The ADJ

[TRU]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

I had a Gibson J-50 with an adjustable bridge, and it was a part of a long line of Gibson acoustics I owned and used. The J-50's tone was a little dead, not as "Gibsony" as the others I used. It probably was because of the extra hardware on the bridge, however that was only a part of the picture - Gibsons of that era were purposefully overbuilt, and suffered tonally. Nevertheless, the bridge was probably the largest factor.

I think the period in question was from about 1970 to perhaps 1978(?) and we call that their Norlin era. I may be incorrect on the dates, so anyone with better information can chime in.

Nevertheless, that particular J-50 still sounded good -- although not as good as other Gibsons -- and I used it on stage for about 7 or 8 years. So, if you want a great Gibson guitar - go for it. If you want that pure Gibson sound - I dunno.

Thank you for that reply.
From what I know, the Norlin era mostly aligns with the "square shoulder," but other things as well.

[Sugar Bear]

I have a Gibson Dove with the adjustable bridge. Love the guitar, but the bridge is a nuisance. I'm thinking about making a new, regular bridge for it.