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Vintage Gibson Pat # bridges

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Hi all,
I'm interested in buying one of these vintage TOM bridges. The two on the right are nickel plated, which is what I want. Do the screws and saddles on the two on the right (nickel plated) look to be all original? I'm most interested in the one with the brass saddles. What years would they be from? 1964/65?
Thanks for your input.

top gibsons.jpgbottom gibsons.jpg
 

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Tough crowd! Fwiw, a parts specialist said the nickel ones are probably 1963/64.
 
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Frutiger

Active member
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
727
Well I can't say I've ever seen a nickel plated patent number bridge!

They'd be later than 63/64 though. You still get ABR-1 stamped, wire bridges well into 1964 and I've also seen chrome ABR-1 stamped bridges too. I'd say 1965, maybe just before they transitioned to chrome, but even then that seems early for a patent number bridge. I've always thought of them as a '66 and later thing. There's also a chance (small I imagine) that they've been re-plated.

Hard to tell from the photo's but the screws should be bevelled on the 60s ones, not straight like the earlier no-wire bridges. The saddles won't be original to the bridge as they should be nylon on a mid-60s patent number bridge. They do look like vintage saddles though if any of that helps?
 
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