Early Muller Roller Bridge

[scotrock]

Hi
My apologies I have not used the forum for a while. I would very much appreciate if one of your knowledgeable members would help me with this Muller Roller Bridge. My current knowledge is that this type of bridge featured on Guild archtop guitars with tremolos from the 60's. Being gold I assume one of the high end models. Apparently there were three types although this one seem to predate the types I have found. This one being a much heavier built model. This type may also

have featured on Hofner and Klira guitars of the same period.

 

[GAD]

Sorry if I missed it but what’s your question?

Mueller bridges like that were widely used on Guild electrics in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. There are three types that I know of. Here’s one on an S300AD from the late ‘70s:

 

[Walter Broes]

Hi
My apologies I have not used the forum for a while. I would very much appreciate if one of your knowledgeable members would help me with this Muller Roller Bridge. My current knowledge is that this type of bridge featured on Guild archtop guitars with tremolos from the 60's. Being gold I assume one of the high end models. Apparently there were three types although this one seem to predate the types I have found. This one being a much heavier built model. have featured on Hofner and Klira guitars of the same period.

Guild Archtops, from the late 50's well into the 90's (2000's even) that came with a Bigsby vibrato came with aluminium Bigsby "rocking saddle" bridges. Those mueller bridges are a 70's thing, and not even on vibrato-equipped guitars.

 

[scotrock]

Sorry if I missed it but what’s your question?

Mueller bridges like that were widely used on Guild electrics in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. There are three types that I know of. Here’s one on an S300AD from the late ‘70s:

Hi GAD

Thank you for your reply, as I said I know there are three types that are normally attributed to Guild, but as I also said this in my view does not fall into those types. The one I have looks to me to be a earlier version because the build is more substantial and the square notches for the string path. What I was asking is does any of you members recognise it as a bridge used by Guild.

 

[scotrock]

Guild Archtops, from the late 50's well into the 90's (2000's even) that came with a Bigsby vibrato came with aluminium Bigsby "rocking saddle" bridges. Those mueller bridges are a 70's thing, and not even on vibrato-equipped guitars.

Guild Archtops, from the late 50's well into the 90's (2000's even) that came with a Bigsby vibrato came with aluminium Bigsby "rocking saddle" bridges. Those mueller bridges are a 70's thing, and not even on vibrato-equipped guitars.

Hi Walter Broes

Thank you for you reply, there were three types of bridge made by AB Muller I have attached a shot of what I think are the types, as I replied to GAD, the one I have does not fall into those types. Mine is earlier, pre 1970's and I appreciate that the attached types were introduced in the very early 1970's. Therefore my question is do any of you members regognise it? Muller made this bridge for use with a tremolo that is why it has rollers, it was probably used by Framus, Hofner and Klira in Germany.

 

[scotrock]

Hi Walter Broes

Thank you for you reply, there were three types of bridge made by AB Muller I have attached a shot of what I think are the types, as I replied to GAD, the one I have does not fall into those types. Mine is earlier, pre 1970's and I appreciate that the attached types were introduced in the very early 1970's. Therefore my question is do any of you members regognise it? Muller made this bridge for use with a tremolo that is why it has rollers, it was probably used by Framus, Hofner and Klira in Germany.

Hi Walter

What do you think of this, a thin line Guild archtop with a tremolo and a Muller bridge?

 

[GAD]

@hansmoust will probably know more.

 

[GAD]

Hi Walter

What do you think of this, a thin line Guild archtop with a tremolo and a Muller bridge?

That's a Starfire VI with a center block so it's not a floating bridge like on a traditional archtop

 

[scotrock]

Hi Walter

What do you think of this, a thin line Guild archtop with a tremolo and a Muller bridge?

I think the vast majority of electrics from the early '70s up to probably the Gruhn redesigns came either with the Muller (solids/SEMI archtops) or with wooden bridges (X models).

 

[scotrock]

Hi Walter

What do you think of this, a thin line Guild archtop with a tremolo and a Muller bridge?

Hi Walter

Incidentally I would guess THE tremolos with the "G" the logo were actually made in Germany by ABM.

 

[Walter Broes]

Hi Walter

Incidentally I would guess THE tremolos with the "G" the logo were actually made in Germany by ABM.

No, they were made by Bigsby in Kalamazoo

 

[scotrock]

No, they were made by Bigsby in Kalamazoo

From GAD's web page on Guild guitars.

The tailpiece is a Guildsby, which is fun term for an aluminum Bigsby (licensed, I’m sure) with the Guild logo on it. From what I’ve read the import Bigsbys are sand-cast vs. the US-made ones being die-cast,

 

[Walter Broes]

The licensed Bigsbies only started showing up on the asian-made guitars in the 2010's. USA made Guilds had USA-made sand cast Bigsby vibratos.

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

I always thought that the rollers were not because of vibrato - because screw thread friction would be too high for them to roll - but it was just a simply clever way of adjusting string spacing,

 

[scotrock]

I have done further research on the this Muller Roller Bridge and this particular model featured on Framus guitars in the late 60's so it predates their use on Guild guitars and explains why the one I have is a different build.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

I agree that these bridges were not designed for use with vibrato. If they had been designed for vibrato use, the rollers would not be threaded. They are for adjusting the string spacing. If they were used with a vibrato and they did roll, then the strings would move sideways, maybe not by much, but still not something you would want. Bridges designed for Bigsbys tended to rock, rather than use rollers, though something like this should work well.

 

[prairietelecaster]

A slight deviation for this topic. My son has a bridge like this on an old s-90. Years ago he lost a roller. My machinist cousin silver soldered two small same thread nuts together and lathed them to fit as a new roller. It was a good replacement solution.