1968 Special - what compensated bridge to get?

[hagstrom]

I recently picked up this 68 special at a GC a few weeks ago and wanted to show it off. It could use some fretwork, but otherwise it is in great condition.

I'm debating what bridge to replace the uncompensated lightning with. I'm used to intonatable bridges but curious if a compensated lightning bridge would keep it intonated up the neck.
Considering either something like a pigtail intonatable aluminum bridge or a cheaper compensated zinc bridge that Philadelphia luthiers and other sell.
let me know if anyone has any experience with either of these or similar wraparounds.

Compensated Wraparound Bridge Zinc Diecast (Bridge only)

Compensated wraparound bridge for unwound G guitar string.

www.philadelphialuthiertools.com

Pigtail Aluminum Wraparound Bridge - StewMac

Made of lightweight aluminum for tone, with a slightly lower profile to help solve high string action problems.

www.stewmac.com

I've played and owned a few late 60s SGs and never seen a special with 6 kluson deluxes, all the ones I've seen all had the strip style. The pots are centrolab CBA-811-1053 and stamped on the side of the pot rather than the back which is also new to me.

 

[flatrockmobile]

Very nice acquisition!
The compensated lightning bolts are cheap to try from philly.
I have a cheap one on an AXL LP junior knock off that works great.
Intonate the "E" strings with the grub screws (loosening strings) and the rest will be extremely close if not spot on.
Maybe get a set of locking posts from philly to keep it from leaning in case you ever decide to not string through the vibrato bar.

 

[cerebral gasket]

CBA-811-1053
That’s not the pot code.
1968 Centralab pot code would have a format like below:

13468WW

134 = Centralab
68 = Year
WW = Week

As far as the bridge is concerned, that one is a compensated lightning bar but is for a wound G string. Get a modern lightning bar for an unwound G string.

I highly recommend the MojoAxe CWT60-A. It is available as aged or shiny.

 

[hagstrom]

CBA-811-1053
That’s not the pot code.
1968 Centralab pot code would have a format like below:

13468WW

134 = Centralab
68 = Year
WW = Week
As far as the bridge is concerned, that one is a compensated lightning bar but is for a wound G string.

Don’t get one of those bridges with adjustable saddles that is an abomination.

Instead get modern lightning bar for an unwound G string.

I highly recommend the MojoAxe CWT60-A. It is available as aged or shiny.

Thanks. I realize I was giving the potentiometer part number rather than code. I thought it was mildly interesting that it has centralab rather than CTS pots being a late 60s gibson. I know they used whatever was laying around.
The full pot code is hard to make out but it does have 68 in it.

I'll take flatrock and your suggestion to try a wraparound with no adjustable saddles.
I much prefer the original 3 saddle tele bridge design over anything they later came up with. Hopefully I'll feel the same with a lightning wraparound

Interesting that both the Philadelphia and Mojoaxe lightning bar bridges have the same TPBR-8513 &12809 stamped on the underside. I wonder if they both get them from the same supplier, or if they just are both copying Gibson's original bridge stamp numbers.

 

[flatrockmobile]

I

Thanks. I realize I was giving the potentiometer part number rather than code. I thought it was mildly interesting that it has centralab rather than CTS pots being a late 60s gibson. I know they used whatever was laying around.
The full pot code is hard to make out but it does have 68 in it.

I'll take flatrock and your suggestion to try a wraparound with no adjustable saddles.
I much prefer the original 3 saddle tele bridge design over anything they later came up with. Hopefully I'll feel the same with a lightning wraparound

Interesting that both the Philadelphia and Mojoaxe lightning bar bridges have the same TPBR-8513 &12809 stamped on the underside. I wonder if they both get them from the same supplier, or if they just are both copying Gibson's original bridge stamp numbers.

I would guess same manufacturer, same bridge.

 

[hagstrom]

I would guess same manufacturer, same bridge.

Thanks flatrock, I ordered the lightning bridge and some locking studs from philiadelphia in case it won't fit on the original studs.

