Gibson LG-1 Questions

[George Roberts]

I bought a Gibson LG-1 sn# 356822 about 15 years ago.  It was in almost unplayed condition except that the owner had left it tuned up for years in Fla. with super heavy Mapes strings.  The rod in the neck  had kept the neck straight, but it was dramatically angled up at the body.  The top under the fingerboard extension was pushed down, and the top behind the bridge was bellied up.  It looked like a major project, but the price was right.  I just took it out of the case for the first time in 15 years, and amazingly, it had returned to normal.  The braces are all solid and it looks like it should play with fair action.  Anybody had a similar experience?  Maybe it was just being back in Michigan.

I would string it up to see if it will stay in shape, but the back of the bridge is lifting up.  Which leads me to my next question.  The bridge is black plastic, and has at least 4 screws holding it on.  My inclination would be to replace the bridge with an identical ebony one.  Does the LG-1 have enough value that there would purists who would frown at such desecration of an original Gibson?   

Thanks, George

[Paul Verticchio]

Hi George.

Just wanted to say "WOW" about the instrument's condition and nice SB finish in your most recently posed photos.  Nice guitar!!!!

best of luck,

Paul

[Hesh Breakstone]

I'm with Paul this LG1 is in really nice shape!

For removing finish under the bridge I have scraped, used a stripper (paint stripper....), routed it off, and used a chisel.  I can't get claymores in my part of the country so that one I have not tried.

But at the end of the day, beginning too, I like a very, very, very sharp chisel and here's why.  As terrifying as this operation may seem with one slip and we just screwed up the appearance of the guitar outside of the bridge foot print learning to chisel in directions that are "safe" and not out of the foot print is pretty easy.  Be sure that you or yours are never down range either...  I score the finish just inside the bridge foot print, .003 - .005"ish inside the foot print and then remove the finish to the scored line. 

The bridge is run through a jig that we have in Ann Arbor at that shop that rabbits a "ledge" around the perimeter of the bridge approx .005 inward and .003" deep.  As such the bridge now has a "pocket" to "snap" into and help hold it in place and prevent it from skating around while positioning clamps.  In addition there is very nearly all the wood-to-wood contact with this method available with the only method providing more WTW contact being scoring at the perimeter which can show afterward and is a bit less forgiving if we miss by a few thou with the chisel.

It's an industry practice to remove the finish under the bridge (except for some Asian imports and one American builder who uses polyester which is tough enough to glue directly to, or so he says...).  Some manufacturers are pretty good at removing most all of the finish very near to the perimeter of the bridge (Taylor) and some are not so good at removing finish close to the edge leaving a smaller WTW joint available (Martin).  Yesterday I did reglues on a Martin and a Taylor removing both bridges first and then cleaning up the tops.  Taylor's prep work was excellent.  Martin's left a good 20% of available WTW not utilized in favor of not removing as much finish....

Many of the builders who I know do what the factories do.... and clean to about 1/8" from the bridge perimeter and then simply smash the bridge on top of that relying on clamping pressure to get them the WTW contact.  I don't like the idea of leaving finish under the bridge unless the bridge is rabbited to fit in the "pocket."  I also know that some don't like what I do too claiming that this .003" ledge makes getting a pallet knife under the bridge when it's reglue time again difficult.  This has not been my experience and I would argue that the greater percentage of WTW that the rabbiting method offers us may even preclude, in some instances, the bridge from lifting ever again.  And visually the finish continues under the bridge a few thou so it looks very clean and professional.

Then there are bolts....;)

[Tim Mace]

if you turn the bridge around it becomes a martin......

[George Roberts]

Hesh,   Thanks for all the information.  The rabbeted edge of the bridge sounds intriguing, kind of like the drop in pieces of puzzle that my grandchildren have.  I have removed the finish right up to the edge of the bridge on guitars that I have made, but that always involved varnish rather than lacquer.  Paul Hostetter's method looks a little daunting.  I have some miniature scrapers and I may well experiment a little in the central  area under the bridge.  It looks as though the lacquer is thick enough that it may just pop off, or, maybe not.

The bridge came off easily with a 1/4 inch socket.  Looks exactly like your picture above.  There were 4 sheet metal screws, each with 2 washers.  I'll put them all with the bridge in a plastic bag, and keep them in the case, so that the guitar can be "restored" in the future, if so desired.

Here is a picture of the scrapers.  They were made for me by a friend, out of scrap HSS, and nails. 

The edge is just a little less than 90 degrees, and is not "turned" like on a cabinet scraper.  They are very handy for relief carving and flattening background.  I use them constantly.

Ned and Paul, thanks for your comments.

George