Fitting a New Compensated Bridge?

[Jezzo]

This is a bit of an odd one ...
I have a Bigsby bridge on my Guild but it has a bridge that is compensated for a wound G. I have now bought one for a plain G.
I have to cut the string slots which is fine but I have no idea which way around the bridge goes. It looks pretty symmetrical but the underside is different either end.
Check out the photos to see what I mean.
Does anyone know which way around it goes .... ?

 

[GGJaguar]

@parker_knoll did a nice Bigsby bridge write-up so maybe he'll chime in with some info.

 

[Quantum Strummer]

If one bridge orientation places the low E "saddle" closer to the tailpiece than the other one, that's the one you want.

-Dave-

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

@GAD Should know. has he swapped his bridge around and re-photographed it yet?

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

The top part is supposed to be able to tilt on the base when you push the whammy bar down. On second pic it is clear, that top end could tilt towards camera, while the lower end not. Because there seems to be a flat portion preventing the tilt. And to further discourage 2nd &3rd pic reveal, that the bottom of the top part of the bridge has been filed down - maybe to lower action - and that filing also explains why tilting is not possible without more filing. The slanted part of bottom of top part must exceed the hight adjustment nut.

Short - someone has filed the top part to get lower action - but has done sloppy job.

 

[GAD]

@GAD Should know. has he swapped his bridge around and re-photographed it yet?

I don't want to talk about it.

 

[parker_knoll]

yes, do check my post. it doesn't matter which way it goes but as you say they are badly finished on the bottom if you actually want it to rock like it says it does. If you don't then don't worry.

My top tip for filing slots is these:

It's a set of nozzle cleaners for a gas welder. Will cost you about two bucks on eBay or Amazon and will slot that bridge like nobody's business in all gradations of thickness. Works on nuts too.

 

[parker_knoll]

Hello

The top part is supposed to be able to tilt on the base when you push the whammy bar down. On second pic it is clear, that top end could tilt towards camera, while the lower end not. Because there seems to be a flat portion preventing the tilt. And to further discourage 2nd &3rd pic reveal, that the bottom of the top part of the bridge has been filed down - maybe to lower action - and that filing also explains why tilting is not possible without more filing. The slanted part of bottom of top part must exceed the hight adjustment nut.

Short - someone has filed the top part to get lower action - but has done sloppy job.

that's not the case. There's no filing here. The sloppy job is from the factory. This is what the modern bridges are like. If you want them to rock you have to work on them. Have a look here.

 

[Nuuska]

I beg to disagree - on this particular bridge it is clearly visible on pic #2 that the lower end of top part has been filed down. There is no ridge compared to center section - even that would be ok if the slanting would extend beyond the rim of the adjustment nut.

 

[parker_knoll]

I beg to disagree - on this particular bridge it is clearly visible on pic #2 that the lower end of top part has been filed down. There is no ridge compared to center section - even that would be ok if the slanting would extend beyond the rim of the adjustment nut.

Did you watch my video? The new ones come like that. It's a fault

 

[Jezzo]

Thanks everyone for your excellent input!

Did you watch my video? The new ones come like that. It's a fault

Just watched your video .... very interesting and informative [thanks] ... yes, my bridge exhibits literally ALL the faults you describe.
Looks like i am going to have to get my file set and drill out.
In addition to your suggestions I think I will slightly increase the knife-edge angle that the bridge sits on as it seems really shallow.

You also suggest that this particular bridge is symmetrical enough for it not to matter which way around it goes??
I am a pretty strident player so i think I will have to cut slots ... I have an appropriate set of files.

How on earth did this kind of shoddy manufacturing pass quality control?!

 

[parker_knoll]

Thanks everyone for your excellent input!


Just watched your video .... very interesting and informative [thanks] ... yes, my bridge exhibits literally ALL the faults you describe.
Looks like i am going to have to get my file set and drill out.
In addition to your suggestions I think I will slightly increase the knife-edge angle that the bridge sits on as it seems really shallow.

You also suggest that this particular bridge is symmetrical enough for it not to matter which way around it goes??
I am a pretty strident player so i think I will have to cut slots ... I have an appropriate set of files.

How on earth did this kind of shoddy manufacturing pass quality control?!

yes, good question. I also filed the angles a bit sharper and made sure they were totally flat to the base. If you want it to rock I also recommend drilling the holes a bit larger. The best thing you can do if you're competent is to make them conical - wider at the top (string end) than the bottom (body end). I can confirm mine is working really well now. I played about two hours last night with plenty of wang - that's the technical term for vibrato use - and no tuning issues.

Re. symmetry, I can tell you that from the factory the top E string goes at the end you need to file.

 

[Jezzo]

Filed, drilled, coned, notched, fitted, and fabulous!
Intonation is now close to perfect.
The bridge rocks freely and the guitar stays in tune.
As you see from the photo the strings are at the extremes of the bridge but this is correct for the neck/pickups.
Job done! Thanks PK and all .....

 

[Jezzo]

Just for the record ... here is the whole guitar [waiting for pickup covers] ...

 

[parker_knoll]

The strings are always right at the end on those bridges. What are the pups?

 

[Jezzo]

Nobody is quite sure .....
I think they are Franz but this is a hyper-mongrel guitar ... here is the thread ...

Help identifying my 60th Birthday present?

A very lovely friend gave me this fantastic Guild Starfire for my 60th birthday. In the 80s he was looking for an appropriate guitar to play in a skiffle band and I persuaded him to buy it as it sounded so amazing! It still does .... He has always known I love this guitar so, being amazingly...

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[Nuuska]

Did you watch my video? The new ones come like that. It's a fault

Hello

I just now watched your video. Seems that we think exactly the same of how it should be done. In your video you show examples of some horrible bridges - or should I call them "bridge blank" - a part that gives you starting point that you can tool to be a functional unit.

So we seem to agree.

In my earlier posts I was referring ONLY to JEZZO:s bridge in pictures of first post in this thread.

Sorry if I came across badly - my apologies.

 

[Cottage]

Have you checked out Compton bridges? The previous owner put one on my X175 and it sounds and intonates very well, even with an unwound G.