Bridge plate advice

[Tony Done]

I discovered yesterday that my supposedly-Gibson-made prototype kona doesn't have a bridge plate. Since the top is very thin and fairly soft mahogany or sapele, I'm afraid that the string balls are going to work through it and possibly pull the bridge off. I've made a small plate saver for it out of aluminium, but I'm wondering whether to go with a bigger one, possibly made out of some other material, maybe laminex or the like, or whether I should go the whole hog and install a bridge plate. I would consider non-trad materials in addition maple.

FWIW, I think that the plate saver might have improved the tone a bit, but that could just be confirmation bias.

Any and all opinions on my options would be welcome.

[duluthdan]

What makes you think its Gibson made? If it has no bridge plate, I'd install a Maple one, asap.

[Tony Done]

It was sold to me as such by a dealer here in Oz. A number of them were reputedly made by Gibson shortly after they acquired the Dobro mark from OMI, and it was possible to find references to them, and even examples for sale. It would be a couple of years since I saw one, the asking price was US$3500. I have a link to a mention of them on the other computer. It certainly looks like a prototype, fit and finish was very rough. If anyone knows any more about them, I would be very glad to hear it.



The lute hole is a temporary add-on, when I was experimenting with modifying its tone.

[Athens]

It's an easy enough job for a competent luthier. I'd remove the strings and have one added before any (more) damage is done.

[Tony Done]

I could do it myself, but I'm wondering if it is really necessary if I use a decent plate saver, and/or whether it needs to be glued on or whether a more easily reversible mounting, such as carpet tape, would suffice. I think I will have to use glue, because that pearl dot hides a bolt, and that would be best tightened against a firm mount.

[guitararmy]

Here's a non-invasive technique that you could try:

1/8" aluminum rivet washer between the ball end and the underside of the top

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=293004

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

Here's a non-invasive technique that you could try:

1/8" aluminum rivet washer between the ball end and the underside of the top

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=293004

My original plate savers started as something like that - a 3/16"brass washer that stuck on the underside of the bridge plate. However, they kept falling off, so I went to a singles trip with holes.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by Tony Done

......if I use a decent plate saver, and/or whether it needs to be glued on or whether a more easily reversible mounting, such as carpet tape, would suffice. I think I will have to use glue, because that pearl dot hides a bolt, and that would be best tightened against a firm mount.

Leave an extra hole to accommodate the bolt and install your home-brewed plate with double-sided carpet tape. The carpet tape will hold it in place until the ball ends anchor it firmly. Easy to do, and also easy to un-do if you ever feel the need. Personally I would not mess with a bolt and dot that is there already. It ain't broke, so don't fix it.....

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Leave an extra hole to accommodate the bolt and install your home-brewed plate with double-sided carpet tape. The carpet tape will hold it in place until the ball ends anchor it firmly. Easy to do, and also easy to un-do if you ever feel the need. Personally I would not mess with a bolt and dot that is there already. It ain't broke, so don't fix it.....

Thanks, that is exactly what I thought when I woke up this morning. - A decent sized plate saver, held on with carpet tape and a hole for the bolt. I think I'll go with that. Off to the workshop after brekky.

[zombywoof]

I swear I saw something about this guitar a few years back on another forum. I seem to recall that somebody who worked for or was associated with Gibson responded that Bozeman never produced such a prototype.

Still it is nice looking Weissenborn, whomever made it. If I recall the original guitars did have pretty large bridge plates. I have heard them referred to as "Christmas Tree" plates.

[Otterhound]

1/8" thick lexan that is drilled to match as necessary for strings or whatever . It will conform to a shape if necessary and provide necessary support and protection .
It needs not be affixed and can be trimmed or shaped as needed for thew desired footprint .
Sonically transparent , dense and low mass .

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

I swear I saw something about this guitar a few years back on another forum. I seem to recall that somebody who worked for or was associated with Gibson responded that Bozeman never produced such a prototype.

I've always kept an open mind about its provenance. Yesterday I found the receipt from the deal, it reads "Dobro kona prototype, 1997 Hawaiian lap steel". This is a reference I found yesterday:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/view...4293829065b476

And this from a search a few months back:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/view...abd0fb43688465

The workmanship might be rough, but it was obviously designed as a "serious" acoustic as opposed to a lookalike. For example, the bracing is apparently similar to the original konas, a hybrid of ladder and cross, and it only weighs 2 1/2 lb.

[zombywoof]

Really interesting stuff. That one thread makes it sound like the Kona was built after Gibson closed the CA facility by employees who were still there. So while Gibson still owned the Dobro moniker the employees were intending to build instruments under a new company - that AGC. That would seem to explain the Gibson confusion.

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

1/8" thick lexan that is drilled to match as necessary for strings or whatever . It will conform to a shape if necessary and provide necessary support and protection .
It needs not be affixed and can be trimmed or shaped as needed for thew desired footprint .
Sonically transparent , dense and low mass .

I've got a piece of lexan/polycarbonate about the right size and shape lying around the workshop somewhere. All I have to do is find it, not an easy task. If I can't, I'll use aluminium. I can always change it later, not a big deal. The weight isn't an issue, because I'm already using three brass pins as ballast, and I can remove a couple of those if necessary.

I got distracted this morning, making a new armrest for the reso uke. It turned out well. I might get back to the plate saver later, when it has cooled down a bit.

[Tony Done]

Here it is. I couldn't find the lexan, this is 4mm aluminium stock; it weighs a bit more than one brass pin. It looks a bit rough, but the workshop was getting very hot and I wanted to get it finished:



EDIT After having played it a bit, I think it might sound a bit darker than it did before, more like a Weissenborn, especially in the low mids, but it could just be confirmation bias.