Hey! This is my first MM/EB bass, a black bongo. What are those two allen bolts for on the bridge? (I'm assuming they are for something, but, you know what happens when you assume. If they were just to hold the bridge down, why didn't they just use screws?) I didn't get anything from Musicians Fiend in the way of literature with the bass (not even allen wrenches for the bridge or truss rod), and I couldn't find anything on the EB website. TIA
Im assuming you mean the two tiny allen bolts that sit on each of the saddles? They are used for adjusting saddle height which you use for finer adjustment of your action (how high the strings sit off the fretboard). Merls
Merlin: Thanks for replying! Let me clarify by means of a photo: It's the bolts on the outside of the saddles. They are the big ones, there are two of them.
Those are actually the bolts that anchor the bridge IINM. They're just a fancy big headed allen bolt to spread the load. I don't know but it would be neat if they threaded into metal inserts in the body but that might be too much to ask.
It's hard to tell from the picture, but could they possibly raise and lower (each side of) the whole bridge like the thumbscrews on a tune-o-matic do?
No need to raise or lower either side of the chassis when each string saddle has individual height adjustment
Here's the answer from Dave Nelson at EB/MM: Those are the bridge bolts that screw into brass inserts in the body that help with the sustain and tone.