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#1
04-30-2021, 04:51 AM
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How overweighted are factory bridges usually?
I look at many non luthier builds and often think the bridges look over massed/ sized and likely are hindering the sound somewhat. Do you think generally some mass should be taken away for benefit on a lot of guitars? Almost always sole luthier responsive guitars have smaller bridge profiles.
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#2
04-30-2021, 09:43 AM
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It surely seems a lighter bridge should sound better but I have 2 Gibsons with massive bridges and they sound loud and clear.
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#3
04-30-2021, 10:25 AM
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Metaphorically, the bridge is merely the tip of the iceberg.
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#4
04-30-2021, 10:42 AM
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The 'proper' bridge weight for a given build is sometimes not as clear-cut as it might seem. Basically, the bridge has to be heavy enough and stiff enough (along with the top, of course) to 'tell' the strings how long they are, so they'll make the right note. In theory for this the bridge should be absolutely stationary; super massive and perfectly rigid, but if it was the top couldn't move and the guitar would make no sound. On the other hand, if the bridge is not heavy and rigid enough you get 'wolf' notes, so there's a balance somewhere in between. The exact 'best' balance point depends on the guitar, and what you want it to sound like.
A heavy bridge and top will be harder to move at every frequency, but especially so at high frequencies, so a heavy bridge tends to give a quieter guitar that is more bass balanced. But a lot depends on the top stiffness as well. Scalloped bracing is deliberately made to be less stiff at the bridge, to emphasize bass and allow the top to move to provide a 'punchy' attack. If the bridge is too light the top can move too easily at a low resonant pitch, suck all the energy out of the strings in a hurry, and turn it into sound. That's the infamous 'thuddy G' or 'guitar wolf note'. Having a heavy ebony bridge reduces the top movement to control that problem. On the other end of things, a light bridge accentuates the trebles. Many 'fingerstyle' guitars are made with 'straight' or even 'tapered' bracing, that is high and stiff at the bridge, so the 'wolf' issue in the low end is not a factor. However, a very light bridge can produce sound that is too 'bright', and may lack in sustain. All of this has to be in context. Production instruments are often over built; they have to avoid warranty calls and can't be sure that the least stiff piece of top wood won't end up with the least stiff bracing any other way. The top is probably a bit heavier than it could be anyway, and a heavier bridge helps balance out the extra stiffness. Keep in mind, too, that the properties of the wood can vary a lot; an ebony 'belly' bridge that might average 30 grams could be as heavy as 35 or so, or as light as 25, although the outliers are probably rare. Many manufacturers also make several different heights of bridge, to accommodate small differences in the neck set, which are hard to avoid. From their standpoint this is an advantage, since it produces instruments with a range of different timbres that suit the varied tastes of the people who might buy them. Custom makers are often trying to wrap a box around a particular sound, which can be like nailing jelly to the wall. They may have a very well defined idea of what the bridge weight for a particular instrument should be, and will work to that along with all the other things they try to control. Often it even works! 
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#5
04-30-2021, 07:02 PM
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Quote:
Main stream manufacturers have upper and lower tolerances for parts as they are being built on an assembly line by multiple hands, so a guitar can sound good, but it also could be better, they seek consistency and are building to avoid returns. Many times under manufacturers warranty I have been able to thin or reshape an original part to rectify a problem as yes they are a little overbuilt. Kit guitars are the same as main stream manufacturers guitars, example, if you bought a martin kit guitar from the factory and glued it all together, you would have a martin guitar without the label, hopefully your skill set will make it as good as its made at the factory, your just gluing someone elses product together like on an assembly line, a stewmac kit guitar being built by someone is still a stewmac guitar without a label. Custom builders have a sound in mind, as we thin /construct and shape each part, we alter the parts to keep this sound during the build. Hence a custom built guitar typically is lighter and more responsive as each part has been worked and shaped, it is why a custom made guitar can be so expensive. The bridge is one of the last parts we make, like every other part during the build we shape it for a desired sound. Steve Last edited by mirwa; 04-30-2021 at 10:13 PM.
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#6
05-01-2021, 04:22 AM
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Since a lot of factory builds are cookie cutter to a greater or lesser extent, I see no reason not to use lighter bridge pins, or shorten pins, and sand a bit of weight off the bridge. So many have such a hunk of mass there. You are not ruining a carefully integrated build of a hand made where everything is more organically related. I tend to be a tweaker generally and do not mind the risk of trying something and making observations. Obviously a radical change is not a good idea.
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#7
05-01-2021, 08:47 PM
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The bridge is the strongest brace on the top, and if you are going to mess with its mass it is a good idea to consider it as a structural member. It must be able to hold the strings w/o cracking, and it must maintain a certain amount of stiffness all the way to its extremes. It can be over lightened, much as braces can be over shaved.
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#8
05-02-2021, 04:18 AM
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