Gibson J40 how to string

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: GUEST,Morticus
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 10:42 AM

I've got a 1973 J40. Built like a tank. It was once left in a car on a hot sunny day along with a Lowden (both in cases). Lowden bridge sprang off and required regluing. Gibson barely went out of tune.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 06:38 AM

Thank you all for the information;I appreciate the help.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: eddie1
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 05:25 AM

I had the bridge come off my 30-year-old Lowden last year and had it glued back on by a local luthier. Been fine since.

I seem to remember that the late Derek Moffat of the McCalmans had the same problem and when he had his repaired, his luthier used the nut and bolt trick and said that it was quite common with Lowdens.

Still would never part wth it though!

Eddie

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 04:52 AM

Hey Will, my bridge started parting from my old Lowden about 5 years ago. I had it reglued and three small nut and bolts inserted and mother of pearl caps set in to hide them.... Looks lovely!
As aye,
Phil

Really? That's the first time I've heard of that kind of occurrence. My mate Ian Chisholm, who makes instruments for me, is very friendly with the Lewes luthiers (Nick Benjamin, Richard Osborne, Paul Aguillera, etc.) who are a very kind and generous bunch. He's discussed the pros and cons of Lowden-style bridges with them and, on the whole, they're not in favour of them - presumably for the reason that Richard has proposed, and your example bears it out.

I've always thought that the concept was pretty neat - good-looking and ergonomically cool. Do the bolts change the sound from what it was previously?

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 04:05 AM

I'd be iffy about that bolt business.

Here is the Stew-Mac way of re-gluing a bridge.

http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0141.html

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 03:45 AM

Hey Will, my bridge started parting from my old Lowden about 5 years ago. I had it reglued and three small nut and bolts inserted andmother of pearl caps set in to hide them.... Looks lovely!
As aye,
Phil

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 06:38 PM

for what it's worth I'm wary of top loading bridges
because I have a cheap crafter bowl-back mandolin with one
that's started to come unglued and lift off the sound board...

Seems the relatively unknown J-40 was a short lived 1970's budget priced guitar with a couple of known design variants.
The top loading bridge version being one of them.

Some confusion on guitar forums if any were made with solid wood back 'n' sides,
or if all were plywood.. ??

here's an illustrated article of a luthiers repair
with a big magnified photo of the bridge after regluing
and being reinforced with bolts..

http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2010/07/c1961-gibson-j-40-guitar.html

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: PHJim
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 06:34 PM

While I have never seen a Lowden pull up, I have seen several Ovations with thrread throughs that needed their bridges reglued. Try sliding a piece of paper under the butt end of the bridge. If it slides under, have a luthier or qualified repair person look at it before stringing up to tension.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 05:40 PM

Tigger, put "Gibson J40" into Google and then click on the key for "images".

Thread-throughs are easy peasy - much easier than pegbridges. Just thread each string through the right hole and then proceed as I outlined above. If you then see a crack at the back of the bridge, panic and rush to a proper guitar fettler, probably not your local music shop. But since you say you bought for the sound it is under tension so if there is a crack there panic now and if there isn't, don't.

12-53s are probably a good gauge to start with. Much lighter and the top will not move properly.

Clean the guitar properly while the strings are off and do not use silicon polish or wax polish (or methylated spirits unless you check carefully on a hidden part first - meths dissolves some old finishes). Don't forget to clean the nut slots and take the saddle out (if it is a one-piece one which I expect it to be) and make sure there is no fluff or shit under it - makes quite a difference.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 04:36 PM

Personally, I wouldn't let anyone in a music shop go anywhere near my guitars. If its anything like the bridge posted on the email link its simply a matter of threading the end of the strings through the holes and attaching them to the tuners at the opposite end of the instrument.

You could ask a repair-person to check the instrument out for you and ask his advice about how the strings should be fitted at the same time. Then at least you'll know whether the bridge is in a near state of detachment. Unless you're going to take it to someone every time you need to change the strings this is something you need to be able to do yourself.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 04:17 PM

I am not sure at all about the origin of the bridge on this guitar,but I can see no evidence of it not being original.So most of these J40s have pegs? At any rate,I gather that this is called a Thread-through bridge. I have not been around electric guitars during re-stringing.I have put strings on a Gibson J 200 and a Martin D 28,but this has no pegs.I am not a chap,so not all that handy. So will a decent acoustic fellow at a music store likely be able to handle this without damage?

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 03:56 PM

Well quite a lot of J40 pix clearly show pegbridges.

Thread-through bridges have been known to come off many a guitar - even if not a Lowden.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Will Fly
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 11:48 AM

Lowden has always strung his guitars this way - never heard of a bridge coming away from a Lowden yet.

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 11:41 AM

got curious and had nothing better to do for last 5 mins...

if you look at photo of this ebay item -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Gibson-NOS-Parts-70s-Top-Loading-J-40-Acoustic-Rosewood-Bridge-/250923370035?pt=Guitar_Accesso

"Vintage Gibson NOS Parts 70's Top Loading J-40 Acoustic Rosewood Bridge"

you can definitely see holes where strings simply thread through
for quick changing like a standard cheap top loading electric guitar bridge.

So apparently no need for traditional pins to anchor through sound board.


.. how long before string temsion rips the bridge off the top of the guitar..

maybe that's why there's still a stockpile of new old stock top loading bridges ???

Subject: RE: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 07:32 AM

All the pictures I can find of a Gibson J-40 look absolutely bog standard.

Pegbridge (remove peg after slackening string to detach string and insert ball end of new string) and upright machine heads (not slotted head) - so thread string through correct hole after removing old string, allow one fret of slack, and wind on so that the string goes the side of the post AWAY from the edge of the headstock.

This should give you three turns (roughly) around the post.

Genuine Gibson J-40 in a flea market - some chaps have all the luck.

Subject: Gibson J40 how to string
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 07:19 AM

I bought a J40 at a flea market just based on the sound. Now I realize that every guitar I have had strings differently from this one. What do you call this?How do you put new strings on?Are there any videos etc. ?Or should I take this to a pro?Thanks.