Boyd

FWIW, the store in your link appears to be located in Phoenix, AZ.

I posted a link to Gibson Restoration and Repair above with contact info, you can even schedule a video consultation.

Yeah, I just googled "vintage gibson adjustable saddle" images and that was one of the results, from an old sale on reverb (it is not my picture). After posting I realized it was the plastic bridge so you might want to do more searching on your own to see if the rosewood version is different. But really, why not just contact Gibson? Since they are still making guitars with the ADJ saddle they surely have access to the parts. https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Support/Repair-And-Restoration

You can see them here, I really don't think you will find this off-the-shelf. There is also a special bushing that it screws into.

The ADJ saddle screws aren't like a regular screw at all, they are very specialized. The shaft under the screw head is smooth and there is a "shoulder" about 3/8" below that. This forms an opening that the bridge sits inside, so that it rides up and down as you turn the screw. I think you will need the real thing, although a machine shop could probably fabricate them, given a sample, but that would likely be very expensive.

Gibson should have them, but not sure if they would sell to you, maybe if you go to an authorized repair shop they could order them? I have a 1965 J-50 with the adjustable saddle and also a 2020 J-50 "sixties original" which has the contemporary version of the ADJ bridge. The screws on the 2020 sure look the same as the 1965 to me. You can see them in the close-up if you move the "magnifier' across the picture here: https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Guitar/ACC26R79/60s-J-50-Original/Antique-Natural

Sounds like those were the correct size. The whole point of the bushings is that they are supposed to stay in the hole, so they are a bit over-sized. They need to be pressed into the hole to fit. To be clear... the basic size of the bushing should be the same diameter of the factory holes, but the "fins" on the bushing are a bit larger. So, when you press them into the headstock, the fins dig into the wood to hold them in place. StewMac makes a special tool for this, but it's expensive. When I installed the bushings on my 2008 J-50, I just used a C-clamp that I already had, with a block of wood on the back side of the headstock to protect it from getting marked. Worked perfectly for me. Have read here that other people "ream" out the holes to make them larger so the bushings fit. IMO, that is the wrong way to install, they should be pressed into the holes so they are nice and tight. Here's the StewMac tool, if you feel like spending eighty bucks. 😁 https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-tuner-installation/tuner-bushing-press/

Kids.... I was a 19 year-old college sophmore in 1968, started playing electric guitar in 1969. 🙂 Got my first acoustic - a Gibson J-50 Deluxe - in 1974. Still have it, but it's on permanent loan to my son in law because he just couldn't put it down whenever they visited. Congratulations on the new guitar! I have the J-50 version of your 60's J-45 and love it. Got a good deal on it just a year ago, it's a 2020 guitar that had been very lightly used. However, just a couple days ago I noticed that the bridge is coming unglued and lifting up on one side. Doesn't seem to be much of a problem (yet) since the bolts for the ADJ saddle are keeping it in place, but will have to eventually get it fixed.

I wouldn't attempt to make any generalizations. But the bridges are the same size on my 1965, 2008 and 2020 J-50's. Now, the bridge on my 1965 J-50 resembles your photo (although mine is adjustable), the edges are rounded. The 2020 adjustable bridge is the same size but the edges are squared-off which makes it look a little different.

Not sure where you're seeing those "gigantic" bridges.... Just whipped out my tape measure and did a quick comparison of the adjustable bridge on my 2020 J-50 60's Original vs the 1965 J-50 ADJ. As far as I can tell, the sizes are identical - I measured the width, height, spacing of the pearl dots, string spacing and distance between the saddle adjustment bolts. Now, it was just a quick job so you would need to confirm with more precise measurements, but they sure look the same to me. I also measured the basic dimensions of the (non-adjustable) bridge on my 2008 J-50 and it was also the same size.

Gibson is currently selling the "1960's Original" series J-45 and J-50 with adjustable saddles, I have one myself along with a real 1965 J-50. Haven't taken measurements or anything, but the new version looks the same size as the real thing from the 60's although the details are a bit different. So,Gibson must have the parts available but I have no idea whether they would provide them to you. You can see it here if you move the "magnifier" over the photo on their site. https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Guitar/ACC26R79/60s-J-50-Original/Antique-Natural

The 50's original has the 3-on-a-plate Kluson replica tuners. I have these on my 60's Original and they're very nice, much nicer than the ugly Rotomatics on the J-45 Standard IMO. I removed the Rotomatics from my 2008 J-50 and replaced them with the Kluson replicas. The 50's Original also has a bone saddle and nut, the Standard has plastic. If anything, I'd expect the Standard to be a little cheaper. Go figure....

What leads you to conclude that most people prefer the 50's original J-45? Two people posting here?

