Kodiak G. Blues Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Hi So Happy to be here today.! I'm looking to resolve a lifting bridge issue with my LG-0 1962 Gibson Acoustic with a bolt on plastic bridge that's right the myths are over the fact is Gibson bolted with intent a plastic bridge to an LG-0 mahagony acoustic Guitar from 1962 to 1964 and mine is lifting any good solutions ? I'm gonna re torque the bolts an see what happens but if any other techs out there know any thing else to do to improve on a Gibson Bad Choice without messing up a prized piece of mine I would really love the assist ! Sincerely Kodi ask Bluesman1957... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 The first thing you could do is try to tighten the lag screws going through the top up into the bridge. This should not be done with string tension on the guitar, and it is really easy to crack the bridge if you over-tighten the screws. I would probably remove the bridge and inspect it for cracking or other damage. I'm pretty sure these are either lags or machine screw going up into the bridge, so they would be threaded into the bridge. If the bridge is intact, but the screws won't fetch up firmly (that is, the threads are stripped), you may be able to salvage the bridge by filling the fastening holes with epoxy resin and carefully re-drilling for the screws. You need to drill out to at least the base thread diameter to avoid cracking the bridge when you tighten the fastenings. This is all easier to do with the bridge off the guitar and on the workbench. There is a reasonable chance that all you need to do is re-tighten the screws if the bridge is not cracked. Use only light gauge strings on the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 In a decade full of bad design decisions those hollow plastic bridges rank up there as the worst. Personally I would dump both the bridge and the soft spruce bridge plate. But, hey, it ain't my guitar. The first thing you need to do is make sure the lifting is not an issue of the plastic bridge having warped which does happen as they age and as the top starts bellying a bit. If it is warped anything you try and do to save it will be a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 75-100 bucks to trash the plastic garbage and have a piece of rosewood or ebony slapped on. Then you'll have an OK guitar. The plastic will eventually have to go anyway as ultimately it will warp. I like Zomby's suggestion to swap out the bridgeplate too. As I've said over and over, this whole line of ladder-braced LG-2 wannabe's should have been abandoned by Gibson anyway and xbracing been the standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodiak G. Blues Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Do ya think if I fit my LG-0 with an adjustable rosewood bridge like the 62-64 models have, will it hurt he value and collectability of the guitar ? just curious, Kodiak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Personally I would go with a fixed saddle bridge. I do not think there is any advantage to replacing an original plastic bridge with a non-original rosewood one. As it stands now 1960s LG-0s are not rare, very collectible or worth a wad of cash. 20 years down the road though, who knows. Some famous rock star may all of a sudden start playing one and the desirability and value will jump. I am a player, not a collector. I have had modifications made to some very old and in some cases very hard to find guitars. I want to pull the best sound the guitar has to give out of it and I want them in top playing condition. Other times the change has to do with longevity and hopefully doing away with future condition issues. The ends of string, as example, can chew the heck out of the spruce bridge plate in the 1960s LG series guitars. It is your guitar. If you like the way it sounds and feels now just have the immediate issue taken care of and don't worry about replacing the bridge until something makes it a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 A slight bridge lift in the center behind the pins is normal (about the thickness of a credit card or less). This is because there is no screw/bolt behind the pins at the center point. Instead, it is in front of the pins. Tighten the bolts only if you really think you need to, and go very gently until they are snug. Do not over-tighten, as it's easy to strip them out. These plastic bridges do sometimes hold up quite well. The one on my '66 Epi Cortez is structurally fine, and has remained stable for the past forty-nine years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 It is still very common for folks with those guitars to replace those hollow plastic bridges. If you are like me I would be caluclating the cost of replacement into the purchase price. They are definitely a "what was Gibson thinking" thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie King Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I would go with replacing the bridge with a wooden one, rosewood and add a platemate to the underside to further protect you guitar. Then it should outlast you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I would either just leave it as is or take it to a good luthier and have a new bridge put on it. Telling the luthier to put whatever replacement bridge usually was put on the LG0s when their plastic bridges broke years ago. Then it will look the same as most other LG0s these days who have had their plastic bridges replaced. It won't effect the resale value in any way because so many owners had to make the change, plus it is a recognized improvement. Have the luthier give you the plastic bridge back to retain and sell along with guitar, should you ever sell the guitar. You will be one of the few with the plastic bridge still intact as a reminder of it should you sell the guitar, even though it was removed as a preventive measure. What you described is exactly what took place with my equivalent LG0, my 1965 Epiphone FT30 Caballero. There was lifting, soI went to tighten it and the plastic bridge broke from the added pressure to make it level in back. I then had to replace it with a bridge like all the other replacements. Still have the broken plastic bridge as ahistoric reminder. Should have just had it replaced before it broke. BTW, the guitar got better after I replaced it and with it now 50 years old now sounds better than it ever did. Just my input. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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