Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 hi, i purchased an old (around 1970) guitar build by luthier Gottfried Uebl from GDR. it's a fantastic guitar, but i need a new bridge as the one installed ain't the original one and it ain't working properly. i also need a new nut as the old one is not in best shape. maybe some new tuners as well ;-) could you please suggest what would fit my old guitar. i need something to retain it's acoustic/electric sound characteristics as it is a hollow guitar. the bridge is a floating one, a jazz type one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 Got to know the correct string spacing for a set bridge. You could go with any number of rosewood bridges that allow your own spacing. You wasn't the strings to align with the neck and the pickups The bases of these kinds of bridges are important. Some are flat and some are arched. You may need to do some shaping since this is a custom build. You want to get full contact for the best tone transfer between body and bridge. A bad fit can make the guitar sound thin or dull sounding. http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/...FdKEfgodQRQA3A A hybrid like this would need to have correct spacing, but you have the benefit of accurate intonation using thinner strings http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_...op_Guitar.html Or you might install a permanent bridge. http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_...matic_Bridges/ The guitar uses a zero fret so the nut is only used for string spacing. It looks from the pic it was cut for larger string diameters. If the gaps are an issue bending string, you could either fill in the existing nut using baking soda and crazy glue or cut a new one. You'd really need nut files to cut a nice new one so you're looking at $100 to install a new one properly yourself. Having it done would probably be a less expensive. Most shops should charge about $25 for a zero nut. Filling in the gaps in yourself isn't all that hard. Doing it in layers using a tooth pick and using an old set of strings to create a proper gap width in the glue helps. Just be sure to tape it off so you avoid accidents. The nut only spaces the strings so as long as there's no schlock you should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 ooh nice, I would keepthe bridge (I think it has to go a bit further back towards the tailpiece) and maybe raise the nut a little, keep the tuners, if you really need to replace them you might have to drill wider holes ... those are open gear single tuners right ? I'd keep it just as is ... Gottfried Uebel made violins and guitars and learned the profession from Max Sander in Erlbach. He earned his degree as a builder in 1954 in Markneukirchen . He had a small team and he made several guitar models in his workshop in the Hopfenweg in Herlbach; Most of these were traded and sold through "Tauscher&Co." He also made guitar that were branded as Taco, and he also was represented by Migma. Gottfried Uebel died in 2000. http://www.schlaggitarren.de/pics/hersteller/27_1.jpg[:IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 looks like the bridge position on your guitar is not that far off from the pic above, but yeah, different type of bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 ooh nice, I would keepthe bridge (I think it has to go a bit further back towards the tailpiece) and maybe raise the nut a little, keep the tuners, if you really need to replace them you might have to drill wider holes ... those are open gear single tuners right ? I'd keep it just as is ... Gottfried Uebel made violins and guitars and learned the profession from Max Sander in Erlbach. He earned his degree as a builder in 1954 in Markneukirchen . He had a small team and he made several guitar models in his workshop in the Hopfenweg in Herlbach; Most of these were traded and sold through "Tauscher&Co." He also made guitar that were branded as Taco, and he also was represented by Migma. Gottfried Uebel died in 2000. hey bieke! as always - you are the guru! all right what you say. that's what i discovered from searching the internet and from the nice people on http://www.euroguitars.co.uk. it's a beautiful guitar, i love the sound but due to the bridge wrong string spacings it has a bit of tuning problems. in fact it has 4 different sound: one "modern" one with more gain from the bridge pickup, one bluesy sound from the neck pickup, than a very thin sound with pickups out of phase (sounds just like the brigde pickup on a danelectro 59) and a muffled very "brown" sound with almost no treble - all within the turn of one knob. concerning the bridge: i can't move the bridge backwards as the intonation would suffer. and the holes are rather wrong for the string spacing. @ WRGKMC: thanks for the suggestions. those tune-o-matic bridges do look very nice. i guess because of the delicate string spacings i am better adviced taking the guitar to a luthier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 aah, i forget: you can already hear the guitar in action as-it-is on my new song "in all our glory" here: https://theshea.bandcamp.com/track/in-all-our-glory it's the one right in the intro with lotsa spring reverb. i think it has a wonderfully wooden tone to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 hmmm, found some more pics of what I think is your guitar, the previous owner also thought about changing, nut bridge and tuners, but kept it as is, guitar is from the late sixties so it's missing a tremolo arm and scratchplate, the tremolo arm is an odd one and the scratchplate, well apparantly the material Uebel used deteriorates with time decal is not original, Uebel guitars may have a label inside or a plaque on the back of the headstock the tuners, the previous owner also mentioned these weren't the best also, previous owner said the nut was too low and high E slipping off the fretboard definitely an odd tremolo placement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 this shows the type of tremolo arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 some other similar guitars, this is another Uebel (with deteriorated scratchplate) and a Magma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bieke Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 now there's something odd going on with the bridge The string spacing increases from bass strings to treble strings. First the narrowest space between E and A. Almost the same between A and D, and D and g, but increasing. And biggest spacing between treble strings. the string slots are slanted. in a way, that the tailpiece side is lower, when the bridge is installed like this. the string spacing at zero fret is equal center to center. the high b to high e distance being slightly smaller than the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 bieke: you're