NGD content: The Waiting ----- according to Gball is the hardest part

jtcnj said:
I would suggest the Well-Hung Pro Pins unless you are restoring to original.
Made with bigger screws.

I have just whittled off good size wood slivers, and stuffed the hole with them.
Takes up some space when the screw is run in.

The loose bridge bushing holes sound challenging.
Looking at the comparison to your Epi, the Gibson bridge looks a lot higher off the deck.
Hard to really tell from the pics.
I wonder if this is unusually high in general and contributed to the bushing holes getting worn.

How do the neck back angles and the fretwork / level compare?
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JT, You think along the same lines my mind tells my eyes to look for. Neck angles, fretwork, levelness and neck relief etc. Since I am just getting to know this guitar, I can only go by the obvious existing scenarios. The neck is ever so slightly concave and I do not feel a truss rod adjustment is needed at this time, unless it has gone one way or the other with the few days now rehomed in Baltimore vs Miami. It is likely when this guitar was built, the frets were those wider and flatter style, which would have permitted the bridge to be set lower and still clear the pickups and not buzz on the fret board. It has been refretted, which in my estimation brings the frets to about even in profile to the Epi LP. So I think we are dealing with Apples and Apples closely enough.

As Gball knows, I managed to lower the bridge on the '79 to be comparable to the Epi and string heights to where I like it. I had the guitar set to about the same as the EPI LP before I removed the strings for the next steps in the maintenance needs.

The loose bridge holes aren't too challenging especially compared to when I doweled and drilled out the ones for the Epi to keep its lifting bushings in place. In that case, I definitely had a tight and snug re-insertion on that guitar. Of course it was a sub $400 guitar and even doing the drilling freehanded, I got it and the EPI turned into a keeper. I do not think I will need to do anything to that degree to tighten up these bushings on the '79.
 
eSGEe said:
ALSO if its a BOLT neck (which we all KNOW ARE CRAP ANYWAY) -- the tone cane be improved based on the length and chemical formulation of the screws in the set neck ......... no really ..... I read it on the interwebs
I think NICKLE screws where better for metal and brass had a softer rounder blues tone......
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Stainless Steel screws were used on Rust Never Sleeps !
 
jtcnj said:
The loose bridge bushing holes sound challenging.
Looking at the comparison to your Epi, the Gibson bridge looks a lot higher off the deck.
Hard to really tell from the pics.
I wonder if this is unusually high in general and contributed to the bushing holes getting worn.

How do the neck back angles and the fretwork / level compare?
Click to expand...

Ok JT, I think the neck angles are darn near identical. The frets likewise.

KM Neck Angle 3.jpg

KM Neck Angle 2.jpg
 
Ya know Chilli first thing i do on a new to me guitar is tune it to the pitch your gonna play it in and first check neck relief.seen lots of way to big of smiles.set the neck how ya like it then start working on the the rest of your adjusrments on the bridge .Now remember if you got a NON EPI bridge on ypur Epi Les Paul its alot hurkier than stock Gibsons.Love the import bridge post size buy the way. Is yours the modern TOM or the ABR1 ? Guess i could go back and look at the pictures lol.Anyway Lovely Guitar.
 
JohnnyGoo said:
Ya know Chilli first thing i do on a new to me guitar is tune it to the pitch your gonna play it in and first check neck relief.seen lots of way to big of smiles.set the neck how ya like it then start working on the the rest of your adjusrments on the bridge .Now remember if you got a NON EPI bridge on ypur Epi Les Paul its alot hurkier than stock Gibsons.Love the import bridge post size buy the way. Is yours the modern TOM or the ABR1 ? Guess i could go back and look at the pictures lol.Anyway Lovely Guitar.
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Thanks Goo.

I got the guitar and did as you said tuned to pitch wise. Looked at the neck and it looked like it had just the right relief which is about how my Epi is too.

SO, as I was having a pow wow with Gball, I mentioned my findings to him and sent him pics of the bridge adjustments as I received it. Then I brought the bridge down and re-tuned. It was at this time we concurred it is a Nashville as was customary for these in '79. He and I also concurred it was the German Schaller bridge, and stock Gibson Tailpiece.

NOW believe me, the first thought I had as I pulled the loose GIBSON posts and bushings was "WOW they are tiny"
My prior experience was those LARGE EPI bushings I already repaired on my 2010-2012 Epi.

This should be a quite simple repair. I know exactly what I will do for both the bridge studs and the strap button hole.
 
JohnnyGoo said:
Take some kind od nice wood shavings not toothpicks and glue in there then rubber mallet those inserts in.
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OKIE DOKIE, here is what I did. I glued in two 5/16 inch dowels and will be drilling them out tomorrow so I can re-install the bushings nice and tightly.

Next will be Saddles and to see if I can tidy up the existing nut and finish off with tightening up the lower strap button hole. Then it should be string it back up time.

'79 lp km bridge plugs 7.jpg

'79 lp km bridge plugs1.jpg
 
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On a side note regarding the holes for the Bushings and Screws. I like to think a situation over whenever I see how a thing is built, worn, held up fine etc as I make any alteration to the present condition.

Therefore, I pondered the nature of the hardware vs what I experienced with the original bushing holes. The depths of the holes and dowels was approximately 3/4 inch but the depths of the bushing is approximately 3/8- 7/16 inch at the widest diameter. SO, when I go to drill out the holes, I figured the best thing is to only drill the bushing hole about 1/2 inch deep and let the hole that is the smaller diameter of the screw go the full depth of the 3/4-7/8 inch. This will do 2 things, eliminate the slop that was in the worn original holes, and to make a better tolerance of the screw portion which will also minimize lean or flex in the moving/stationary parts.
 
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chilipeppermaniac said:
@Robert Herndon , I hear ya on that, but it is ever so slight a wiggle. Ever hear of using aluminum/copper tape, paper wrapped around bushings etc?

Not quite as loose as this guy's guitar but similar issue. I am sure I will sort it out in as indiscernible as possible especially since once this fella finished his blue LP he lays down some sweet Working Man riffage.

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If it's just a wiggle, I'd seat it with Titebond and call it good.
 
thunderbird bass...........Epiphones....I have ahd ....er 3 (maybe 4....ugh)( anyway EVERY ONE had an issue with the rear "feet" coming UP and or being very loosie goosie at the bridge/tailpiece which TBTH is one of the few things I dont care for on the beasts ....... Ive toyed with the idea of replacing withe a Warwick 2 pc "3D" affair....
1643926805127.png

but I never get around to it....................and just TIGHTBOND the bastards back down in !!!!
 
Well Adrian, Gball, Smitty, Goo etc.

My little fix went well tonight as I carefully drilled out the dowels and inserted my bushings, then the thumb wheels and bridge. Wonderfully snug and ready for new saddles. I am beginning to get almost as excited as when I got the message Fed EX was on it's way, and then the moment I first opened the case to see it.

Now to find the saddles I need.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Well Adrian, Gball, Smitty, Goo etc.

My little fix went well tonight as I carefully drilled out the dowels and inserted my bushings, then the thumb wheels and bridge. Wonderfully snug and ready for new saddles. I am beginning to get almost as excited as when I got the message Fed EX was on it's way, and then the moment I first opened the case to see it.

Now to find the saddles I need.
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Philadelphia Luthier Tools
 
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