by VintAxe » Thu Jul 07, 2016 3:31 pm
Hi Matt.
The person that lost the bar bridge for that bass has created a real problem. I see a couple of options.
You can replace the tailpiece bridge assembly with a new part. The downside of this is modifying your instrument, spending money on a bass that is probably worth only $200-$250 and finding a bridge with a narrow enough string spacing to fit the neck width. Most Japanese guitars were made for Japanese hands and tend to be narrower than US instruments. It is possible you might be able to adapt single string bridge saddles to create a bridge if you are mechanically inclined. The single string bridge saddle might offer you some string spacing adjustment a replacement tailpiece wouldn't have. Also, you could drill through you existing tailpiece plate to make the installation look more original Here are a couple of different versions of what I mean:
What you need is a saddle with a square bottom and a round top. You could probably fashion one out of an aluminum rod using a grinder or a file. Using a metal other than aluminum would be difficult unless you have the necessary metal shop tools.
This issue might look like a small problem but it is actually a big problem. Let us know your solution.