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#1
07-25-2022, 02:17 PM
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In a quandry whether to shave a bridge down
Hi good people. I bought a cheapish Sigma D2 that needed some TLC. Ive repaired the neck fretboard as it had become detached.
As I am trying to set up the nut, saddle etc ve noticed that the bridge is around 3mm low of the wooden bridge top, (See pic) Is there any wisdom in shaving/sanding the top part of the bridge down to get the string height to an acceptable level? Its my own guitar (Quite cheap) so dont't mind experimenting. Opinions welcomed https://freeimage.host/i/8NcQ0F https://freeimage.host/i/8NcZUg Last edited by GarryG; 07-25-2022 at 02:34 PM. 
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#2
07-25-2022, 02:45 PM
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ey Garry -
Looks like there's quite a belly there. I had a similar situation with 1971 Yamaha 140. I shaved it, and I shaved it, and I got away with it (for now). Of course with shaving, you need to also ramp the slots really well and then re-taper the pegholes. Yours is real borderline, as was mine.The failure point in a shaved bridge will be the bridge material towards the fretboard. I was surprised that I got it to work. Ideally, I should re-set the neck, but that is a skill (and toolset) that I'd rather put off for another day. I thought about a Bridge Doctor (link to Stewmac here), but folks are hot and cold on them. Since it's your guitar, go for it. The worst that can happen is that you'll make a mostly unplayable guitar a totally unplayable guitar!  Rick
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#3
07-25-2022, 03:01 PM
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You would have to remove half of the bridge height. You are well into neck reset territory already. Experiment with that.
Don't ruin the bridge and then later do a neck reset and have to replace the bridge too.
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#4
07-25-2022, 04:25 PM
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The guitar is worth less than the price of a professional neck reset.
Your other options are to shave the bridge, which already looks to be on the thin side. Learn to do your own neck reset, there is lots of info online including methods where the guitar is converted to a bolt on neck. There is another method where the fretboard is removed and thinned but I don't know much about that and it sounds like as much work as a neck reset. Install something like a Bridge Dr. or make your own version, rumour is they alter the sound but? https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...bridge-doctor/ I have the same dilemna with a Yamaha FG375S which was my first real guitar, solid topped and sounds great. I am building skills til I am ready to attempt the neck reset.
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#5
07-26-2022, 04:56 AM
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Garry - I’ve been thinking about this over the past few days, and I’d go the JLD Bridge Doctor route. It’s safe, reversible, and fairly inexpensive.
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”Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” Last edited by srick; 07-26-2022 at 08:16 AM.
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#7
07-26-2022, 09:56 AM
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Quote:
The body can deform enough to require a neck reset without abnormal bellying.
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#8
07-26-2022, 10:35 AM
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Quote:
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#9
07-26-2022, 02:09 PM
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You can shave the bridge down, but to lower the action you will also have to shave the saddle. Your saddle is really low right now, so you might not have enough left to safely shave it. A neck reset i9s probably the way to go, but I can't see the whole guitar to tell. However, since it's a cheapo, it's a good candidate to learn on. YouTube has a number of neck reset videos you might want to look at.
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