I have a 2020 J-50 1960's original (not 1950's) and love it. I also have a 2008 J-50 which I think is probably about the same as a J-45 standard. Definitely prefer the 60's original, although they are really very similar. I think the ADJ bridge is probably why the 60's original sounds different - I would call it a brighter sound. Aside from that, there really doesn't seem to be much different about the two guitars, same construction. So, for the 1950's J-45 (without the ADJ bridge) I'd be surprised if the sound was much different. The 50's version includes a pickup, so it's more expensive than the J-50. The neck on the 60's original is a little smaller, but not all that much. The nut is 1/16" more narrow, but the carve is about the same, so after you get up to about the third fret the necks are basically the same. The 50's original is supposed to have a slightly wider neck than the standard but I've never actually played one of these. I also have a real 1965 J-50 and although it is visually similar to the 60's original, it's a very different guitar. Completely different inside, with a heavy wood plate to reinforce the ADJ bridge. The inside of the the 60's original doesn't have that, it is identical to my 2008 J-50 on the inside. The neck on the real 1965 J-50 is also much skinnier than the 60's original. The nut width is the same, but the real 1965 J-50 has a much thinner carve. I prefer narrow necks, so the 50's original doesn't interest me. Also, I don't like the finish options available on the 50's original J-45, they only have black and red wine - no burst finish, which seems odd to me (at least, that was the case the last time I looked on Gibson's site). Anyway, really happy with the 60's original J-50, it's all I play anymore and I got a good deal on a like-new used one at Guitar Center last year.

My experiences have been pretty good at Guitar Center. Got a used 2008 J-50 there in 2014 that was like new and has been great. Got a 1965 J-50 ADJ in 2015 from another Guitar Center at a good price since it had been sitting around for almost a year. They had a few other J-45's and J-50's from the 1960's I was able to play and compare. Got there right after they opened and had the acoustic room to myself for almost an hour. Last summer I found a used 2020 J-50 1960's Original on their website at a very good price, just happened to catch it as soon as they listed it (didn't even have a photo yet). Had it shipped to my local store to pickup, it looked brand new, with new strings. That has been my favorite ever since. I'm sure there is a lot of variation between stores however. Regarding luthiers, my local store had a guy who was great, he did a terrific job bringing my 1974 J-50 back to life after I neglected it for 30 years, LOL. He had his own business building custom acoustic guitars and eventually left GC for that, was sorry to see him go.

Considering how few of these I use, I wouldn't mess with those cheap ones just to save a few bucks a year. I don't have any pickups that need batteries, but have a few other gadgets like a tuner and some remotes that use these. The brand-name batteries last me at least a year in those devices. How often to you need to change batteries in a pickup? I know Harbor Freight has its fans, but when I was running a carpentry shop back in the 1990's I bought a few things there, I recall getting a belt sander and a big vice. The vice snapped in half the first time I used it - looked like it was solid metal, but in fact it was a cheap casting that was hollow in the middle. The belt sander lasted a week or so. Never bought anything else from them, maybe they have improved but I'm just not interested. 😉

There's also a J-45 Modern Classic, I think they were introduced around 2006? Not sure if these are any different from a J-45 Standard. I have a 2008 J-50 Modern Classic. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RS45VSNH1--gibson-acoustic-j-45-modern-classic-vintage-sunburst

That's nice, but has nothing to do with this thread about a current Gibson acoustic guitar with styling similar to a 1960's model. It bears no resemblance to the square-shouldered J-45 in your picture, it looks like an earlier 1960's model with round shoulders, smaller black headstock and it doesn't have a burst finish.

Records and CD's don't interest me anymore. Stopped buying records 30 years ago and CD's 15 years ago, that is all behind me now, digital is just so much more accessible. Last summer I dug out my boxes of vinyl records from the attic and gave them to my daughter and son in law who recently bought a turntable. I had already ripped everything I wanted to my media server. They were just in heaven and are evidently the envy of their friends now, LOL. 🤣 Yeah, it's a "sign of the times".

"The suburbs are where they cut down all the trees and then name the streets after them" 🙃

My daughter has a BFA in musical theatre from Webster University. However she somehow found herself as operations manager for a major advertising agency now (worked her way up from a temp answering phones). My son-in-law (also from Webster) is an actor and musician. And my amazing granddaughter has been in a professional dance training program since she was 10 years old. My ex is a costume designer, so it runs in the family. LOL, it looks like a cabin in the woods. Quite modest, cedar shakes on the outside, natural pine panelling inside. Kind of a mess, actually. I'm a carpenter and do all my own remodelling but have put it on hold for awhile out of concern for the cost. For me, that's one thing that sucks about retirement (maybe the only thing). It's a constant mental calculation as to which will last longer: me or my savings. 😅

Thanks again everyone, really wasn't expecting this kind of reaction. I also spend as much time as possible playing guitar. Still loving my 2020 J-50 60's original. But I do find it hard to "switch gears" mentally between writing computer code and music. So I tend to take a break from the guitar for awhile when I am seriously concentrating on code. Last year I took about 6 months off. I always get some new insights into guitar technique after taking an extended break like that.

Thanks! Lots of new stuff ahead in the coming months, have just expanded disk space to over 1 terabyte. 🙂

Thanks!

Thanks! It was a lot of fun, but also very challenging and eventually I got burnt out. Of course, the pandemic has really been rough on people in the live entertainment business today, Here's some of my work (one day I need to move to a better server with SSL) http://www.boydostroff.com