how would you finish a bridge?

[rollypolly]

I recently got a Recording King RO-T16 and I noticed that the bridge on it was unfinished, and not in a pretty way. It was just calling for some final sanding and polish of some kind.
So I sanded it with 400 and 600 grit. Then I remember I had some tru oil sitting around. Figured it couldn't hurt. I only did one coat so far, then sanded it down with some super fine grit (I think 1200). The end result looks pretty good. Might be a tad too shiny but I can knock it down later I guess.

Has anyone else finished a bridge? How did you do it?

I have thought about doing the same to my Martin America 1, but don't want to rush into it since it's a nicer guitar. But the walnut bridge on it is really raw looking and feeling.

[Fathand]

Ebony and rosewood, I usually just sand and buff so some buffing compound might shine it a little.

I built a guitar of Osage Orange, including the B&S, bridge, fretboard and headplate. The bare fretboard and bridge had a "dry" look to them. I gave them each one wiped on coat of Tru Oil and think they look much better. One coat of Tru Oil is going to mostly soak in and be so minimal, I cant imagine it being detrimental .

I think it depends on the wood species the same way maple fret boards are finished but ebony and rosewood aren't. I also used a coat of Tru Oil on a Machiche fretboard.

Before
https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296630125/

After
https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...7720296630125/

[redir]

On steel string guitars of rosewood or ebony I use Howards Feed Wax. On classical guitars they get finished with shellac. Tru-Oil seems like a perfectly good finish for a bridge.

[Skarsaune]

Little bit of shellac has always worked for me.

[JLS]

Scrape & sand bridge clean, having taped off the top around the bridge. Using nitrile gloves, I apply finish to the newly-clean bridge, a few drops at a time, moving it around until it starts to grab. Repeat a few times, then give the bridge its first finish sanding, 320g/400g. Remove the sanding dust with a slightly dampened towel/t shirt/whatever rag.

It's remarkable that there are so many really good pieces of rosewood hidden under that faux-ebony paint.

[phavriluk]

Just did this yesterday, with a walnut bridge I made. The real luthier whose shop I was using said that all he ever used, after sanding through 320-grit, was a rub-in of fingerboard oil. It darkened the bridge very nicely.

[nikpearson]

Before gluing, and then sometimes adde a coat of Musical Nomad fingerboard oil or Ken Smith Classic Wax Finish. Both work well.

I prefer to avoid shiny finishes on bridges. Any finish with significant build up on the surface will reveal scratch marks from strings and takes longer to repair.

[EZYPIKINS]

I just oil the bridge when I oil the fingerboard. Boiled Linseed Oil.