Making that bridge hold still

[Guest mgoetting]

Any of you do anything to stabilize a wooden bridge?

 

One guitar I had years ago had small pieces of sand paper glue to the undersurface. Another had the bridge glued.

 

The finish under the bridge will be damaged even if you do nothing. Nonetheless, I'm reluctant to do anything permanent.

 

Archtops can be a pain to set up.

 

Suggestions?

[jazzrat]

I've seen everything from the sandpaper trick to double stick tape to a mechnaical fastener like a little pin.

On a poly finish I might be tempted to try a a thin double stick tape or static cling sheet but on a nitro finish....

prolly not...as there may be outgassing that would react with anything plastic'y.

So for now I just live with it and lightly mark the location with tape if I need to remove the bridge for cleaning or whatever.

[Guest mgoetting]

I've seen everything from the sandpaper trick to double stick tape to a mechnaical fastener like a little pin.

On a poly finish I might be tempted to try a a thin double stick tape or static cling sheet but on a nitro finish....

prolly not...as there may be outgassing that would react with anything plastic'y.

So for now I just live with it and lightly mark the location with tape if I need to remove the bridge for cleaning or whatever.

 

How do you use tape?

[jazzrat]

How do you use tape?

 

There are different thicknesses of double stick tape available. The best are 3-M brand.

We use them in the sign biz alot. The thinnest is not really even a tape it's like a 1 or 2 mil

layer of adhesive that's on a release liner, and comes on rolls or sheets.

For any of them I would just cut it to size and apply it to the bridge foot.

If you used one that was thicker it might affect tone especially on a carved top.

Now...***I'm not suggesting anybody do this!*** especially on a Nitro finish.

I personally would not do it on anything but a beater guitar. I'm just saying it works and could be done if

the annoyance factor is such that it's worth the risk.

[Steiner]

3M has other (painter's?) tapes that can be used to mark the bridge position before removing strings. I'm seriously considering a Sharpie to mark the two forward corners of the bridge location - beneath the bridge. Doing so provides me the ability to get it within 1mm which, in my Government book, is close enough for Rock & Roll

[JohnCovach]

If you're changing strings or doing a full set-up, masking tape works fine. If you're concerned about the bridge moving while the strings are on, which is relatively common, there are a number of fixes, some of which have already been mentioned. The most inventive I've hear of goes like this:

 

Get a common party balloon and affix it to the bottom of the bridge using rubber cement. You stretch it tight when you glue it, and after the glue dries you trim off the excess. It is then the balloon material that keeps the bridge from shifting, with no glue or abrasive material touching the guitar itself. I've never tried this, but I'll bet it works like a charm.

 

I use sandpaper, but the very fine stuff you can buy at auto parts stores--which, as it turns out, is the same stuff we classical guitarists use to polish our right-hand fingernails!

[Patrick]

If you're changing strings or doing a full set-up, masking tape works fine. If you're concerned about the bridge moving while the strings are on, which is relatively common, there are a number of fixes, some of which have already been mentioned. The most inventive I've hear of goes like this:

 

Get a common party balloon and affix it to the bottom of the bridge using rubber cement. You stretch it tight when you glue it, and after the glue dries you trim off the excess. It is then the balloon material that keeps the bridge from shifting, with no glue or abrasive material touching the guitar itself. I've never tried this, but I'll bet it works like a charm.

 

I use sandpaper, but the very fine stuff you can buy at auto parts stores--which, as it turns out, is the same stuff we classical guitarists use to polish our right-hand fingernails!

 

Don't you feel that the baloon plastic will absorb and cusion (dampen) the string vibration, rather than transfering it through the bridge base to the top?

[JohnCovach]

Don't you feel that the baloon plastic will absorb and cusion (dampen) the string vibration, rather than transfering it through the bridge base to the top?

 

I guess it would, but whatever you put between the bridge and the top will probably absorb some energy, even if it's slight. As it turns out, most archtop bridges are not perfectly seated to to the top, so everywhere there's a gap, there's some potential energy transfer lost.

