modify older SG?

[heatmiser]

Hey...I have a question that is pretty subjective but I would appreciate opinions to help me make up my mind.

I have a 1968 Gibson SG Special in reasonably good condition that is entirely original except I am missing the bolt that holds the whammy bar in place. I have owned this guitar for about 15 years and I love it (the action is just right and I like the sound of the old pickups, particularly when playing with a clean sound).

However, the original hardware is all pretty crappy (a bridge with fixed ridges rather than adjustable saddles and poor quality in-line tuners). I have often wanted to upgrade the bridge and tuners, but have held back being reluctant to alter a vintage instrument.

I suspect the guitar is not super-valuable, but I think these are somewhat rare and I am afraid of irreversably changing the guitar. At the same time, I would like to have an adjustable bridge and smooth tuners with a better gear ratio.

Any thoughts?...thanks.

[Hard2Hear]

If it doesnt have a neck break its valuable. If you want to fix it, get original parts for it. Dont use any "upgrade" parts which dont fit exactly in the holes that are already there. Dont do anything that actually modifies any part of the guitar and be sure to keep all the parts, whether or not they may work or look good.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by heatmiser

Hey...I have a question that is pretty subjective but I would appreciate opinions to help me make up my mind.

I have a 1968 Gibson SG Special in reasonably good condition that is entirely original except I am missing the bolt that holds the whammy bar in place. I have owned this guitar for about 15 years and I love it (the action is just right and I like the sound of the old pickups, particularly when playing with a clean sound).

However, the original hardware is all pretty crappy (a bridge with fixed ridges rather than adjustable saddles and poor quality in-line tuners). I have often wanted to upgrade the bridge and tuners, but have held back being reluctant to alter a vintage instrument.

I suspect the guitar is not super-valuable, but I think these are somewhat rare and I am afraid of irreversably changing the guitar. At the same time, I would like to have an adjustable bridge and smooth tuners with a better gear ratio.

Any thoughts?...thanks.

Unfortunately, to change the bridge to a tune-o-matic, you'll have to do some woodworking. You'll need to remove the brass inserts that the present bridge screws into and replace them with dowels into which you will mount the studs to support the new bridge. You'll then need to drill out new holes to remount those brass inserts behind the bridge assembly to mount the tailpiece. You can use the old bridge as a tailpiece by running the strings the other way through the holes in the bottom of it.

I have an early 60's cherry red Melody Maker that (many years ago) I refinished, put dual humbuckers on, did the bridge mod, and replaced the tuners. I wish I'd left it the way it was.

[heatmiser]

Thanks for the advice...

I don't believe mine has ever been broken/repaired.

I forgot about the whole issue of drilling new holes into that old mahogany...doesn't sound so appealing...

[Milnoque]

A company called Leo Quan used to make a bridge that does just what you want. They called it the Badass. Somebody probably still makes it. It replaces your original bridge/tailpiece using the original studs and has adjustable saddles. No need to modify the guitar. If you go this route make sure to save the original parts. Replacement tuners are available that will exactly match the originals. Do not try to save money on tuners.

Hope this helps

[Milnoque]

Leo Quan has a web site and Allparts carries them.

[heatmiser]

Thanks Milnoque...I saw Badass bridges on ebay years ago. They looked pretty good. I didn't realize they used the same fittings as my bridge. That may be an option...

[Slowrider]

Well.....it's your guitar and you can do any damn thing you want to it. Let your conscience be your guide as to what mods you want to make. I've seen some jobs a 3rd grader could have done better, also seen excellent modifications. Without seeing the beast.....hard to give advice Personally, on a -68; I'd probably leave it as it is; but..if I was going to make money with it on a regular basis, such as playing a steady gig....modify the hell out of it. Forget about what your Grandkids will think of you.