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Vintage No Wire ABR1 Bridge Needs Saddles

boogieongtr

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Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
I have had this ABR1 bridge (without saddles) for many years.
ABR1001.jpg


I need to get some saddles for this bridge as I need it for a project. I like the 50's nickle saddles with the wide flat tops with the nickle plating worn off and the brass showing. Like this:
90274-10.jpg



I have looked high & low to find some repro saddles like the vintage ones pictured above. All of the replacements I have found have a very sharp edge at the top. I was ready to have some saddles machined and then one day I found a cheap ABR1 bridge on the AllParts web site. I bought it in hopes I could use the saddles. One small problem, the thread pattern was smaller so I used a 4-40 tap to ream them out.
ABR1003.jpg


Now the original screws fit the saddles. One slight problem, the end saddles sit about 1/32" off the bridge because the saddle is too tall. I next filed the two saddles down and they now fit.
ABR1010.jpg


Next I numbered the saddles on the bottom side.
ABR1011.jpg



Not perfect but for $15. not a bad fix. If anyone knows where I can get vintage correct repro saddles with the wide tops I'd appreciate the info.

ABR1013.jpg
 

access

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Dec 3, 2001
Messages
1,625
Yeah me too.

I think this post was really about the cool DIY project.
 

bern1

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Nov 23, 2004
Messages
1,275
Slightly off topic, could anyone point me in the right direction for one of those early nylon TOM saddles with the milling marks? I need one to replace the one I stupidly cracked.
Thanks!
 

frickengruvin1

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Dec 16, 2010
Messages
69
Aren't the saddles from a Pigtail correct for this application? I seem to remember steve saying that bridge was a spot on replacement for the '58/'59/'60 Les Pauls....
 

boogieongtr

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May 16, 2006
Messages
937
I see them on the bay all the time.

I see replacements all the time on ebay but none that are vintage correct.


Aren't the saddles from a Pigtail correct for this application? I seem to remember steve saying that bridge was a spot on replacement for the '58/'59/'60 Les Pauls....

I bought 6 bridges from Steve about 6 years ago. Here is one of the Pigtail bridges and a saddle from my 1960 Burst for comparison. You can see the 1960 saddle has about a 1/8" flat top. If anyone can send me a link or info where to buy saddles like the vintage one in the pic below I'd appreciate it.

Saddles.jpg
 

MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
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14,044
They have been filed down at factory, why can't you do the same. I have picked up several sets over the years on ebay.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Aug 2, 2001
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I Here is one of the Pigtail bridges and a saddle from my 1960 Burst for comparison. You can see the 1960 saddle has about a 1/8" flat top. If anyone can send me a link or info where to buy saddles like the vintage one in the pic below I'd appreciate it.

Why not just take a little off the top? :)
 

boogieongtr

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May 16, 2006
Messages
937
They have been filed down at factory, why can't you do the same. I have picked up several sets over the years on ebay.

Are you saying that vintage 50's saddles with the wide flat tops had to be filed down? Were the 50's saddles all the same design or were there ones with the wide flat tops and also ones with a sharper angle less top surface? The saddles on my 60 Burst have a wide top and also still have some nickle plating on the top so I don't think they were filed down. (pic below) I have also gone thru a lot of pics on the Burst Serial Log and seen wide flat top saddles on many of the guitars. Just trying to learn as much as I can, thanks for the info.

Saddles.jpg
 

bern1

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Nov 23, 2004
Messages
1,275
Boogieon, I have seen saddles with the flat tops (and factory nickel plating over the flat tops) such as you describe, but for some reason I think they are later than 50's. It seems all the 50's guitars I've seen have had the sharp "knife blade" tops on the saddles.

Like you, I prefer these broader tops, but I can't pinpoint the era they are from.
 

boogieongtr

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May 16, 2006
Messages
937
Why not just take a little off the top? :)

I thought about that but if you were to file the tops down to a width equal to those on my vintage guitars it looks like the string would hit the back of the bridge as it angles down towards the tail piece. TW if it's not too much bother would you mind checking a few of your Bursts to see if they have the wide flat tops on the saddles? I always thought that vintage bursts had the wide flat flat saddles. Maybe I'm wrong????
 

boogieongtr

Active member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
937
Boogieon, I have seen saddles with the flat tops (and factory nickel plating over the flat tops) such as you describe, but for some reason I think they are later than 50's. It seems all the 50's guitars I've seen have had the sharp "knife blade" tops on the saddles.

Like you, I prefer these broader tops, but I can't pinpoint the era they are from.

The saddles in my vintage no wire ABR1 bridges also have the lines on the face of the saddles. I thought that was an indication of a 50's bridge.
 

Rev.WillieVK

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Jul 26, 2002
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9,268
FWIW I just went through my photos of all the '57-'63 Gibsons I've documented and none of them had the flat-top saddles you describe. The only one that came close were heavily, heavily played guitars and those were worn down naturally.

:salude
 

MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
I have an idea that they just pulled whatever bridge and saddles out of a bin to put on a guitar. Flatwounds would have needed a bigger knotch. I agree that most of the flatness came from wear, but most guys played chords in the early days. I have bought original out of the box 50's no wire abr-1's with flatter saddles. I assume that the manufacturing process varied with tolerances.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Aug 2, 2001
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I looked for photos in my Lilypix account that might show the saddles clearly.
Here's one from 9-2014:

DSCN8243.JPG
 

zombiwoof

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Feb 22, 2003
Messages
3,565
I just bought the Allparts Nickel Plated ABR saddles and they were fine for me. I got them from an Allparts dealer on Ebay for $15. They fit my Gibson ABR fine and are made in Germany. I can't tell from your pics if the Allparts saddles were any less wide on the top but seem like a quality product to me.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390214168304?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

They are nickel plated, so you'd have to remove some finish if you wanted them to have the brass exposed.

Al
 
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