 

Here's a story about this kind of thing. I have a few very nice handmade classical guitars, and a couple of these were built by Kenny Hill in California. As the seasons change, the action sometimes needs to be adjusted up or down, but on a classical that means having two or three bridge saddles handy, each cut to a different height. You swap them out as needed (it's the same with steel-string guitars). So I'm on the phone with Kenny asking him if he can cut me a slightly taller bridge saddle and he says, "just put some cardboard under the saddle you have--cut up a business card." As a regular on several forums where such a thing would be universally frowned upon, I said "but won't that affect the tone." He said, "not really, don't worry."

[Kuz]

The tension of the strings (well if they are at least 11s or higher), should hold that bridge down perfectly.

[barrymclark]

I have only had one of thse moved when the guitar fell hard. It was an old import.

 

Anyways, other than that occurance, I just kept it in place by changing strings one at a time. Other than that, can't say I have ever had one move.

[Patrick]

I guess it would, but whatever you put between the bridge and the top will probably absorb some energy, even if it's slight. As it turns out, most archtop bridges are not perfectly seated to to the top, so everywhere there's a gap, there's some potential energy transfer lost.

 

Here's a story about this kind of thing. I have a few very nice handmade classical guitars, and a couple of these were built by Kenny Hill in California. As the seasons change, the action sometimes needs to be adjusted up or down, but on a classical that means having two or three bridge saddles handy, each cut to a different height. You swap them out as needed (it's the same with steel-string guitars). So I'm on the phone with Kenny asking him if he can cut me a slightly taller bridge saddle and he says, "just put some cardboard under the saddle you have--cut up a business card." As a regular on several forums where such a thing would be universally frowned upon, I said "but won't that affect the tone." He said, "not really, don't worry."

 

I don't know man. . . . I'm certainly not a guitar builder, but I know that if a bridge base isn't making good flush contact with the sound board, the tone will be negatively affected. I saw this on one of my Super Eagles. When I played the guitar acoustically it was totally dead . . . lifeless and seemed muted. My guitar tech showed me where the bridge base was poorly fitted to the top. I mean it was way off. He disassembled the guitar, reshaped the bridge base to where it was perfectly fit to the top. The change was significant. It took him 15 minutes, practically no time at all.

[JohnCovach]

I don't know man. . . . I'm certainly not a guitar builder, but I know that if a bridge base isn't making good flush contact with the sound board, the tone will be negatively affected. I saw this on one of my Super Eagles. When I played the guitar acoustically it was totally dead . . . lifeless and seemed muted. My guitar tech showed me where the bridge base was poorly fitted to the top. I mean it was way off. He disassembled the guitar, reshaped the bridge base to where it was perfectly fit to the top. The change was significant. It took him 15 minutes, practically no time at all.

 

Yep, but "perfect fit" and efficient transfer of energy are somewhat different. What your tech did is what many guitars need--a careful reshaping of the bridge base. I once knew a guy who did work for a lot of big names and he claimed it took him a while to get the bridge base shaped perfectly, describing it as an art. Whether a good fitting bridge base sounds much different with tape, sandpaper, of balloon stuff on the bottom is another question, though. I think what Kenny Hill meant was that a good fitting bridge saddle will not be much affected by the slim bit of cardboard. But if you're going for the acoustic sound of an archtop, I think I'd try other options before using the tape or whatever. Maybe the rockabilly guys have it right: they just put a couple of small nails through the bridge base to stick it to the top!! I'm not sure I'd be up for that!

[FredZepp]

The paperwork for the Centurion says that the bridge has two .093 inch rods to prevent the bridge from sliding, , but that it is removable .

[Guest mgoetting]

I have only had one of thse moved when the guitar fell hard. It was an old import.

 

Anyways, other than that occurance, I just kept it in place by changing strings one at a time. Other than that, can't say I have ever had one move.

 

 

Heavy strings can hold the bridge down. Light strings and bending the strings is a dangerous combo.