bridge for split tailpiece

[jakeox]

I think I'd better make a drawing and post picks like I've promised to do several times....
It used the modern saddles and height adjustment screws from the newer ones.

Please do! I know I'm not the only one who has a pre-73 tailpiece but no bridge.

[jakeox]

I'm just being a smart a**.
I bought it from Dane (Wilder?)on ebay.
He'd know, but I can't remember what his
forum ID is(was?).
It did require machining and re-chroming....

No worries. Thanks, I'll drop him a PM about it.

[headbanger]

OK, shots below.

It's made of a solid piece of aircraft aluminium.
All the parts are robbed off a late model unit.
A friend did the machining and I did some of the final work like filing and grinding the saddles and heads of the screws.
It came out better than I could have ever hoped because it fits and sits perfectly and doesn't move at all. Better than the original.
The tailpiece on this bass was set a little too far forward originally and the longer adjustment fixes it. It would be possible to round off a saddle even more and go further back but in my case it doesn't need it.

[headbanger]

View from the top. Saddles go further back than normal



Side on. Much lower profile





Strings come out of the slots real low





Saddles are rounded off and ground down so they don't protude





Side on profile

[rickaddict]

That's a flippin' gorgeous piece of work and an outstanding solution to your problem, Gerry.

Give yourself a pat on the back from me!



I think if you had 50 of those made you'd be able to find a home for them.

[jakeox]

I agree, that looks fantastic, as well as functional. I'd happily pay for one of these.

[wints]

Gerry,

I need to send my RM stuff to you!

That baby must almost play itself!

[headbanger]

Thanks guys!

Yes Andy, the action is very low. Whatever my bass is (or isn't), I love it to death because it plays so well.

My hat goes off to my mate Brian who made it for me. He owns a company in Brisbane that makes one off no longer available parts for F111's and the like.
The tolerances are perfect to within a fraction of bees d*ck(as we say lol). You can see why I kept this one over the original and this is on an RM1999. His brother retrieved and rethreaded the chewed up ends of the trussrods of this bass as well, for which I ever grateful.

[teeder]

I can see why you are so happy with the results. Your friend did a great job!
I like the maple on that one too!

[prismacolor2]

You are lucky to have such a good friend that could make you such an elusive part - very cool.

[rhampshire]

Gerry, any chance you could talk your friend into making another one?

I have the EXACT same problem with my '72.

[aceonbass]

The split tailpiece I sold John a couple years ago had the bridge pocket machined wider to accomodate a new bridge. I picked it up on Ebay for a BIN price of $55.00, but it was rough. All of the chrome plating was gone and it had defects in the casting and wear that I was able to repair after a long session with my set of files. I had it replated afterward and it really came out NICE!

[ben_brown]

Gerry, any chance you could talk your friend into making another one?

+1

[wints]

Form an orderly Q gentlemen...

Gerry, tell your mate to get the grinder fired up!

[jakeox]

Hey, I started the topic, eh?