Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok, I ordered a parts kit from Joe WW for the deluxe venturi model and will be attempting at first to just glue bridges. But being the cheeeeepo old geezer that I am and since I'm also putting the vacuum source together myself, I thought I'd build the bridge clamp myself as well. I'm looking for pictures of your vacuum bridge clamps, material sources and any tips or info you may feel like contributing.
Don Williams or "lets be eating pasta" I know you guys are out there and have the reputation of expert in this field.....so I'm askin fer help!!
TIAJohn How39036.6270486111

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John ol' Buddy ol' Pal,

I don't have a pic of mine, but I built it simply out of birch ply with a rubber membrane, and plexi. Jammed a brass fitting from home depot in the side and sealed it up to keep from leaking. Oh, and some closed cell foam tape from home depot too.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I was hoping it was that simple
Anything special about the rubber membrane? Do I have to buy special stuff or just some heavy latex?

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Give me your address, I'll send you a piece.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

2395 Indian Rock Rd
Cool, Ca 95614

Thanks very much

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hi John,

Marine-grade weather strip tape works exceptionally well as vacuum gasket material. It's much heavier-duty than standard stuff. Mine comes from M-D Building Products, Inc., stocked by my local hardware store (remember those?)

Here's a link: http://www.mdteam.com/

Best,

Jim

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James Warwick
J. Warwick Guitars, LLC
http://www.jwarwickguitars.com

Hmmm....good idea. There's only 3 or 4 marine stores near where I work. Along with several high-end yacht makers...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

mine is just what don described. i got my silicone rubber membrane for it and my bracing frames from ebay vendor rubbermann7. his prices were very good.

John, here's a couple of picts of the one I made several years ago.
Latex rubber for the membrane. - McMaster Carr
Acrylic for membrane protection. - McMaster Carr
0-ring cord stock for the membrane to wood seal. - McMaster Carr
Caulking for support of the membrane in the corners.
Closed cell faom rubber for the seal against the top. - McMaster Carr.

The white stuff on the inside is a type of non-woven that ensures that the vacuum pressure is evenly distributed over the bridge area. without it you could choke off the vacuum in some areas by the membrane. Most any fabric would work. I suspect most forgo the fabric however.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thanks for all your help and the pictures guys as well as the membrane Don. I'm looking forward to giving this a try.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.