Official Luthiers Forum!

Hesh I didn`t mean to sound negative.I just meant that saving that BRW bridge to use with a BRW headstock and fingerboard would be drop dead gorgeous.The ebony is beautiful in it`s own right,I just think it looks better with everything matched up.And just think you`ll go crazy ,because you`ll have that I just can`t wait feeling to use that BRW bridge with matching headstock and fingerboard.I for one would definately like to see that on one of your guitars with th quality of work that you do.         &nb sp;   James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I still like the ebony bridge. The Koa pins will look great IMO. Save the BRW bridge for a matching FB. That's my final answer.

Then again...you could always remove the FB and replace it with the matching BRW! I'm ducking, now!

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

See with the bindings being so dark (even though BRW) the bridge will stick out like a sore thumb.

It is a beautiful bridge, but I think with all the other dark appointments it will just stick out.

Are both of the bridges identical in size, shape and hole spacing Hesh? Once you get it back from Tony, you can always glue one on with white glue (releases easier than titebond or hide glue) and see if you like it. If not, take it off and put the otherone on. You won't have to worry about the string spacing or intonation if they are both identical (if John made them both than they should be as close to identical as can be done)

Either way after you get it back from Tony, throw the tuners on and use some double sided tape just to hold one of them on there and leave it for a few mins than put the other one on. Just keep going back and forth till you like one better than the other.

This is all for looks mind you. Should we open up the "tonal properties of bridges" can of worms too , if so, I'd go with the BRW

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Lets see now.  Looks good?  Sounds good?  Hmmmm!  YaKnow, I think I'd do what you like.  Are you going to sell it?  What makes you feel comfortable?  Which one will make it right for "porch pickin"?  Which one makes you think, "I want to play that guitar."

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

My solution, is to use the bridge that will help the sound of the guitar better, you know that's got to be the BRW. Aesthetics should come a long way down the list after acoustic properties. I know precisely what I'd use the ebony one for, make a great wedge to hold a door open .

Well you already know my view of ebony and steel strings from past threads

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I'm with Colin.

Ears first. Eyes second.

Cheers

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Hesh here's a good idea (and a great test to boot).

Put the ebony (or BRW) bridge on the guitar, play it for a month or so, record a couple of sound clips with it than remove that bridge and put the other one on. Record some more sound clips and than post them to see which one people like the best.

Take a poll, don't tell us which sound clip is with which bridge and than after a couple of days of replies spill the beans and tell us which one is which.

That would be interesting.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I agree with most - the ebony bridge would match up best.
That is some really nice Brw for your next guitar Hesh!
What is it going to be? a slope shouldered Dred.?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

One word for you my brother - Krylon!


Everything goes good with black!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

absolutely beautiful guitar Hesh!

I think if it were me, I would use the BRW bridge you chose on the first picture. It has some of the color of the Koa and also has enough of the black in it to pick up on the ebony FB. Ebony bridge pins with paua dots would make it all pop in my mind.

 

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Reguards,

Ken H

As usual, Billy beat me to it.
Tonally, you've gotta use the BRW.
Visually, it adds yet another (one too many) element to the growing list of colors on the guitar.
SO-- paint the BRW bridge black and be done with your worries.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Hey there Hesh!
Love the Koa and that guitar has come along very nicely! I joined my back and top plates after watching you join these ones in that tutorial.

Anyway, well I agree with the above comments about sound vs. aesthetics, I think sound should take precedence... however, you should really use what you want to use. Will it make much of a difference, tonally, which way you go between the two bridges? Perhaps this is way too far off the discussion; but how much of a tonal difference could a BRW bridge make as opposed to an ebony one? I am very new to building guitars and am still trying to get my brain around some of the concepts here - especially when it comes to selecting tonewoods and knowing what the outcomes will be before the guitar is ever played. But I just really can't imagine that the bridge would make that much of an audible difference. Am I wrong?

Either way you go Hesh, the guitar is going to be a stunner. I can't wait to see it all finished and strung up!

Christian

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Do the ebony bridge and get some snakewood pins from grizzley. Their color matches the koa very nicely and they are a lot harder than koa pins. Next time keep the ebony fingerboard if you like, and go with a brizilian overlay and brazilian bridge. Its funny how well that combo matches up. Martin does something similar only without the brazilian bridge. I know BRW bridges are supposed to sound better, and I know why, but I don't really think that you could tell the difference if you did a side by side test. Your bridges look nice and light anyway.

Looks lush Hesh

Re: #14...Don't forget that the combination of an ebony fingerboard and a rosewood bridge has a long tradition on classical guitars. It looks good and sounds good.