Official Luthiers Forum!

What is the thinnest that you would recommend to make a bridge?

I have a piece of Ebony that is about .30 thick and was wondering if y'all would recommend this thickness for a bridge.

Also what is the thinnest that you would make the sides of the bridge? (The "wings" so to speak)

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Mine are .300" in the center and are domed (no wings). They essentially are less than 1/32" at the ends.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

My blanks start out at 3/8", but probably end up at around .3, also. My wings are about 1/16".

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Thanks Brock. So hopefully I can use this one then. Truth is I sanded a little thinner than I meant to. I do have a spare which is about .5" thick that I could use as well, but thought I would see if I could sacrifice it.

Do you really mean 1/32" (.03125) That seems really thin.

Thanks again!

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Thanks Ron. Sounds like I'm good to go then.

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

[QUOTE=blain1976] Thanks Brock. So hopefully I can use this one then. Truth is I sanded a little thinner than I meant to. I do have a spare which is about .5" thick that I could use as well, but thought I would see if I could sacrifice it.

Do you really mean 1/32" (.03125) That seems really thin.

Thanks again![/QUOTE]

Yeah, 1/32... but they are domed. So imagine an arc that terminates at the face of the soundboard. There are no wings.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Thanks Brock for clarifying that. I understand what you're talking about now.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Hesh...nice outrigger, anti-slip grips on that throne!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

For Martin work, I aim for a bridge height of 3/8", and a minimum of
5/16" (.313). Much thinner than that, and you can have some structural
difficulties if you use a tall saddle or install an under-saddle pickup.

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Cheers,

Frank Ford

FRETS.COM
HomeShopTech
FRETS.NET

Frank...I'm interested in your opinion...would a 5* back-angled saddle help to resist the structural difficulties you describe? Theoretically, more saddle force would be directed downward and less laterally. Waddya think?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I think Santa Cruz is using a 10 degree back-angled saddle now if I'm not mistaken...

what is this back angled saddle? You mean the saddle actually sit a little tilted towards the lower bout end?

Tell me if I'm wrong and why but I would think that 1/2 the break angle of the strings from the saddle to the bridge pin holes would be and ideal back angle for the saddle.

Kirby

A back-angled saddle doesn't change the overall torque on the bridge, but it does direct more of the force on the saddle towards the bottom of the saddle slot. I realize that may sound self-contradictory, but it's not. Ask Todd Stock. He can explain it better than I can.

More on topic, though... This may be stating the obvious, but the bridge height (thickness) and the neck angle are interdependent. If this bridge is going on a guitar whose neck angle is already set, then the appropriate bridge thickness is determined by the neck angle (assuming the neck angle is such that a reasonable bridge/saddle height is possible). When building a new guitar or resetting a neck, it's the other way around: proper bridge and saddle height determine neck angle, this being, of course, the more ideal way to go about it. Personally, I wouldn't compromise the sound of the guitar by using a bridge of less than ideal height just to save a piece of wood.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/