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Gibson Thunderbird Studio IV bridge help


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Hi all

So finally got round to digging this bass back out of its case to make use of it and noticed that in needing a setup, the stock bridge is hideous and very difficult to adjust.

Ended up taking it to my luthier friend who couldn't do much for me in terms of lowering the string height.

I am considering swapping it out for one the Babicz ones but am wondering if it will fit as I note the totally different shapes of both the stock and the babicz FCH-3.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

babicz.jpg

 

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Edited by basshead56
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Nope, that is to replace the standard three point Gibson style bridge. I have the same Studio model and love the bridge and have no issue getting a low string height. It’s adjustable via the grub screws like most bridges. I presume yours is bottoming out too early somehow?

Edited by T-Bay
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

To adjust the intonation on that bridge, There's a little grub screw under the string. If you loosen that with an Allen key, you then manually push the saddle back and forth until you hit the required spot. There's no screw to turn like the fender bridges. Once you've intonated it, then screw the grub screw down until the saddle doesn't move at all. 

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On 10/05/2018 at 18:18, T-Bay said:

Nope, that is to replace the standard three point Gibson style bridge. I have the same Studio model and love the bridge and have no issue getting a low string height. It’s adjustable via the grub screws like most bridges. I presume yours is bottoming out too early somehow?

I thought as much.

Yes it seems to bottom out pretty early on so even at their lowest, the saddles dont sit low enough to give me the lower action I prefer. it's playable but not very enjoyable. Especially knowing how good these basses usually are

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Well, there are a few options, considering its a neck through and so the usual remedy, a shim, isnt possible here.

1 - Change the bridge for one that will allow a lower string height

2 - Make the nut slots a tiny bit lower. Sometimes they come quite high and so may make the action a bit high.

3 - Recess the bridge. Not too hard, and as long as you're careful, shouldn't look too messy.

4 - File the slots in the bridge saddles.

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On 05/06/2018 at 02:56, tommorichards said:

To adjust the intonation on that bridge, There's a little grub screw under the string. If you loosen that with an Allen key, you then manually push the saddle back and forth until you hit the required spot. There's no screw to turn like the fender bridges. Once you've intonated it, then screw the grub screw down until the saddle doesn't move at all. 

Ok. That worked. Thnx. It never needed any adjustment until I switched string gauges. It's a bit of a pain because you have to relieve and lift the string repeatedly so hopefully it stays this way for a while.

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On 08/06/2018 at 13:07, tommorichards said:

Well, there are a few options, considering its a neck through and so the usual remedy, a shim, isnt possible here.

1 - Change the bridge for one that will allow a lower string height

2 - Make the nut slots a tiny bit lower. Sometimes they come quite high and so may make the action a bit high.

3 - Recess the bridge. Not too hard, and as long as you're careful, shouldn't look too messy.

4 - File the slots in the bridge saddles.

Looks like it's a case of shaving and filing down the slots/saddles then.

Dismantling today and off to my mate the engineer on Wednesday haha.

Will update afterwards

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  • 2 weeks later...

No truss rod was spot on chaps.

 

So my mechanical engineer friend shaved down the offending blocks. Asked him to shave 1mm off each one.

Popped them back in this afternoon and...

Perfection itself! 1mm gave me about 3mm lower at the neck.

So the action is now exactly as I like it - low. No more parking elephants under these strings haha.

Neck straight, no buzzes or dead spots and sexy TBird tone for days!

Fun fun fun till some takes it away and all that...

 

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