Bridge PU ring question? (54 Oxblood Reissue related)

joeperry · Feb 4, 2019

Hi guys,
Happy owner of an oxblood 54 RI from 2004.
Only "issue" is when I have to change strings, which can be a bit difficult because of the wraparound bridge being so close to the bridge Pu ring.
Well, now i've read that the earliest oxbloods made in 97 before they became a production run, had a bridge Pu ring that wasn't as tall as the ones fitted on the models after 97, this should make it easier to change strings.
So , does anyone know the height on the rings mounted on those 97 oxbloods or is anyone able to tell if gibson actually produces PU bridge rings in different heights ,so it's actually possibly to buy and try it out?

If anyone here actually have one of these 97 oxbloods, please tell more about it?
I think the 97 had prototype pu's, but other than that and the before mentioned PU ring, are there any differences?

Best Regards
Torben

Tim Plains · Feb 4, 2019

You don't take all the strings off at once?

joeperry · Feb 6, 2019

Hi Tim, yeah normally I do, but if I only break one string during rehearsal i normally just change that one string and that’s where I tend to find it a bit difficult as the bridge pu ring is so high and the wrap bridge is positioned that near the pu ring...
Best regards
Torben

Bruce R · Feb 6, 2019

I am under the impression that Mr. Beck's '54 Oxblood has a notch, or notches, in the rear pickup rim to accommodate string changing. Anyone confirm this?

Richard.Pool · Oct 20, 2019

Bruce R · Oct 30, 2019

I have posted this before, but there's the '54 I owned '69 - '72. I had no problem loading strings, so the bridge pickup routing didn't put it as close as the one on Mr. Beck's Oxblood.

Sure wish I'd have kept that one!!

El Gringo · Oct 30, 2019

BGReed2 said:
View attachment 10460

I have posted this before, but there's the '54 I owned '69 - '72. I had no problem loading strings, so the bridge pickup routing didn't put it as close as the one on Mr. Beck's Oxblood.

Sure wish I'd have kept that one!!

That tail looks like it sits practically on top of or right next to the bridge pickup which is just probably the photo

Bruce R · Nov 9, 2019

Yeah, it was close but I didn't have to do anything drastic to change strings (as Beck did on his). Even Gibson's R4 Oxblood or the Beck Oxblood model has the pickups very close to the stud. I have considered buying one and swapping to black hardware to replicate my '54, but that pickup is just too close for comfort.

I would like to think that most techs that routed the old Goldtops for humbuckings left the rear edge alone and just enlarged the cavity towards the neck, so maybe that's why mine was fine?

DANELECTRO · Nov 9, 2019

Anytime I restring a wraptail guitar, all the strings come off, the tailpiece comes off, and I feed all of the strings through the tailpiece before putting it back onto the studs.

J T · Nov 9, 2019

I don't know if this is an issue with the Oxblood bridge, but on my R4, I always cut a spare string ball end and put it over the end of the string so that the string wraps do not come back over the end of the bridge.

Bruce R · Nov 9, 2019

J T said:
I don't know if this is an issue with the Oxblood bridge, but on my R4, I always cut a spare string ball end and put it over the end of the string so that the string wraps do not come back over the end of the bridge.

I have been doing that lately as well. Makes sense as I don't like getting snagged on the barbs.

DANELECTRO: Anytime I restring a wraptail guitar, all the strings come off, the tailpiece comes off, and I feed all of the strings through the tailpiece before putting it back onto the studs.

Dan. I did this in the past, but it seemed I had to spend a lot of time dialing-in the guitar again. Sometimes the action would change, etc. so I would need to adjust the neck (which I hate doing). Primarily my Gibsons.

J.D. · Nov 9, 2019

On JB's original, the bridge pickup ring has "notches" to enable high E and B string changes without removal of the tailpiece.

Bridge PU ring question? (54 Oxblood Reissue related)

joeperry

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Tim Plains

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