Gibson Grabber Bridge Saddle Screws Replacement

Posted on June 6, 2018September 14, 2018 by Daniel Spohn

Gibson Grabber Bridge Saddle Screws

The Gibson Grabber has amazing tone, but quite possibly the worst bridge saddle screws I have ever seen. These Gibson Grabber bridge saddle screws stick up above the saddle by about 1/4 of an inch and are sharp and gnarly looking. Gibson must have added the bridge cover to hide these things and so players don’t rip their hands up on the jagged slot head screws.

My Gibson G3 bass had atrocious action when I received it. The seller I bought it from stated it had a “bent neck” but what I think really happened is a previous owner thought the screws were sticking up to high and screwed them in so that it looked more like other guitar bridges. Doing this obviously raised the saddles and strings, only making the action completely ridiculous. Something has to be done about these original snaggletoothed, ol’ Gibson Grabber bridge screws! My bass was missing one screw and another was broken so I was on the hunt for a replacement.

Gibson Grabber Bridge Saddle Screws — Replacement screws

So get some new screws, easy enough? I’ll just order some from AllParts or MojoTone or StewMac or MusiciansFriend…or…? Nope, none of them have anything to replace the Gibson Grabber bridge screws. I read through forums and dug through machine shop inventories for a couple hours before I figured out exactly what the original screws were and found a source for them. Now the best thing I can do now is buy a bunch and offer them up on my website for my fellow bass player in need…I can also send bandaids if needed. 😀

Here are my tips for installing new screws:

Buy the right screws.
- I’m selling them on my site. Get the from me! https://doyoulikegear.com/for-sale/
- Gibson Grabber saddles have an odd thread count so most screws won’t work and will ruin the saddle if you force it in
- These screws are the right length, not too short and not too long
Used the right size hex key or Allen wrench
- 0.050″ is the correct size for these screws
- 1.3 mm could work in a pinch
- I recommend this Tekton Hex Key Wrench Set
Replace one screw at a time.
- The second saddle screw will save the screw height for the screw you are replacing
- This should keep you in the right ballpark
- Tighten the screw until you feel it come into contact with the bridge and feel pressure on the end of the screw
- This should keep the screw from falling out
Clean Bridge Parts? Probably not, but maybe. (Only do this if you are comfortable setting up the saddle height and intonation…and probably neck relief while you’re at it)
- Make a vinegar and table salt solution
- Let the parts sit in the solution for 10-15 minutes
- Use the solution to clean up the parts more
- Rinse with cold water
- Immediately dry completely to avoid rusting