Should have left well enough alone...broken saddle screw

[dwe82]

EDIT: I just ordered a new bridge, so won't be needing to worry about screws anymore, so problem solved. Figure if I'm gonna fix it, might as well fix it right and get a better quality bridge. Thanks so much for all the advice everyone! :-)

 

 

Ok, apparently when I woke up this past Monday morning I decided "This is going to be the week I do everything I can to screw up my 15 year old Sheraton!"

 

A couple nights ago I started playing around with the bridge pickup and it sounded like crap afterwards. After panic mode, the next day I was able to set it back to approximately where it was (thanks to some help from a gentlemen who answered one of my other posts).

 

So then last night I decided my intonation wasn't good enough. So I went about trying to adjust the intonation on the high E string.

 

Just my luck...I broke the head off the saddle screw. :-(

 

So my question is this....since my Sheraton is a 1995 Samick / Korea model, I think it has a different bridge than most Gibsons right? My bridge seems to be identical to this one... http://store.guitarfetish.com/labutustgobr.html

 

Long story short....I need a replacement screw for a 1995 bridge that apparently they don't manufacture anymore. I really don't want to replace the entire bridge, just looking for a replacement screw or a set of new screws. Will modern Gibson or Epi screws fit, or am I.......get ready for the pun....."screwed"? (worth wating for wasn't it?)

 

Ah I have to laugh so I won't cry....I should have taken it to someone that knows what they're doing, instead of trying to be an amateur Les Paul wannabe and tinkering with everything myself.

[brianh]

Don't get discouraged, it happens. All Parts has metric intonation screws here: http://www.allparts.com/Gold-Intonation-Screws-p/gs-3370-002.htm and I think is't for a set of 6 in case you break any more.

 

You might want to call them before you order just to make sure.

 

I wonder how many guitars Lester made unplayable before he got the hang of it...

[i Can Tuna Guitar]

This may be obvious, but did you loosen the string(s) before trying to adjust the saddle?

[animalfarm]

This may be obvious' date=' but did you loosen the string(s) before trying to adjust the saddle?[/quote']

 

My immediate thought, also. I always De-tune string before making

any intonation adjustments. Then tune up, re-check, repeat as needed.

 

I once broke the head off a bridge screw on a crappy Dean Vendetta XL bridge -

didn't matter, was project git and I was replacing all hardware anyway. BUT -

ever since then, I've made it a habit of putting a drop of sewing machine oil

on the threads of EVERY bridge adjustment screw I have.

Stand Git up, put oil on where the screw meets bridge saddle, let run down screw into saddle.

No mess, never had problem. doesn't affect intonation.

 

G-Picker, is this link of any assistance?

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gistbr.html

 

UNLESS, you can talk your local "Git-Tech Shop" out of

a single (drum roll...........) SCREW!!!

[dwe82]

This may be obvious' date=' but did you loosen the string(s) before trying to adjust the saddle?[/quote']

 

 

Perfectly valid question, and yes I did. I think the reason the head broke off is after 15 years of not being touched, the screw and saddle had gotten somewhat corroded. In hindsight, I probably should have given it a little squirt of WD-40. The screw was turning VERY hard, even with the string loosened. I could barely get the saddle to budge. Anyway, after about the 3rd attempt at trying to adjust the screw, the head just snapped off.

[dwe82]

Don't get discouraged' date=' it happens. All Parts has metric intonation screws here: http://www.allparts.com/Gold-Intonation-Screws-p/gs-3370-002.htm and I think is't for a set of 6 in case you break any more.

 

You might want to call them before you order just to make sure.

 

I wonder how many guitars Lester made unplayable before he got the hang of it...[/quote']

 

 

Thanks for the link. I compared the screw in your link to the nickel one just like it that had some pics...looks like a different type than what I have. I'll check out the other ones on that site and keep looking. Thanks for the words of encouragement!

[dwe82]

My immediate thought' date=' also. I always De-tune string before making

any intonation adjustments. Then tune up, re-check, repeat as needed.

 

I once broke the head off a bridge screw on a crappy Dean Vendetta XL bridge -

didn't matter, was project git and I was replacing all hardware anyway. BUT -

ever since then, I've made it a habit of putting a drop of sewing machine oil

on the threads of EVERY bridge adjustment screw I have.

Stand Git up, put oil on where the screw meets bridge saddle, let run down screw into saddle.

No mess, never had problem. doesn't affect intonation.

