DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

BleedingFingertips

BleedingFingertips

New member
Ok folks, appartenly I always learn it the hard way...

So, you know a tunomatic bridge is basically a bar with 6 saddles and 6 adjustment screws. After having restringed one of my guitars today, I noticed that the screw under the low E moved all the way towards the neck under the string tension. I examined the mess and it seems that there are tiny C-shaped rings inserted into special slots in the screws, which prevent the saddles from moving under the string tension.

Yes, the C-shaped ring on the low E screw is gone. I think it got lost when I turned the low E saddle backwards last year to extend the scale a bit. I'm wondering how the guitar could stay in tune the whole time.

Is there any sort of a cheap do-it-yourself repair for that if you had experience with this? I'll buy a new bridge anyway, just don't want to throw away the fresh strings.

Thanks.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

I was on a website recently researching ABR-1's and Nashville bridges. I think it was Faber, but not 100% sure. I do know that I only looked at the higher quality replacements like Faber, Callaham, TonePro's and a couple of others. To my point, one of the sites had the little C rings and screws available for separate purchase. I really think it was Faber. I'm not sure if they would fit your bridge, but they are out there. Maybe Allparts or Stewmac would have the same.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

Jeff_H said:
I was on a website recently researching ABR-1's and Nashville bridges. I think it was Faber, but not 100% sure. I do know that I only looked at the higher quality replacements like Faber, Callaham, TonePro's and a couple of others. To my point, one of the sites had the little C rings and screws available for separate purchase. I really think it was Faber. I'm not sure if they would fit your bridge, but they are out there. Maybe Allparts or Stewmac would have the same.
Click to expand...

Oh, didn't know that. Anyway, if I purchase something then it's a new bridge. But good to know, thanks.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

Try a hardware or auto parts store. Not an autozone. Cars use small c-clips on linkages, or at least they used to back when carburetors still roamed the earth.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

You can get a variety pack of C or E clips at Harbor Freight.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

Thanks for the brainstroming and all, guys. The solution was simpler than I expexted. I examined all my guitars equipped with tunomatics. And indeed, one of the bridges also lacked these C-clips. So I bought a new Gotoh bridge for that one, since I wanted to restring the guitar anyway. Then I took a clip off the old bridge and inserted it into the guitar from the OP.
 
Re: DIY repair of TOM bridge (C-shaped ring gone)

Problem solved and all ends well.
 
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