Gibson LGO part 2

[Lee Gendvilas]

Hello again. I was taken away from working on this due to my other job (elementary general music teacher). The bridge plate is tore up-see pics. Is it so tore up that using stewmacs bridgesaver is not an option- I should replace the bridge plate?

[Tim Mace]

yes..

[Jeff Highland]

If you don't have the experience and skills to remove and replace the bridge plate, you could just add a maple overlay plate about 3/4" wide,3/32" thick and about 3"long.

For an LG0 that would be a cost effective solution

[George Roberts]

Lee,  I just went through this with a 1962 LG-1.  On my guitar the bridge plate was spruce, and extended across the whole width of the top.  I did what Jeff has just suggested, and put a maple patch under the area of the bridge pins.  Paul Hostetter has a great "tutorial" on how to do it.  It is on his web site: http://www.lutherie.net/luthlinks.html

It is under the listing "Replacing an adjustable bridge."

George

[Dave]

My wife inhertited a '66 LG-0 from her grandmother. The spruce bridge plate was badly torn up, with holes from the string balls and tear out from when the pin holes were drilled. As bad or worse than the one shown. Discussed it with my tech/repair guy... and we decided that while the BEST repair might be to replace the bridge plate (we were replacing the plastic bridge with a new one made of rosewood), it just wasn't cost effective for this guitar.

 

Instead, we chose using the StewMac tool to insert multiple overlapping maple plugs to completely fill the holes and tear out. He thought this was better than using on overlay. The cost to me (for that part of the repair) was $50... as opposed to the much greater cost (and risk) of removing the bridge plate. Total cost including a new BRW bridge, bone saddle, and the bridge plate repair was $250. Replacing the bridge plate would have pushed it closer to $500.

[Hesh Breakstone]

I would cap it if this is more in line with the budget and a cap is far easier for someone who has never properly removed a bridge plate to do too.