 

[Daphne Gruntfuttock]

I have the Philadelphia Luthier compensated wraparounds on 4 of my Specials, they are a perfect imitation and look and sound like the official Gibson replacement ones but at a fifth of the price.

 

[SG John]

That stock bridge/tailpiece is for a wound G string. There are a bunch that are good. I put a MojoAxe compensated tailpiece on an SG Junior I built several years ago. The intonation was almost perfect.

 

[hagstrom]

Wow, that's a beautiful build and the mojoaxe bridge looks perfect on it.

 

[SG John]

Wow, that's a beautiful build and the mojoaxe bridge looks perfect on it.

Thanks!




Here's a link to the build thread for that.


SG Builds

 

[Maguchi]

I recently picked up this 68 special at a GC a few weeks ago and wanted to show it off. It could use some fretwork, but otherwise it is in great condition.

I'm debating what bridge to replace the uncompensated lightning with. I'm used to intonatable bridges but curious if a compensated lightning bridge would keep it intonated up the neck.
Considering either something like a pigtail intonatable aluminum bridge or a cheaper compensated zinc bridge that Philadelphia luthiers and other sell.
let me know if anyone has any experience with either of these or similar wraparounds.

Very nice acquisition!
The compensated lightning bolts are cheap to try from philly.
I have a cheap one on an AXL LP junior knock off that works great.
Intonate the "E" strings with the grub screws (loosening strings) and the rest will be extremely close if not spot on.
Maybe get a set of locking posts from philly to keep it from leaning in case you ever decide to not string through the vibrato bar.

As far as the bridge is concerned, that one is a compensated lightning bar but is for a wound G string. Get a modern lightning bar for an unwound G string.

I changed out the wraparound lightning bolt bridge that came on my Special to a TonePros wraparound adjustable bridge. Honestly, if I had it to do over, I'd just keep the bridge that came with it. Any improvement in intonation and sound was miniscule and I couln't tell. And IMHO the lighning bolt bridge looks better.

 

[papagayo]

I have a perfect intonation with the Gibson wraparound bridge, I play 10/46 or sometimes 9/42 strings.

 

[hagstrom]

I got the lightning bridge a couple days ago and installed. It took a little manipulation as the low E side of the bridge was not going on the posts easily. This was the case with both the original studs and the locking ones. Some slight sanding of the new bridge took care of that.
I kept having to adjust the set screw to move the low string side back to get intonation close., it's about maxed out.
It's pretty close, thought I'd like intonation to be a little better when playing higher up on the neck. The guitar sorely needs some fret work, so maybe once its setup properly the intonation will be less of an issue. I do like how simple and solid it feels on the guitar.

 

[flatrockmobile]

When you get the fret work done, your bridge can move toward the neck slightly if the frets are fairly flat on top now. If that's the case, you're setting intonation to the front of the fret, not the center of a crown.

 

[cerebral gasket]

Look at the difference in where the "saddles" are located on the top and bottom bridge in relation to the slots for the posts.

The "saddles" on the top bridge are placed higher in relation to the post slots compared to the bridge pictured on the bottom. It is more noticeable on the right side of the bridge.

 

[Decadent Dan]

View attachment 50109

Look at the difference in where the "saddles" are located on the top and bottom bridge in relation to the slots for the posts.

The "saddles" on the top bridge are placed higher in relation to the post slots compared to the bridge pictured on the bottom. It is more noticeable on the right side of the bridge.

What is the bottom one?

 

[cerebral gasket]

I don’t know.
Ask @Maguchi

What is the bottom one?

 

[flatrockmobile]

I don’t know.
Ask @Maguchi

There are several on eBay that have the ridges that sit further back like the bottom one in post #15

 

[Decadent Dan]

.

 

[Decadent Dan]

I found it, they’re on the recent Les paul special tribute. Saddles look weird but if they’re back further, who cares. Here’s one in chrome on reverb. Too bad it’s not nickel.