ES175 bridge. Which direction?

[Flagsmasher]

OK, So I learned too late not to take all the strings off at once ( New to archtops!). My recently acquired 2001 ES175D stank of tobacco residue and other crud, so I decided to hell with it and stripped it down for a deep clean.

It's like new under all that crud! Very pleased I was, until I put the old girl back together.

Then I looked at the saddle adjustment screws and noticed I had put the bridge on "back to front" after I'd spent an hour faffing with the truss rod and getting the intonation spot on. ( The adjustment screws now face the back of the bridge p/up rather than facing the rear of the instrument).

Or so I thought! ? ! ?

A quick trawl through images on Google including Gibson's own website photos has me perplexed because I have seen the bridge fitted BOTH ways round in different photos.

 

Any suggestions from the assembled fonts of knowledge as to whether this actually makes a jot of difference please?

 

Cheers all

[milod]

As far as I'm concerned the adjustable bridge is easier to work with when the screws are toward the back of the guitar.

 

I doubt that if intonation ends up correctly set it would make much difference one way or another, though. I have a cupla archtops with that bridge or variation thereof, and always set the screws toward the back of the guitar, for whatever that's worth.

 

m

[L5Larry]

With refitting an old bridge the saddle grooves should tell the tale. The bass side grooves are probably wider and deeper than the treble side grooves. This should give you the orientation.

[milod]

Larry... Shudda mentioned that too. Mea culpa. When I've fitted a new tom type bridge was what I was thinking, not an older one.

 

Flag: Larry is the guy for all questions archtoppery, regardless that he doesn't flaunt it.

 

m

[Danny W.]

I have never bought a new Gibson that didn't have the screw heads facing the neck, so I'm pretty sure that's the direction Gibson thinks is normal. I looked at the photos of all the archtops on Gibson's website and didn't see any facing the other way

 

I prefer them to face that way because it precludes the possibility of the strings resting on or vibrating against the screw heads, although the likelihood of this depends a great deal on the guitar geometry. I also find them easier to adjust when they're facing the neck, although, again, this depends on the guitar geometry.

 

As has been pointed out you should be able to tell which way it was on the guitar by examining the saddle notches, unless it's a new bridge.

 

It's your guitar, so put it on which ever way you like. For the most part it won't make any difference, but if it's bothering you, have them face the neck. <_<

 

Danny W.

[Ken Rayba]

Usually the 1st 2nd and 3rd string saddles are angled towards the rear of the bridge. The B string is usually back and so is the G string from center.

 

The D string is usually forward.

 

 

That may help you out if you look at the position of the saddles themselves vs. the screws.

[Danny W.]

Just went and looked at my 4 Gibson's and there is a side to the saddle that is angled and side that is straight. And the side that is at an angle is closest to the rear strap button and the side that is straight is closest to the bridge pickup. Now none of these guitars has a bridge that only gets held down with string tension like and ES-175.

For intonation purposes, people sometimes reverse the saddles, so there is a mix of directions on them.

 

Danny W.

[daveg]

Don't rely on Gibson to get it right.

 

I once saw a Custom Shop Gibson Super 400 that had just arrived at my dealer's shop with the second string adjustment (on an all ebony bridge) under the fifth string!!

 

The string grooves had been filed to suit the fifth and second strings so I often wonder if the new owner spotted it and turned it around and whether the size of the grooves caused any problems for him/her.

 

This one is correct:

 

 

Other than that it was a nice instrument (natural finish).

 

DG

[Flagsmasher]

Thanks for all the replies guys

 

I put the bridge back on with the screws facing the neck.

 

Intonation is now fine, so I'm happy!