 

G-Picker, is this link of any assistance?

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gistbr.html

 

UNLESS, you can talk your local "Git-Tech Shop" out of

a single (drum roll...........) SCREW!!![/quote']

 

 

 

I wish I'd thought to oil it, in hindsight! I think that would have prevented the problem.

 

Thanks for the link! This one here http://store.guitarfetish.com/labutustgobr.html looks identical to the one on my Sherri! (As for local "Git-Tech", I live in a town that only sells Fender and Peavey gits and accessories. Nearest Gibson dealer is 70 miles away).

 

I also can't help but notice in the picture, the screws are facing the bridge. My Sherri had the screws facing the bridge, and all these years I just thought they put it on backwards at the factory. Also all 6 of the saddles were facing the same direction (sloped side facing the tailpiece), instead of the 3 facing the pickup, 3 facing the tailpiece configuration I see on most guitars (including my 2006 L.P. which has a Nashville Tune-O-Matic).

 

Does any of this really make a difference when it comes to intonation?

[vomer]

The direction of the screw doesn't make a difference unless your bridge is of a width which, combined with the break angle of the string over the saddle, causes the string to catch on the head of the screw. This won't affect intonation, but isn't something you want to have happening.

 

The 3 saddles facing one way, 3 facing the other way method gives the widest range of intonation adjustment. I just realised my Sheraton has the 3/3 set up but the wrong way. I've only owned it 3 years :) . And I posted a pic in Eggmuffins MIK Saein thread- no-one spotted the 'deliberate' mistake . That's odd, if I turned the lower 3 around the 'right' way it looks like I wouldn't be able to intonate the E and D. Just goes to show there's no hard and fast rules.

[brianh]

In my limited experience, the intonation screws usually face the pickups. There's no technical reason they need to face that way, except for easier access. If it's easier to get a screwdriver in from the tailpiece side, then by all means. As for the saddle orientation, most gibby style guitars come 3/3, but again, there's no obvious reason they can't be flipped in any combination if that gets intonation closer to dead on.

[i Can Tuna Guitar]

Be vewwy vewwy careful buying a bridge for an older Sheraton - I believe many of them have a bridge that doesn't have the same mounting post width as other Asian Epiphones. Jerrymac or TWANG should be able to help you there.

[animalfarm]

EDIT: I just ordered a new bridge' date=' so won't be needing to worry about screws anymore, so problem solved. Figure if I'm gonna fix it, might as well fix it right and get a better quality bridge. Thanks so much for all the advice everyone! :-)[/i']

 

WHICH Bridge did you order? You mentioned an ABR-1 style with thin posts, but

said the LARGE post Tune-o-matic style from GuitarFetish looked like an exact

match!!!! When you get your bridge, OIL it UP and work those screws back and

forth BEFORE installing!!!!! :) :-

 

I've ordered 5 Large-post bridges from GF - the thing I like about them is

that they are 9/16" across from front-to-back, vs 7/16" across on a stock

bridge. Gives you a bit of "extry" intonation adjustment room.

 

GuitarFetish Bridge on Bottom Git... The Studio is before I modded it.

 

 

 

[dwe82]

GRRR! I had my reply all typed out, and when I went to click post I got a 404 page and my reply disappeared into la la land.

 

Anyhoo, I ordered this bridge...

 

http://store.guitarfetish.com/labutustgobr.html

 

This looks identical to the one on my Sherri. When I mentioned ABR-1 earlier, I was actually confused with the bridge on my Les Paul. My 2006 Les Paul has the ABR-1 with the little metal wire across the screws that holds them in. My 1995 Sherri has a standard Tune-O-Matic.

 

Both bridges have the large posts. Only difference is my L.P. bridge has thumbwheels, my Sherri doesn't.

 

Yesterday for curiosity sake, I took my ABR off my Les Paul and compared it to my Sherri bridge. The post spacing looks identical which surprised me.

 

Anyway, as for inotation I got done putting .9's on my LP this morning (I've been using .10s) and I readjusted the inotation and not a single mishap! Yay! Also, when I got to the D and A strings, the saddle was at the end of its rope. I couldn't move it any further, so I took those two saddles off and swapped them around. So now I have 5 saddles sloping towards the bridge, and the sixth string saddle sloping towards the pickups, lol. Shoulda went ahead and swapped it around too.

 

Anyway, thanks for all the advice and help everyone.