I found this thread because I have an inexpensive Gibson Epiphone model (PR-200) that was given to me because someone had left it near a radiator for years and the ebony bridge had nearly popped off the guitar, staying on just barely. The tension of the strings from I am guessing - the drying out of the wood - had ripped the bridge and wood up from the guitar and was shocking to look at.

However, I noticed also the bridge had been glued onto the varnished surface to begin with, not the wood, which is one strike. Strike two was that someone had previously tried to repair it with epoxy but that repair did not work. I am guessing they did nothing to hydrate the wood during the repair process.

Upon close examination I saw that not only did the ebony bridge deform (back was higher than the front) but there were tiny cracks that formed in between the holes for the strings. a sane person would have just spent $11.95 on eBay for a replacement bridge.

However, I had success using a combination of steam and pressure from a 25 lb bag of ceramic clay placed on top of a metal shim to straighten out the body.

I have avoided sanding down the bridge because on this thread someone said to drop it in boiling water, which sounds smart.

There's something about using the Thompson's belly reducer i don't like - the drilling holes int he bridge, etc. It just seems like one fix to a common problem. I can imagine other ways to heat the body and apply pressure, so I am surprised nobody else has come up with additional products for such a common problem...