1968 ES-335 / Gibson Bridge Question?

[Thomas James]

Setting up a 1968 ES-335. The current bridge is a big fine tune Schaller piece with Gibson style large studpiece/wrap-around mounts with the splined bushings. Looking at the tail end I see three mounting holes and the standard angled hole for the string ground. Looks right for a trapeze tailpiece and a standard bridge. ... But... when I compare the old style Gibson tune-o-matic mount spacing; it appears that new holes would need to made in fresh top slightly in-board from the stud holes because of this narrower spacing? How is that possible? Is there another wider bridge set-up that I am unaware of? Or I am I staring at the sun and not seeing the light? Thanks - Tom

[Paul Verticchio]

Hello Tom.

Standard stud spacing for a stock Gibby style tune-o-matic is 2 & 15/16",  + or - 1/16"

"All in one" bridge/tailpiece combo's mounting holes, including the Schaller, Pigtail, Schroeder, Leo Quann, Wilkinson, etc. are 3 & 1/4". That dimension is the same as the Gibson's "lightning bar" tailpiece they used on their student & "B" lines of instruments (Jr.'s & Specials) as these combos were specifically developed to make those instruments 'intonateable'.

The dimensions are measured from the center of one hole to the center of the other.

It was a real "DUH" moment for me when I discovered the difference a few decades ago...and in the very same way you did.

Hope this info helps.  Don't feel like the Lone Ranger on this one.

Have a great week (-:

[Jeff Highland]

Perhaps originally  a  trapeze tailpiece with ABR-1 bridge with the small posts which would have fallen on the inner border of the larger holes for the inserts.

Someone has probably modified it with the current bridge,

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Hey Tom not sure why you've got that spacing other than a modification, even though I can't see any signs of that, but a possible solution is the Tone Pros wrap around tune-o-matic with the original trapeze.

[Thomas James]

Thanks guys. I am very familiar with the standard bridge options, but it doesn't appear that a '68 style ABR with the small threaded studs would fit inside the current holes as Jeff mentioned. Struck me as strange. That was my main query. Paul, the measurement on my gauge is not centers, but rather the inner dimension. I was attempting to illustrate that the holes might hit fresh finish. I'll have to measure it again. Maybe I'm a having 'senior moment?' 

[Jeff Highland]

A standard ABR-1 is 74mm centre to centre minus 4mm for stud diameter gives 70mm to the inside faces of the studs which equals 2.756 inches

You are showing a measurement of 2.747 inches to the inside face of the inserts, so the original abr-1 screws should fit within that hole

[Thomas James]

Thank you Jeff. That solves it. This Schaller bridge sure was a bad choice for this guitar.