Schaller Bridge Question

[groucho]

For those with much familiarity with the 460
roller bridge - I have used these for many years
2 of them are 20 years old now

I just had one off the body of my Jazz bass
and i noticed it appears to have bent slightly
just past the screw holes
If I place a steel ruler against the bottom
it is obvious the part with the string anchor block
is going "up" a wee bit.

Is this "normal"? Or did all those years of string
tension actually warp the base plate?

 

[Philbiker]

I've had this great bass on a couple basses over the years. I can't imagine it warping like that.

 

[groucho]

I am pretty sure it did in fact distort over those
20 years

I went to Ebay and looked at some current and
closed auction pics of 460 bridges taken set flat
on table tops and they appear to all lay dead
flat... Mine now having a very subtle "checkmark"
shape. The reason I took it off the bass in the
first place is I noticed it was sitting off the body
at the front under the saddles by about a 32nd
of an inch (daylight visible sideways).
Could it be I had it TOO tightly screwed down?

The "bend line" is right along the 3 big screw
holes.

I put a Badass II on there now, first one of
those I have had in decades

Which does indeed sit dead flat against the wood.

 

[Showdown]

Could it be I had it TOO tightly screwed down?

The "bend line" is right along the 3 big screw
holes.

I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that if you tightened it enough to bend a thick metal plate the screws would probably strip out first.

 

[Philbiker]

I'd contact Schaller if it were mine. They may be able to arrange a replacement. That bridge is much much better than a Badass II.

 

[Akami]

I'd contact Schaller if it were mine. They may be able to arrange a replacement. That bridge is much much better than a Badass II.

I'd try this route too.
I'm also a big fan of the Schaller bridge and the only thing that I can think of causing one to warp like that would be overtightening of the screws, which although hard to imagine, sound like it may be the case.