View Single Post
  #18  
Old 01-11-2019, 04:26 PM
Methos1979's Avatar
Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Seacoast, NH
Posts: 8,070
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Melt in the Sun View Post
I like the visible carbon fiber weave on the bridge - was leaving it that way rather than painted black a cost-increasing option? I also notice that the little "point" is centered...so maybe the whole thing was a custom bridge?
The short answer is that the whole thing is a custom bridge and therefore an upcharge. Exposed carbon fiber bridges I believe are always an upcharge even without the heavy customization that mine has.

Here's the long version:

When Alistair and I were emailing back and forth there were a couple of things I was picturing in my mind with regard to the bridge and that particular ziricote veneer. First, I expressed a minor general dislike of the off-centered bridge point with the book-matched veneers and wondered if we could do something about that. He said yes.

He came right back with photos of a couple paper cutouts on the veneer, one with no point (like a stock Martin-esque belly bridge) and another with the point centered. We both liked the point centered. It was a head-fake toward the classic Emerald bridge lines and then also the pointy-ness seemed more inline with the pointy lines of the sapwood design.

The next thing I expressed was a desire to have the bridge not be that big hunk of black in the middle of that light colored sapwood. So I suggested either color matching the bridge to the sapwood or have the exposed weave but matched with the Amber back and sides. I figured that would give it enough contrast while making it match with the sapwood. Alistair again agreed this could be done and would look great.

The last thing was the request to make it a pinless bridge. Since it was going to be a custom bridge anyway why not add that which he did at no extra cost as the cost of the bridge customization was already significant. Unfortunately there was a loss of the little detail of the exposed carbon fiber to be color matched to the amber back and sides and it was left raw. I'll admit, this bummed me out significantly when it arrived.

I'd had a vision in my mind for quite some time of what the final product would look like and this was a pretty glaring difference. I considered sending it back to have it done (Alistair said it could be done) but after posting photos of it here the vast majority of people loved it as is and it grew on me enough to keep it although I think I still would have preferred it amber. Especially when I see some of those nylon customs with the amber exposed carbon fiber bridge. But I really didn't want to have to deal with the wait.
Reply With Quote