Looking for "old" Epiphone tailpiece

[Michael Jennings]

I have a 1946 Epiphone Broadway in the shop for some repair/restoration.

Main problem is a broken tailpiece bracket. It has a gold "Frequensator" tailpiece and the mounting bracket/base is completely broken at the right angle where the top and sides [endblock] meet. I would really like to replace with original or a good quality repro before going to another style.

The guitar is in really good structural shape; no cracks or major dings [just great "crackle"], straight neck /good angle. Original bridge w/ matching sn# embossed on underside. Original epiphone tuners w/ a couple of bent shafts and a fair bit of slop/backlash so I'll have to address that.

Any way I'd like to get this gal back in service so thought I throw out a net request looking for a replacement tailpiece. Any help with locating an original replacement would be appreciated. [ reached out to Gruhn and some others as well]

Thanks

Mike J

[Darrel Friesen]

There is a frequensator posted on ebay right now Michael.

[Michael Jennings]

Thanks, I'll take a look.... The ones I've seen lately are for semi-hollowbodies like the 'Dot 335's" and not for the full depth guitars. I'd like if possible to "cover" the same foot print and use existing screw and endpin holes.

MJ

[Michael Lewis]

Allparts has a gold one. Or, the base plate doesn't look so difficult to make, but you would need to plate it when done.

[Michael Jennings]

Yep Michael I'm quickly getting to the point of trying to build a replacement base myself. The original is plated brass .050 thick. The only challenge will be bending the "hooks" that hold the ends of the two trapezes and having them look right. I haven't started looking for a plating service yet, but there must be someone out there that does small jobs.

The ones that I have found on the web [including allparts] are all for the thin body arch tops and aren't going to work for this restoration. I managed to straighten the bent shafts on the machine heads yesterday so the only thing left is to replace the missing FB binding, a bit of fret work..... and that doggone tailpiece bracket.

The person who GAVE me the guitar [over my objections that I should pay him] tells me that it has been in his barn in its original Lifton case for 30 years without being touched or played. He is not a guitar player and "just want's to see it played and enjoyed", I couldn't agree more.

He does want to learn clawhammer banjo and liked the one I built for myself so I see a project in the very near future that he will have to accept whether HE objects or not.

Mike

[Jeff Highland]

Perhaps a Jeweller could silver solder, polish and replate the original?

[Nick Middleton]

I second Jeff's suggestion. A jewler would be well-equipt for working with the materials, great attention to detail, and the size of your part is perfect for what what they are used to working with.

[Michael Jennings]

Thanks guys, did find a shop in the Seattle area that has done this exact repair before.... kind of costly but will probably be worth it in the end.

MJ

[Michael Lewis]

Those Broadways are great guitars if you get them set up properly. The truss rod is adjustable at the end of the fingerboard.

About the time that one was made Gibson had an advertising slogan "only a Gibson is good enough", to which Epiphone came out with "When good enough just won't do". About ten years later Gibson bought out the Epiphone company.

[Michael Jennings]

I was familiar with the "logo/slogan wars" and to this day it is one of my favorite tidbits of guitar history... sense of humor with a sharp point.

I've got one of the new repro "semi hollow" tailpieces on the way and will mount it as a temporary while the original is away for repair. The frets are "pretty good" but I need to get it strung up and evaluate before I make the decision to re-fret now or wait. Want to do that before I replace the missing FB binding as these were fretted flush with the FB and then bound,,, so it doesn't make sense to replace before I know for sure re the frets.

Sure is miserable waiting to hear it sing for the first time in 35 years or more.

Mike