New ES owner with some questions

[thebowl]

Hello to all. I just acquired a 1988 ES-335, tobacco burst. I think it is a '59 Reissue, but that is part of my problem. I can't seem to find a good resource that would identify models from that time period, identify their specs, standard equipment, etc.

 

Anyway, the wood is beautiful and in really good shape for its age. The components are another story. I have taken it down to the wood, basically, and have Duncan Seths coming, new "Kluson keystone" Grover tuners, new pots, switches and jack. The bridge has to go. It is on backwards, and the saddles are notched all wrong. It says "made in Germany" on the bottom. The posts have an integrated thumb screw. Smooth tops (no slot); wide, threaded bottoms, into threaded inserts. Here are my questions-

 

1. Can anyone identify the bridge for me? Any recommendations for a swap will be welcome.

2. Will this guitar have a 12" fretboard radius?

3. It has The Original HB pups. Oddly, two "Rs", and no "L". They seem to be somewhat rare, either loved or hated. Any experience in actually selling of buying them?

 

I will appreciate any and all responses. And, in a few weeks, I will post some "after" photos.

[L5Larry]

The "Made In Germany" bridge is made by Schaller. Gibson has contracted Schaller at various times through the years to mfg parts for them. This could quite possibly be an original Gibson OEM part. If it is an ABR-1 model with the retaining wire, you can just replace the saddles and don't have to buy a new bridge.

 

As for the model designation from 1988, they were simply called "Dot Re-issues". There was no specific model year associated with the re-issue. It was pretty exciting when they first came out, because you could finally get a new "stop-tail" 335.

 

The fretboard radius should be the Gibson standard 12".

 

Sorry, I can't help you with anything about the pickups.

[eroc144]

+1 on being called Dot Reissues and 12" radius. No clue on the pickups.

 

I bought an '88 Tobacco burst new and played the snot out of it for about 10 years. For me it was a spectacular playing guitar, and of course I'm still kicking myself for selling it.

 

EG

[Pin]

The bridge has to go. It is on backwards, and the saddles are notched all wrong.

 

Some of us deliberately turn the bridge the "wrong way round". I have done so on my reissue ES345.

 

The reason?

 

Well, if you play midi guitar and need to fit a hexagraphic pickup (for example, Roland GK3 or Fishman Triple Play) you cannot ever intonate the strings with the bridge the "right" way round. Anyway, some people prefer the intonation screws facing the rear pin. It makes no difference so long as the saddles are set correctly.

[uncle mud]

If your pickups are original to the guitar they are most likely Bill Lawrence circuit board humbuckers. Easy to tell by looking at the bottom of the p/u. It looks like a circuit board.

[thebowl]

Thanks for the responses. The pups are definitely the Lawrence "circuit board" models. As I said, both are rhythm. I will list them on Reverb and see what happens. They seem to get listed (and sell) for a wide range of prices.

 

The bridge was really a mess, in terms of having the saddles backwards, and notched all wrong, regardless of whether you might flip it around. The intonation was also crazy. Good news is that I have been able to replace the saddles and the retaining "staples" with ones from StewMac, so the bridge and tailpiece will remain.