!917 Gibson Plain A Style - Bridge ???

[Taylor and Tenor]

I am learning more about a vintage Gibson plain A style mandolin that I may or may not purchase - see previous posts about varnish job with a mop and vintage refinishers.

I have a question about the bridge shown in the attached photos. I know the original bridge has been replaced but is the one shown of the correct style and type for a 1917 vintage Gibson plain A style?

It looks too "new" if you know what I mean. Did plain A style have a solid non-adjustable bridge or did they all come with a adjustable bridge with a lined hole for the pick guard support pin?

Need your opinion - thanks

[Darryl Wolfe]

The bridge pictured is an economy import bridge. The mandolin would have originally come with a solid bridge. I would recommend a high quality reproduction Loar style bridge for this mandolin. The "Loar" style bridge was introduced a few years after your mandolin was made. It resembles the bridge you have but is heavier and far better quality

[danb]

attached is a photo showing the vintage adjustible bridge Darryl is referring to.

[Taylor and Tenor]

Thank you for your replies. My assumption that the bridge on the mandolin as shown was not a vintage bridge was correct.

I thought it might have a solid bridge similar to the one on my Gibson TL1 tenor lute as Darryl stated.

[mandroid]

Then again there were Non Adjustable bridges, one piece , no studs and thumbwheels. so lower mass .

Earlier posts showed one where the bottom edge was bored out with a few holes , to lower the mass a bit more..

[Darryl Wolfe]

The original bridge would be like this

[Zigeuner]

Here is a picture of my 1917 A-3 showing the bridge. It's a fixed bridge, made of ebony and is compensated with alternating cutouts on each string set - first set forward, second set back, third set forward, fourth set back. Sorry, it's not the best picture. I have to take some some. LOL.

I'm quite sure that the bridge is original since I'm the second owner in the same family. IIRC, the serial number was penciled onto the bottom of the bridge, although it's been quite a while since I had it off.

I hope this helps.

[Rob Gerety]

Here is a shot of the original fixed bridge on my 1916 A4 which I recently changed to a modern Loar copy adjustable bridge made by Randy Wood because it needed to have the action raised and it was a bit of a project to raise the action with the original fixed bridge. I debated whether to install a non original bridge - but the convenience of the adjustable bridge won me over. The original is in the case.

[jim simpson]

I wonder if anyone is making reproductions of the Gibson one-piece bridge? I would like to try making one myself, just need to get a large enough dimensioned ebony block.
Would an ebony guitar bridge blank do it?

[Zigeuner]

I wonder if anyone is making reproductions of the Gibson one-piece bridge? I would like to try making one myself, just need to get a large enough dimensioned ebony block.
Would an ebony guitar bridge blank do it?

Ebony is available from a number of sources online. Woodcraft is one and there are numerous others. Just Google "Ebony wood" and you will find all that you need. No sense cutting up a nice bridge.

I have a local Woodcraft store. I'm doing a neck reset on my 45 year old Martin 12 string and I wanted somne Holly wood for dovetail shims. (That's "Holly wood" not "Hollywood" where the stars are, LOL). I found a nice piece of Holly at Woodcraft for $8.00 (about a half of a board foot) They have more than enough ebony for your purposes. You won't need much ebony for a mandolin bridge, anyway.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000...y--Gaboon.aspx

[jim simpson]

Zigeuner,
Thanks for that info. I miss the local wood supplier that I lived near a few years ago. I would go into the scrap room and pick up all sorts of small sized wood bargains. Now it's pretty much all by mail.

I had an old Gibson guitar that someone has replaced the original plastic bridge with a home-made soft wood that was lifting off. I bought an ebony bridge blank and made a replacement for it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the wood very workable.
Jim

[Zigeuner]

Zigeuner,
Thanks for that info. I miss the local wood supplier that I lived near a few years ago. I would go into the scrap room and pick up all sorts of small sized wood bargains. Now it's pretty much all by mail.

I had an old Gibson guitar that someone has replaced the original plastic bridge with a home-made soft wood that was lifting off. I bought an ebony bridge blank and made a replacement for it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the wood very workable.
Jim

Ebony is a very nicely workable wood. I built 9 guitars in the 1970's. I always used the striped Macassar ebony for fingerboards and bridges. It's very handsome when left natural.

You really won't need much at all to do a mandoin bridge. A bandsaw and a nice sander and you are on your way! Good luck.

[Rob Gerety]

There are at least two types of Gibson one foot bridges. Mine pictured above is original to my 1916 A4. It has four small saddles that fit in a slot in the top of the bridge itself. But I believe Gibson also used a slightly different one foot bridge - not sure what years. Check out this thread - just a short scroll down: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...nt-and-fitting. There is a Gibson one piece one foot bridge depicted - no separate saddle pieces. Not sure which type would be original to your mandolin.

[Roger Mace]

The lesser models has 1 piece bridges that did not have the compensation offsets on the bridge. Over the years I've had an 1915 A0, 1917 A1 and this is a picture of my current and last of my 3 A4s (MAS in action) which I currently have listed on the cafe. On the A0 and A1 the bridges had very little compensation in the saddle edge - much like the Lyon and Healy's of that era (yes I had two L&H A Pros over the years also.) You can find this style on ebay made in asia and not too expensive.