"Special" SG bridge

[Dutch53GT]

Hi Everybody,

I have 2 old SG's and they need a new bridge.
Both of them are from 1983 and they have a schaller 455 bridge.

Now I can buy the "original" bridges again, but I was wondering what other bridge will fit and where to buy them.

(both of them are "players" so I care about sound not originality )

 

[Guitar Whiskey]

I'm not familiar with this bridge so I don't know what (if anything) fits straight on. If you need to do surgery, what about a Nashville bridge with a Bigsby. Don't forget that you will want to keep the ground wire attached somehow to contact the strings.

 

[MapleFlame]

Pigtail has the best intonating bridge. And it kinda looks like a wraptail. Also has the same metal as his light weight stoptails, and wraptails. These do not rattle.

 

[loufed52]

If it fits, the TonePros AVT2 is an excellent bridge that locks on to the studs.

You can find them on ebay or at any of the major retailers.

http://www.tonepros.com/images/AVT2 Specs.pdf

http://www.tonepros.com/products.htm

 

[Dave G]

From the looks of where your bridge saddles are set I wouldn't go with an original bridge.

 

[Dutch53GT]

Thanks, I'll try that pigtail and the tonepro.

Guitar Whiskey, I don't think a bigsby will work, I hit my strings pretty hard.
Dave G, I think it is the original bridge since both of them have the same.

 

[frazettafan]

The Pigtail work's really well, Dutch.........I think you'll like it...

 

[guitarmory]

I put a pigtail with tonepros locking studs on my '70 sg special and it worked very well. I also think that pigtail allows you to set string height lower than other similar designs in case that is a problem (it was for me),

 

[Spencer Mumford]

Try Randy Petersen at Randy's Guitars .

http://www.randysguitars.com/

Very decent guy.

 

[Dutch53GT]

Thanks everybody, Pigtail it is!

 

[jsamans]

Very interesting -- I have a weirdo 1982 Epiphone "KZ" USA SG and I think it has that same bridge -- I always wondered what it was.

I have the Tonepros AVT2 on my 1958 Les Paul Junior and it is a great bridge.

Here's some pics of my Epi -- even has the Gibson style headstock:

 

[jsamans]

Also here's the Tonepros on my '58 singlecut Jr. (edit: obviously refin) -- my luthier had to recut the saddle slots as the neck and/or posts are slightly "off".

 

[captaincanada]

Dutch53GT,
I just found this thread and I am most interested in your SGs!
Any chance you could post more pictures?
The one at the top of the thread looks really cool!

 

[Dutch53GT]

Dutch53GT,
I just found this thread and I am most interested in your SGs!
Any chance you could post more pictures?
The one at the top of the thread looks really cool!

Thanks, I'll make new ones soon. I got the fist one 3 years ago. 1983 is my birthyear and I loved the all-silver style. They didn't make em for that long because the finish started to crack too fast. Both of them look really old. The finish started to dicolor too. 3 years of intensive playing made em look even cooler. :2cool

The other one I bought a year ago because I needed a backup.
That one looks even worse. It needs a re-fret and I'm working on the pickups. Light guitars that play really easy.

(This one has a better jazz tone on the neck pickup than my ES-175 :bug)

 

[captaincanada]

Thanks Dutch
I've never seen this model of SG before...definitely looks like a cool guitar. I think finish looks great by the way!
I'll keep an eye out for more pics.....:salude

 

[Dutch53GT]

I uploaded some more pic's:

Checking patern:

Different wood type?:

Serial:

Rock n Roll:

Sorry no better pics at this time....

 

[captaincanada]

Man those look so cool! I'll need to look around for one. Any idea what this model is called?
Keep me in mind if you decide sell one!

 

[Dutch53GT]

Man those look so cool! I'll need to look around for one. Any idea what this model is called?
Keep me in mind if you decide sell one!

Thanks, I have no idea what it's called. I know they made some really weird ones around that time. I saw a one pickup version not too long ago, should have bought it..... :##

Good thing is; they are cheap.
I paid 600 incl a case for the first one and 800 for the second.

(paid to much because I needed one)

 

[Dutch53GT]

Found this,

Kinda cool, never looked at this guitar as much, just played it.
It was never at my house, all of the bands gear is allways at the driver/bass player's place.

 

[jsamans]

Great find on the advert! That's definitely the exact same as mine, with the exception that mine says Epiphone KZ USA. Mine also has the serial number and made in the USA stamped on the back of the headstock. I've only ever seen one other Epiphone "KZ" from 1982 (or any year for that matter) and it was a bass.

Here's the back of my headstock -- same tuners, and you can see the three piece neck too. Also a pic of the underside of the pickups, which I think are the standard issue Gibson humbuckers for that time frame.