Bridge on Gibson ES335 dot

Are you sure it wasn't just used to protect things in transit?
I have an Epi BB King (based on the 345) and no such wire

This is not a dot, but can't see any wire either, do you not have the cover then?

Don't think it is just for transit, I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and the bridge is different, although it is a tune o matic, the screws face the stop piece, on the 335 they face toward the fingerboard and there are deffinitly 2 small holes in the body of the bridge for the wire.

Thanks

Yep, Gary's right - I found this ebay ad for a "vintage" Gibson SG/LP/335 bridge and there's clearly a wire running across the adjustment screws:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1966-Gibson-SG-Les-Paul-ES-335-Bridge_W0QQitemZ7412871962QQcategoryZ47073QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

there are holes in mine, but it is the screw hole from holding the tuning bit.
If it's the same as the bit above mine has a small piece of metal doing the same

Nice guitar btw :D

Ah, found this regarding the "with wire" bridge:

1962: Tunematic bridge "with wire" (still stamped "ABR-1" on bottom). The wire goes over the six saddle screw heads to prevent the saddles from popping out during string changes.

And apparently you can still buy replacement parts with the wire:
http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/gbridge_abrgibson.htm

STRING BUZZ AT BRIDGE SADDLES. SPRING WIRE BUZZING

Ah, found this regarding the "with wire" bridge:

1962: Tunematic bridge "with wire" (still stamped "ABR-1" on bottom). The wire goes over the six saddle screw heads to prevent the saddles from popping out during string changes.

And apparently you can still buy replacement parts with the wire:
http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/gbridge_abrgibson.htm

STRING BUZZ AT BRIDGE SADDLES. Actually, this is most likely the retainer spring vibrating/buzzing

I have a 62 SG reissue, Epiphone/Gibson G400 with tunomatic bridge which I bought used from a friend. When I first got it there was an annoying buzz at a couple of the saddles (high strings). I tried to get them seated in a manner which would stop the buzzing but was not able to fully correct it.

[IAM ADDING THIS NOTE ON EDIT: WHAT I DESCRIBED BELOW IS NOT NECESSARY AND AFTER YOU READ THAT I WILL TELL YOU THE EASIER WAY TO FIX IT]

Finally, I took the whole bridge off, studied it carefully and I figured that this spring-wire, which is a retainer wire, was not applying enough tension to the saddles. I figured that this was just a cheap or defective spring. I took the saddle apart and I reformed (bent) the spring wire to create more tension. This worked for me and solved the buzzing problem, HOWEVER, I highly do NOT recommend doing this yourself unless you are very patient and confident in your technical perception as the trick is to correctly perceive which way to bend the spring and then to be able to properly bend it as this is 'spring steel', not mild steel. The 90 deg. bends at the ends have to fit back into the holes and to get this right is not as easy as it may seem. It is very likely you won't get it right the first time or the second time and you will be wishing that you simply had a NEW spring to put in it.

I got it to work for me but I would suggest just buying a new spring and replacing it. If that does not solve your problem then at least you will have an extra spring in case you mess one of them up trying to bend it. This way you wont have any downtime in case you really mess up the spring.

I love this G400 because my first electric guitar was an original 62 Gibson SG bought new. I can't afford one now and this G400 physically feels the same and plays the same- except that I plan to upgrade the hardware and make a very nice 'keeper' guitar out of this one. I may even replace the bridge. I haven't decided how I am going to set it up yet.

I would just order a new spring and try that, OR since you bought this guitar NEW, take it back and insist that they correct the problem.

[OK HERE IS THE EASY WAY]

When I wrote that explanation above I hadn't recalled the whole proceedure as it was a long time ago but NOW I remember. After all of that messing around, taking the bridge apart to re-bend the spring, it still wasn't perfect and I had a slight buzz. FINALLY I just took a pair of needle nose pliers and looking vertically down at the bridge from directly above it, I opened the pliers and pointing them vertically down to the spring I spanned one saddle screw at a time- with each jaw of the pliers being on an opposite side of the saddle adjustment screw, contacting the spring. I pushed down on the pliers, bending the spring downward on both sides of the screw at the same time. The reason I did it this way is because I found that if you just push on the spring on one side of the screw the other side will raise upward, so pushing both sides down at the same time prevented that. I also did some fine bensing adjustments with a small screw driver.

This way you don't even have to remove the strings or anything else.

As far as the spring in the design of the bridge, given that sometimes it ius prone to buzzing, I think this design is flawed from the start. ESPECIALLY when we consider an ES335 that costs 2,000 pounds British.

