirds.

[Granny Gremlin]

Nitpicker. 

The original Thunderbird bridge was referred to by Gibson as a 'Tunematic" IIRC.

I knew I saw it somewhere in ref to a bass bridge.  Then again, doesn't mean that the 2/3 points weren't also called tune-o-matics (a la the Nashville vs AB1 for 6 bangers).

[uwe]

When did the (short-lived) five string EB/SG shape bass from Epi come out? Late Nineties? It had that bridge - albeit for a five-banger.



Don't see that type of bridge as a cause for jubilation - inferior to the here so much derided three-point in all relevant aspects. And it looks cropwded as hell. Also Jake is right, it was never used on Gibson basses much and therefore - unlike the holy immaculate three-point - has no vintage tradition to speak of.

[Highlander]

...  Works fine if located properly, e.g. Peter Cook's Fenderbirds.

That I can (sort of) vouch for...

[neepheid]

The need to slant the bridge to get the right striing spacing is indicative of the metric vs imperial nature of Chinese vs US made hardware.

To be honest, I thought the slant was to give the fatter strings a bit of a helping hand in the intonation department, as the saddle travel is limited.

[uwe]

Without the slant the allowed travel of the saddles would have to be much more. Even with slant these cannot be intonated to perfection with some string sets.

[4stringer77]

 Yummy honey burst!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Gibson-Les-Paul-STANDARD-Electric-BASS-Guitar-Sunburst-Lightly-Used-/130819230008?pt=Guitar&hash=item1e756f0938

In regards to the new LP, I was going to say it's another candidate for a Hipshot D type. Then I realized the slant would make that tricky, and the carved top wouldn't make it any easier either.

[Dave W]

Yummy honey burst!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Gibson-Les-Paul-STANDARD-Electric-BASS-Guitar-Sunburst-Lightly-Used-/130819230008?pt=Guitar&hash=item1e756f0938
...

Now that one's really nice looking.

[4stringer77]

That beauty almost lured me in to bid but the knob placement gave me second thoughts. If you like to pick Nicky Sixx style by the bridge I could imagine the back of your knuckles wacking into those knobs. Think I'll hold out for a double cut in root beer with gold hardware.

[gearHed289]

That honey burst is nice! Might go for a great price too. Excellent bridge/tailpiece and no "over-sized" body!

[Dave W]

That honey burst is nice! Might go for a great price too. Excellent bridge/tailpiece and no "over-sized" body!

His reserve wasn't too high. Someone could get a bargain. Still three days to go though.