Rubber bridge guitars

[lkingston]

Do any of you have experience with rubber bridged guitars? The have a neat plunky sound. My son wants to get one. The rubber bridge guitar part starts 50 seconds in:

https://youtu.be/2SWhdaZ1-Rw

[Palo-Kai]

You got me curious. Listened to a few on YouTube. Here’s one for sale on Reverb. I have NO connection just looked it up. 1960s Harmony Electrified Rubber Bridge Parlor Guitar - fresh set up, ready to go! With case.
Used – Excellent
$199.99
+ $35 Shipping
https://reverb.com/item/43776073-196...o-go-with-case

[Shuksan]

Phoebe Bridgers used one extensively on her album Punisher and it has that same sound. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco started using one recently too. Madison Cunningham also uses one. My understanding is that you pretty much need to use a pickup because the volume is muted a lot. I think it's a cool sound.

If you haven't seen this article, you might find it interesting:
https://reverb.com/news/the-rubber-b...er-indie-music

[JCook1]

It's very much like total "palm muting" in the way it sounds. Also like the sound you get from a violin with a mute. Violin mutes are a rubber cap that clamps onto the top of the violin bridge, muting the sound, but also changing the tone. Seems to me you could make one for a guitar that would clamp onto the saddle and give a similar sound. Or maybe weaving a rubber strip through the strings right up against the saddle might do it. Very cool sound, kinda Caribbean sounding, or African.

Jack

[RLetson]

I've been known to grab a paper napkin from a table dispenser, roll it up tight, and wedge it under the strings right in front of the saddle. Plunka-plunka-plunka. Another method: cut a piece of scrap foam packing to shape and size, wedge, etc. (I made one specifically for my 6-string banjo.) Easily reversible and free.

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by RLetson

I've been known to grab a paper napkin from a table dispenser, roll it up tight, and wedge it under the strings right in front of the saddle. Plunka-plunka-plunka. Another method: cut a piece of scrap foam packing to shape and size, wedge, etc. (I made one specifically for my 6-string banjo.) Easily reversible and free.

Ralph Towner grabbed books of matches, back when hospitality businesses handed them out as promo items, i presume, and used them in the same way but for a different effect.

[emuhunter]

I believe that Old Style Guitar Shop in LA are the originators of rubber bridge guitars (or at least that’s where Phoebe Bridgers, Jeff Tweedy, Perfume Genius, and Aaron Dessner got theirs). I spoke to someone over there some months back and they were incredibly friendly although they were out of stock of these at the time. I plan to call back again when the finances work out for me to do so.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by emuhunter

I believe that Old Style Guitar Shop in LA are the originators of rubber bridge guitars (or at least that’s where Phoebe Bridgers, Jeff Tweedy, Perfume Genius, and Aaron Dessner got theirs). I spoke to someone over there some months back and they were incredibly friendly although they were out of stock of these at the time. I plan to call back again when the finances work out for me to do so.

There's a great podcast with Old Style owner discussing the rubber bridge guitars at Fretboard Journal podcasts.

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

There's a great podcast with Old Style owner discussing the rubber bridge guitars at Fretboard Journal podcasts.

Do you have a link?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by lkingston

Do you have a link?

Here's an interview with Reuben Cox (Old Style Guitar Shop) who makes and sells the "rubber bridge" guitars.

https://www.fretboardjournal.com/pod...e-guitar-shop/

If You want the details about those specific guitars you'll want to listen to Sam Weber, podcast #355 who talks about his rubber bridge guitar:

https://www.fretboardjournal.com/pod...355-sam-weber/

[ataylor]

Reviving this thread — anyone aware of any drop-in rubber saddles that would achieve this effect on something like a Jim Dandy with a magnetic soundhole pickup?

[boombox]

Originally Posted by thefsb

Ralph Towner grabbed books of matches, back when hospitality businesses handed them out as promo items, i presume, and used them in the same way but for a different effect.

Similar to Stuart Ryan, who at this gig used a folded promo postcard:



No need to buy a special guitar and easily reversible.

[Dmeeg05]

Hey all,

There's a new craze in the indie music world where artists are using little cheap parlour guitars with rubber bridges and I actually love the sound. It's a muted, percussive plucked sound and it really works well for some music. Only one store seems to sell these retrofitted vintage guitars, Old Style Guitar Shop in California which isn't an option for me living in Ireland. Has anyone here experimented with it? It seems to work well with parlors with floating bridges so I was going to buy a Recording King Justin Townes Earle Signature and put some thin rubber on the existing bridge. I'd also put flat wounds on it and try compensate the bridge slightly too. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I have looked at foam under strings and palm muting etc but it just doesn't work as well. Worse case scenario, it doesn't work and i still have a nice little parlor to play around with! Many thanks

[jaymarsch]

I haven’t heard of these guitars but I know that some banjo players lay a piece of painter’s tape where the strings go over the bridge to get a plunkier tone. I used to do that on an old banjo that I had. You might try that and see what you discover.
Best,
Jayne

[KevinH]

Don't know if you saw this earlier post on rubber-bridge guitars, but there might be something useful:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...ghlight=rubber