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Old 05-12-2019, 08:13 AM
evfool evfool is offline
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Question Yet another bridge plate question

Hey folks (newbie reporting in), I am a bit confused about bridge plates, and hoping to find someone here to help me better understand the interaction between bracing, bridge, bridge plate and guitar top:
I am repairing an old dreadnought guitar with a pinless (top-loading) bridge, with ladder bracing, but without any bridgeplate underneath the bridge. The top is not warped at all, so it seemed to be fine, but the bridge had serious damage.

In some explanations the bridgeplate is there only to add stiffness to the top plate to be able to withstand the pulling force of the strings, and to block the strings with the bridgepins, but others say that the bridgeplate adds value also as a bracing, and in ladder bracing it should be even larger than with an x-brace.
In my context the question is: should I try to add a bridgeplate under the bridge (currently the bridge is removed and the top is sanded from the original finish, but I would not like to remove the back. So unless it is absolutely necessary, I would avoid removing the backplate, and if a bridge plate makes sense, I would try to fix it through C Clamping through the sound hole.
Opinions, suggestions might help.

I am worried that after sanding and refinishing the top might be a bit thinner than originally, and after fixing the bridge issues (strings have been mounted wrapping around the bridge have cut into the bridge wood, after the repair they will be mounted loading from the other end, so no wrap around, but straight), the strings will be pulling with the same force, but with the thinner top and the straight bridge where part of the pulling force will not be absorbed by the strings wrapping around it, might warp the top, hence the question of adding a bridge plate or not.
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Old 05-12-2019, 08:38 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Primary purpose of a bridge plate is to provide a surface that allows string ball ends to bare against.
Secondary purpose is to add stiffness to the top

A top which shows signs of excessive bellying and bridges show glue creep can have an oversize bridge plate fitted to add stiffness and reduce the problem.

Steve
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  #3  
Old 05-12-2019, 12:28 PM
evfool evfool is offline
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Thanks for your answer, Steve.
As the bridge is top loading, there's no need for the bridge plate from this point, and the top doesn't show any sign of bellying, so this also doesn't warrant a bridge plate either.
I'll go on without a bridge plate for now, and will add a bridge plate in case I observe any of the above symptoms, but if it didn't happen in 30 years, I hope it will not happen in the next 30 years either.
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