quiete a detective! the first pic in post #8 was the one the seller send to me after i tried the guitar in the shop in Berlin and wanted some pictures to look at when i was home again (i later ordered the guitar and had it send to me, i bought it on vacancy in Berlin last summer).the second pic in post #8 with the skull decal, well, that's the one i made and put on the headstock, which before was nameless/empty :-) the skull and the word "Uebel" are my design.the scratchplate missing i don't mind as i read up on the net, as you say, they are deterioring and the rebuild/clone ones i don't wanna buy.yeah, the string spacing on that last pic above is really strange and i have seen that before. and it seem to be the same bridge as mine has.from what i know Gottfried Uebel guitars where also sold under the brands "Musima" and "Migma". Mine had no brand an no plate, nothing, but it's a real Gottfried Uebel guitar for shure.i want to install a tremolo arm just for optical sakes. i tried the tremolo spring with the palm of my hand and the guitar went out of tune pretty soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 a newier pic of myself with the guitar - it will be one of my next covers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 Looks like they used a Moserite roller bridge on this one. Likely due to the tremolo arm. I had a Moserite semi and the neck was fairly narrow as was the bridge. A modern version might be this one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/400219221019?lpid=82&chn=ps If string spacing is an issue, these Gretch Space Control bridges may be the answer. I was looking at the bass version the other day as a possible Hofner bridge replacement. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321609831188?lpid=82&chn=ps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 If string spacing is an issue, these Gretch Space Control bridges may be the answer. I was looking at the bass version the other day as a possible Hofner bridge replacement. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321609831188?lpid=82&chn=ps that one looks great! but way to expensive ... but the concept is ace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 Just found this vintage bridge in EBay. It looks close to what you need. Its got separate grooves for string spacing. Don't know if the body arch would be right for the base however. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Univox-Teisco-Greco-Hollow-Body-Guitar-Archtop-Bridge-Project/231474434728?_trksid=p5713.c100041.m2061&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D25756%26meid%3Dd5c9151769ea4b209a168ee5c4d01ab3%26pid%3D100041%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D36%26sd%3D161594898212 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 Just found this vintage bridge in EBay. It looks close to what you need. Its got separate grooves for string spacing. Don't know if the body arch would be right for the base however. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Univox-Teisco-Greco-Hollow-Body-Guitar-Archtop-Bridge-Project/231474434728?_trksid=p5713.c100041.m2061&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D25756%26meid%3Dd5c9151769ea4b209a168ee5c4d01ab3%26pid%3D100041%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D36%26sd%3D161594898212 thanks for the tip, but since i am in europe with the weak euro/strong dollar/taxes its not convenient anymore to look on US ebay. but i will keep an eye open for such a bridge model. thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted February 11, 2015 Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 Not sure what the issue is with the bridge, but as WRG stated, that could be a red herring, finding one that fits the contours of your guitar properly. You might want to do some leg work on that one so you can "try before you buy". Nuts are easy. With the nut slot, it looks as though a Graph Tech Strat nut might be the answer: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRAPH-TECH-TUSQ-SLOTTED-NUT-FENDER-STRATOCASTER-TELECASTER-GUITAR-STRAT-TELE-/251834148641?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa27c 2721. Better check the specs though (height and width) - if big enough you just sand to fit. Regarding the tuners, that's going to require some fresh screw holes at the very least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 11, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 Not sure what the issue is with the bridge' date=' but as WRG stated, that could be a red herring, finding one that fits the contours of your guitar properly. You might want to do some leg work on that one so you can "try before you buy". Nuts are easy. With the nut slot, it looks as though a Graph Tech Strat nut might be the answer: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRAPH-TECH-TUSQ-SLOTTED-NUT-FENDER-STRATOCASTER-TELECASTER-GUITAR-STRAT-TELE-/251834148641?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa27c 2721. Better check the specs though (height and width) - if big enough you just sand to fit. Regarding the tuners, that's going to require some fresh screw holes at the very least.[/quote'] well the chinks in the bridge ain't all parallel to the fretboard and i guess that causes tuning issues. the overall problem is that the strings aren't perfectly aligned with the fretboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted February 11, 2015 Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 Found something that looks like a match. A remake of the Moserite Roller bridge and the price is excellent. You'll need to compare the string spacing and it would need to be mounted to a rosewood base so stud spacing on your current bridge is needed, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Roller-Bridge-Jazzmaster-Bridge-Mosrite-Bridge-/321660158979?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae4708403 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zinzin Posted February 11, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 Found something that looks like a match. A remake of the Moserite Roller bridge and the price is excellent. You'll need to compare the string spacing and it would need to be mounted to a rosewood base so stud spacing on your current bridge is needed, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Roller-Bridge-Jazzmaster-Bridge-Mosrite-Bridge-/321660158979?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae4708403 thanks again! looks very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted February 11, 2015 Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 Wow, that kinda sucks. Best of luck finding a replacement - lots of floating bridges available on Ebay I imagine. Just make sure they're adjustable I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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