Gibson ES-150 Archtop and Alternatives

**fritz jones** · 03-10-2019, 07:11 AM

the area where it's touching the top has a block under it anyway

**Bromando** · 03-10-2019, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

There are many pics online of Gibson tailpieces with the same bends near the hinged end as yours.

I don't see how anyone can tell if the TP is touching the top from this angle... I agree it looks close, but so does my friend's '37, yet his TP bends at a right angle over the rim and hovers just over the top (not an acute angle into the top like mine), which is how I think these are supposed to be.

Good to be reminded of the block there, does make it seem less critical.

**Fred Archtop** · 03-10-2019, 02:34 PM

2 pics about my '38 ES-150 and my '37 L50.

Gibson ES-150 Archtop and Alternatives-es-150-jpg

Gibson ES-150 Archtop and Alternatives-l50-jpg

I wouldn't bother much about your tailpiece neither.

Best.

**Bromando** · 03-10-2019, 03:01 PM

Thanks, these are exactly the pics I was looking for!

As suspected my TP is clearly a bit F-ed up, probably not enough to worry about but I'm gonna ask a local archtop luthier about it when the guitar goes in for a checkup/new pickguard this week... Maybe it can be ever so gently bent to not dig into the top? Maybe the metal is too old to risk it, I'll leave it to his discretion.

Even on your L50, where the tailpiece is definitely touching the top, it just seems to be resting on top of it rather than actually digging into it. Your 150 looks ideal with visible light under the whole tailpiece.

I had forgotten about the block around the input jack however, with that kind of support I'm pretty sure any damage to the top has already been done and the crack next to the TP is probably incidental...

**Cunamara** · 03-10-2019, 06:08 PM

I suspect that the lower of Fred's two photos is how the TP is supposed to be fitted. There may be some variation in the location of the screw holes and jack hole which accounts for this. If the holes are too high relative to the edge, the TP flexes over the binding towards the top. At the right height, the TP vertical face is pulled against the side of the guitar.

Might be you could loosen the screws and push the TP down a bit to make it look more like Fred's second one.

**Bromando** · 03-10-2019, 08:05 PM

Good point, I see what you mean. I do think this is the issue, never thought of the vertical orientation of the jack being the culprit but makes sense.