Blind-Summit
THE GUITAR PLAYERS COMMUNITY

Ibanez Bridge Replacement

This article explains how to replace the stock standard bridge on your guitar, as demonstrated with an Ibanez GRX70.
Although the bridge was change purely for asthetic purposes, it still demonstrates the fundamental techniques required for such a task.

For this modification, you need very little in the way of tools:

• Screwdrivers (Phillips)
• Allen Keys
• Grinding Wheel (NB, not normally required!)

Firstly, begin by removing your strings from the guitar. It’s best to attempt this replacement if you have an old set of strings on, or you can afford to just chuck your current set away (you could reuse them, but I don’t like to). Next, turn your guitar over, to gain access to the back of the bridge, and the tensioning springs. Remove the back panel to reveal the following:

Next, unscrew or loosen the two large screws running parallel to the neck <---> that hold the spring plate to the guitar body, enough for you to remove the springs.

Once these are removed, turn the guitar back over, and proceed to remove the six screws holding the bridge to the guitar body, as shown below:

This leaves you with a hole!

My next problem came when I added the new bridge in - the block was too large, as shown below. The new brass block was around 5 - 6mm too tall, and hence I was unable to replace the back panel on the body. I was able to use a Silicon-Carbide grinding tool to remove this excess. Not all of you may have access to one, so a metal file and a vice should do the trick. This stage, is not usually necessary, but I thought I would add it in, for completeness, and incase anyone else has the same problem as me.

The above image shows the difference in the blocks. The left was my old, cast metal block. The right is the new solid brass block, sitting approx 5 - 6mm too tall.

This image shows the two blocks with their bridge faceplates.

After installation of just one spring, it was clear that it didn’t fit correctly!

Here is the block and single spring sitting a few mm too far out of the guitar body, preventing me from replacing the back plate.

After I ground of the excess, it was simply a case of re-attaching the bridge faceplate back onto the block, and then screwing it back to the body.

I havn’t gone into detail here as it’s basically the reverse of what I have just explained.

The finished article. The guitar doesn’t look so default and stock now. Most new Ibanez either use the Ibanez locking bridge (like the Floyd Rose) or just the basic Ibanez bridges, similar to my old one.

The total cost of this project was basically just the new bridge from axesrus.com at £42.00