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Gibson wireless ABR saddles....

jamisonlps

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May 30, 2005
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Is it normal for the screws/saddles to pop out so easily when adjusting? This is on a brand new saddle, never installed, not notched yet. They pop out with the slightest turn - but the fit seems pretty tight all around.
 

Black58

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Bent screw or a poorly drilled hole. ... My ex LOVED this, but not with a guitar.
 

J T

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Oct 20, 2005
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I found this on what turned out to be three saddles on the non wire ABR. Took them all out rolled them on my bench and three screws were wobbly.

Someone else here said that one reason is the installer at Gibson normally whacks the bridge with a hammer to set the notch with the string because it saves time instead of filing it with the proper size file.

Another reason is that the saddles themselves might have not been drilled at ninety degrees, and therefore even a straight screw will cause wobbly travel in the bridge slots
 

Black58

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I found this on what turned out to be three saddles on the non wire ABR. Took them all out rolled them on my bench and three screws were wobbly.

Someone else here said that one reason is the installer at Gibson normally whacks the bridge with a hammer to set the notch with the string because it saves time instead of filing it with the proper size file.

Another reason is that the saddles themselves might have not been drilled at ninety degrees, and therefore even a straight screw will cause wobbly travel in the bridge slots

Yep.
 

J T

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Then the saddle holes must be not be straight or exactly in line with the bridge holes.
 

frenchphil

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i have the same problem with the wireless abr1 on my 2010 r9

i asked the fellows here, and there is not much you can do apart from pushing the screw back down

it works

but i do agree it is annoying in the first place, then you get to live with it
and you don't set the intonation that often

as for aftermarket bridge, i recommend the tonepros avr2, it is wireless, looks the same as abr1, but much better, the srcews dont pop and it is locking

what can you ask for more?
 

J T

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Yes I agree. Once the intonnation is set, there is not much reason to re-set it.
 

toxpert

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The bridge itself is fine. The screws are good.

It's the saddles - the holes are not consistently machined in the correct position:
too high = screw head rises out of slot as saddle is adjusted away from screw head
too low = saddle rocks side-to-side on screw
(big issue with 'too low' is that saddle does not rest of bridge and you get poor vibration transfer fro strings...it sounds anemic)

These reasons above are why the assembler whacks them into position ..and the screws get bent in the process.

Years ago, I bought a new ABR assembly from Gibson - bent screws. I called customer support and they sent a replacement assembly - bent screws again. I called Gibson again and talked with whoever the parts manager was...and explained situation and I just needed sadddles with holes in corrct position. He explained they get what they get...and he sent he another bridge assembly and a bunch of Gibson logo stuff as token of compensation for frustration. Between the three (3) brindge assemblies, I was able to harvet just enough saddles to make one functional unit.

I recommend to keep the bridge and get saddles and screws from a quality provider like Pigtail or other.
 

zombiwoof

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Feb 22, 2003
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3,565
I've used the nickel ABR bridge saddles that are distributed by Allparts (they are made in Germany) and they don't seem to have the problems of off-set holes that the Gibson saddles have. I was very happy with them, and they sell for around $15 a set on Ebay (other Allparts dealers will have them for comparable prices, just don't buy them direct from Allparts or you will pay list price).

Al
 

Black58

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Years ago, I bought a new ABR assembly from Gibson - bent screws. I called customer support and they sent a replacement assembly - bent screws again. I called Gibson again and talked with whoever the parts manager was...and explained situation and I just needed sadddles with holes in corrct position. He explained they get what they get...and he sent he another bridge assembly and a bunch of Gibson logo stuff as token of compensation for frustration. Between the three (3) brindge assemblies, I was able to harvet just enough saddles to make one functional unit.

Was EVERYTHING you bought/recieved pre-notched?
.. Reason I ask is 'cause I would LOVE to hear Gibson's excuse fer a bent screw
in an un-notched saddle! :ganz
 

toxpert

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They were ALL UN-NOTCHED saddles.

When I talked with the parts manager, he understood exactly what I was describing with the screwholes not consistently in the correct spot on the saddles. He concurred as well...but also stated that he has no control over the quality assurance of parts. He noted that what he gets is what he gets and those are the parts that go out for distribution.

It's really a shame to see this bridge problem going out on various guitars..including those that cost the end-purchaser many thousands upon thousands of dollars.

The bridge is a good design. It's just the loose tolerance on the saddle tooling that spoils the whole thing.

This problem could be easily fixed if someone in production really cared or was held accountable for defects.
 

Black58

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Oct 28, 2005
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They were ALL UN-NOTCHED saddles.

When I talked with the parts manager, he understood exactly what I was describing with the screwholes not consistently in the correct spot on the saddles. He concurred as well...but also stated that he has no control over the quality assurance of parts. He noted that what he gets is what he gets and those are the parts that go out for distribution.

It's really a shame to see this bridge problem going out on various guitars..including those that cost the end-purchaser many thousands upon thousands of dollars.

The bridge is a good design. It's just the loose tolerance on the saddle tooling that spoils the whole thing.

This problem could be easily fixed if someone in production really cared or was held accountable for defects.

Amen! :bigal :bigal :bigal
 

DoctorMO

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Mar 4, 2009
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The other problem is the entire bridge will slide on the large fat metal round plate screwed onto the posts. I think this is because the fit between the posts and the female section of the abr is horrible . The string tension is what is holding down the abr on the metal round screw on plate. Because of the poor fit this can slide all over hell and back messing up intonation
 

tdarian

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Jun 25, 2008
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3,575
The other problem is the entire bridge will slide on the large fat metal round plate screwed onto the posts. I think this is because the fit between the posts and the female section of the abr is horrible . The string tension is what is holding down the abr on the metal round screw on plate. Because of the poor fit this can slide all over hell and back messing up intonation

Thumbwheels?
 

frenchphil

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May 30, 2010
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i might be repeating myself but....as much as i like gibson (i'm a fan)
i have come to the conclusion that the abr1 keeps buzzing

not much but a bit, a bit annoying, and those screws keep popping up
there is not much you can do
i've told it's an old design which is normal in a reissue of an old guitar

but without changing the design i'm sure some extra care could be applied in the custom shop when fitting those saddles in their holes

i went the other way, and changed the bridge to a tonepros avr2
much much better and looks the same

the big deal is that locking screw that locks the bridge onto the posts

and the buzzing is gone, the guitar rings more, i did that on both my r8 and r9 and each time i noticed the difference

the feel is that the vibration fo string is very well transmitted to the body,

the nut, the strings, the bridge and the tailpiece make one piece , joined together, no loose part, no movement

and that , to me, is important

on the r9 i even noticed a slight taming of the treble E string, which is not a bad thing because the burstbucker pickup is a bit trebly

tonepros avr2 is the most significant upgrade, aprt from the pups, and cheap and totally reversible (i left the existing posts)


bravo tonepros!!!!!


ps: hope someone at gibson custom shop is reading this, this is not a criticism
 
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