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So far I've only built nylon string guitars but I've decided to build a couple of small-bodied steel string guitars inspired by Jefferey Elliott's steel string design (hybrid x-braced/fan-braced, wide neck, etc.) with playability and sound a bit more similar to a classical than most.

I have a couple of questions about his bridge and was hoping that someone has experience with this style of bridge.
First, what gauge of piano wire is used for the posts and is there a collar around the posts where the ball end sits?
Second, in the few pictures I've seen of his bracing it appears that he is using a spruce bridge patch with an additional small piece of rosewood directly under the posts. Is this correct and are the posts anchored into that strip of rosewood?

Thanks.
-William

Ask him. I expect he'd be willing to fill you in.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

1/16 inch stainless rod would work .. and easy to drill the hole too at that size.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

If there's a welding shop near you, just ask to buy a 1/16" stainless T.I.G. rod.

pictures?

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

I build in this style. I use 2mm music wire which provides a very nice fit. Here's a couple of pictures of that style.
Edit: I also press a No. 1 Washer onto the pin which acts as a stop when pressing the pin in. you can't see it in the picture it's just under the string ball. I install the pins with epoxy into a well fit hole. Mike Doolin has some nice information on this type of bridge.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Some real nice looking work Jim.

Jim, where did you get that bracing scheme, your design?
I am bracing a top now and was thinking about a fan type in the lower bout just yesterday.
You've gone further, and lightened up the bass side with the x floating.
Very nice!
What dimensions on the fan and long finger brace (?) on the bass side, please?

Darrel, Thank you!

Alan, This is the Jeff Elliot design William was asking about along with the bridge, I had to adapt it to my soundboard however. You pretty much have to use some type of a pinless bridge due to the fans. This is a "pinned" pinless bridge that Jeff Elliot came up with. The pins pass all the way through the top.
The fans use the X brace and the cut off bar on the treble side as boundries to determine their length. The long fan on the bass side runs from just shy of the linings up to the upper arm of the X passing through the lower arm window. The outter fans run between the two arms of the X.

The brace are skinny and tall on the treble side (5 mm wide X 9mm tall) and progressively get wider and shorter on the bass side (9mm wide X 4mm tall).

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thank you, Jim!

Thanks, Jim. That's just what I was looking for.

Here's a link to Mike's web site showing how he makes his bridges.

http://www.DoolinGuitars.com/articles/bridgejigs/

Hope this helps

Jim