Pre-Ventures Bass Bridge

[raygun85]

Hello everyone,
I have a customer with a pre-Ventures era doubleneck (6-string/bass) that he's restoring. He has everything he needs except for the compensated bass bridge with the flip-up mute. (We're only restoring the pickups.) He called and asked if we knew anybody that has one they're willing to sell, or at least get the dimensions so he could have one made. He has a CNC shop down there that is all ready to go based on his description, but he urgently needs the dimensions. I've been searching high and low on the net and am coming up short. Personally, I'm not too familiar with it myself. Thanks, matt

[MWaldorf]

Matt,
Any chance you can share pictures of the guitar?
I've only seen one picture of a bass mute, from Michael Mark's collection. From the looks of it, it's the same thing as the guitar version but with four string notches instead of six. The post width should be the same as on the roller bridges.

[raygun85]

Hi Mel, thanks for the reply. I think that's the bridge we're looking for. I'll have to scan the photo I have but I think that's it.

[MWaldorf]

Here are close up shots of the two flip mutes I've got. Neither is vintage, but should get you close.

[JimPage]

Mel, if those aren't vintage bridge mutes, where did you get them? On my '51 Reissue Precision, I jammed a piece of foam rubber between the top of the phenolic saddles and the bottom of the bridge cover, and on an Oscar Schmidt copy of a L5, I put a piece of old VW Bug trunk gasket under the strings to act as a mute.

Crude but effective.

I believe my old Epiphone Rivoli bass back in the '60s had some kind of bridge mute that I used, but it wasn't as elegant-looking as the ones on your instruments. They are snazzy. If the Mosrite bass I had back then had a mute, I don't remember it.

--JIm

[MWaldorf]

Mel, if those aren't vintage bridge mutes, where did you get them?

The top one is an Ed Elliott piece on the guitar Danny "Dubtrub" Ellison built. The bottom one is a Hallmark piece on the Gruggett built guitar. On the Hallmark, I put a little piece of a pick underneath the treble side of the bridge that lets the flip mute "click" into place. On the Elliott bridge, the mute arm has a curve that presses it against the bridge so it stays in place without the need for the pick click.

The flip mutes were only on the Ventures model guitars and basses for a very short time. I'm sure the bass you had would have had the standard bridge with the four individually adjustable saddles.

[JimPage]

Mel wrote, about the Mosrite bass I had in the '60s:
>>I'm sure the bass you had would have had the standard bridge with the four individually adjustable saddles.

Yep; I think you are right!

Here's a picture I found on the Net that shows the type of bridge/mute the Epiphone Rivoli I bought in 1968 or so had:


I didn't use the mute very often. Several years ago I made the mistake of buying a crude Asian-made Epiphone "reissue" of the Rivoli bass. A real piece of junk compared to the Kalamazoo-made original one I had; I was so disappointed.

--Jim