Does anyone know how they remedied this problem in later years?

I have an ES335 copy, Jay Turser with a tunematic style bridge and guess what? NO RETAINER SPRING, and a much better design in my opinion!

If it was me, my friend, I might consider insisting that the shop, or Gibson REPLACE that bridge for a later (improved) design.

Isuppose that once the retainer spring is re-bent and not buzzing it is 'OK' but on such an expensive instrument as this one I think we can EXPECT ALOT BETTER from the Gibson company.

Who cares if it is the original style bridge with a spring from 1962, if that bridge was poorly designed in the first place. I would opt for one without the spring.

I haven't posted here for so long I forgot how the board functions work. I tried to edit a post but instead made my changes in a 'reply'- tried to delete the first post but couldn't figure out how so I just changed it to - spring buzz at bridge = retainer spring buzz.

I'll figure out the forum functions as I go.

I did go back to the shop a few days after purchasing the ES335, and told them about the problem and what was causing it, but they seemed unaware of this problem and suggested I bend the spring with a pair of pliers. Having just bought this guitar new, which has a retail cost of nearly 2,000 pounds, I was rather disappointed in their attitude, but don't want to risk leaving it with them in case they scratch the body or just give the spring a bit of a twist, it seems they just sell guitars, it would be nice if they had an older, properly qualified guitar repairer on site who could be trusted to do things like this, properly and without any damage or marks on the instrument. I think I would rather do the job myself, and do it properly! Incidently, I contacted Gibson UK, who 'phoned me back within 3 hours and they confirmed the spring buzz is a known problem, and to bend it with pliers!

If this was a car I don't think they'd get away with it!

Gary UK (just call me bemused!).

If this was a car I don't think they'd get away with it!
If it was a car, tell you that it is not a "user maintainable" feature and that they'd have to have it in the garage for 2 days, they'd charge you the Earth for "Inspection and Diagnostics" and God knows what other things and, then, return the car along with a huge bill. You'd probably find the problem had been solved by bending the piece into shape with a pair of pliars.
You'd also discover that you now have another fault, that wasn't there before the car went into the garage, that is also not "user maintainable".

HEY. I edited the fix-it routine in my previous post because I recalled a much easier way to remedy the buzzing problem.

I inserted the following into the previous post:
[OK HERE IS THE EASY WAY]

When I wrote that explanation above I hadn't recalled the whole proceedure as it was a long time ago but NOW I remember. After all of that messing around, taking the bridge apart to re-bend the spring, it still wasn't perfect and I had a slight buzz. FINALLY I just took a pair of needle nose pliers and looking vertically down at the bridge from directly above it, I opened the pliers and pointing them vertically down to the spring I spanned one saddle screw at a time- with each jaw of the pliers being on an opposite side of the saddle adjustment screw, contacting the spring. I pushed down on the pliers, bending the spring downward on both sides of the screw at the same time. The reason I did it this way is because I found that if you just push on the spring on one side of the screw the other side will raise upward, so pushing both sides down at the same time prevented that. I also did some fine bensing adjustments with a small screw driver.

This way you don't even have to remove the strings or anything else.

As far as the spring in the design of the bridge, given that sometimes it ius prone to buzzing, I think this design is flawed from the start. ESPECIALLY when we consider an ES335 that costs 2,000 pounds British.

Does anyone know how they remedied this problem in later years?

I have an ES335 copy, Jay Turser with a tunematic style bridge and guess what? NO RETAINER SPRING, and a much better design in my opinion!

If it was me, my friend, I might consider insisting that the shop, or Gibson REPLACE that bridge for a later (improved) design.

Isuppose that once the retainer spring is re-bent and not buzzing it is 'OK' but on such an expensive instrument as this one I think we can EXPECT ALOT BETTER from the Gibson company.

Who cares if it is the original style bridge with a spring from 1962, if that bridge was poorly designed in the first place. I would opt for one without the spring.

[on edit] OH YEAH, I almost forgot: you can use two small screwdrivers to push the spring down on each side of the saddle adjustment screw and that may be a more accurate way with less chance of the tips of the pliers slipping off of the spring. I think you can maintain contact on the spring a bit easier with small screwdrivers. Whatever tool works the best.

I should have put this in an earlier post but it appears that they corrected the design flaw by simply having the adjustment screws go through holes in the side of the bridge rather than having the shank of the screw (right below the head) resting in a slot- which required a retainer spring.

Here is a pic of a gotoh replacement bridge for Gibson which illustrates what I mean. Gibson has these bridges also but I couldn't find a close up pic of one: