The Acoustic Guitar Forum - User's of JLD Bridge System (AKA Bridge Doctor)

The Acoustic Guitar Forum (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/index.php)

- Build and Repair (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=44)

- - User's of JLD Bridge System (AKA Bridge Doctor) (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193405)

Quote:

Originally Posted by charles Tauber (Post 6002220)

What most skilled repair people do:

1. check the amount of side-to-side curvature of the top behind the bridge to assess if it is excessive
2. check the amount of longitudinal curvature from bridge to butt to assess if it is excessive
3. estimate the amount of bridge rotation to assess if it is excessive.

If I found excessive amounts, I'd check that the bridge is fully glued to the top, that none of the braces are loose or cracked and that the bridge plate is not damaged/cracked. In my experience, those are the primary culprits of excessive deformation of the "belly" in "better" instruments. It would never occur to me to install a Bridge Doctor on an instrument of that quality: it isn't an option. On a garage-sale, abused plywood guitar, maybe.

If you are happy with the Bridge Doctor, great. However, I'm not aware of any reputable repair person who would put one on a "better" instrument as a fix for excessive deformation of the top. Perhaps, it is a limitation of my acquaintances.

:D
¿ So my friend , what's this service cost ?

Breedlove guitars started using the BD and now
makes there own .

There are other manufactures that do as well .

EZ :

HR

Breedlove is designed to have this truss system in place though. If I am not mistaken they build the tops super light so that it needs some sort of stabilization. It's an interesting design and I have played them before and they do indeed sound good.

JLD Bridge Dr pn Other Guitars

JLD Bridge Dr On Other Guitar Makes

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir (Post 6003893)

:cool:
I like their sound too . When I first listened to one a friend owned I liked it's sound a lot . At the time I didn't know about the BD .
Years later in that same friend's music store I saw my first one being installed and in 20 minutes it was installed .

Learning as I watched I saw a $400.00 Takamine with a bellied top get flat and sound as good as several other guitars
price much higher . Made a believer out of me then and I wasn't playing a guitar then . This was in 1994/5 - I didn't
pick up guitar till 1998/99 .

Since I began I have installed 3 , two on my guitars , one I installed in 2001 on a fairly new rosewood body & solid
one piece spruce top Washburn D46SCE . Made it explode nicely . The second was on a thrift store buy , another Washburn
no frills dreadnought with a badly bellied top - fixed . Third was another Takamine of a friend's , it had a bridge issue too
and it was fixed with the BD as well in the process and looks good too .

Considering the modern acoustic guitar is only about 150/60 years old , the refining process continues . The BD is one
of those refinements that comes along with time IMHO .

Weckter's guitars also have them in some models .

EZ :

HR

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Ramon (Post 6004145)

Are you saying you put BD's on guitars even when they don't need them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir (Post 6004158)

Are you saying you put BD's on guitars even when they don't need them?

:cool:
That is correct . The day I saw the first installation done by a rep from JLD I was so amazed because he said that
it the BD improves many a guitar's overall sound and was not a bad idea to put one on a new guitar and mentioned Breedlove .

The one on the D46SCE has been one since 2003/4 , I bough 2001 - it was made 2000 . After the install it really
sounded fantastic - louder and great clear tone . The whole guitar vibrates much stronger after the install .

Like Breedlove , I think it's a great way to get a guitar to sound better and keep it that way .

EZ :

HR

Hmmm. Interesting. Well to each their own I guess and what ever works is a good thing. There are definitely a lot of people who use the BD to repair their guitars and claim it makes the tone better. My assumption of that was that it made it better because it corrected a problem. Granted I only used one ever once but again it made this particular guitar sound a lot worse, in fact it jsut deadened it.