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What are your thoughts on this?

Nice handle!

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

Interesting. How is the bit with the holes held in?

Looks like it's glued in/an integral part of the bridge plate to me. I assume it's a pinned bridge, other than that.

It's pretty hard to make a good judgement since I'm only seeing half the picture. The other half is under the soundboard. That arrangement produces one whale of a break angle from the bridge to the rear pins. I have a feeling the bridge plate underneath is much thicker than "normal" otherwise I can see problems in the future. Paul Schulte38501.5222569444

I wonder how differently the string energy is transmitted to the top in this arrangement. You have the torque of the plate like a one-piece bridge/plate combination and the straight downward transmission more like a tailpiece/bridge. Like Paul said, I'm wondering what you have below and how it works with the structure we see. Let us know how it works relative to an instrument that is constructed with the same features and a conventionalt bridge.

--Mark Joy

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Mark Joy

mjoy Guitars

I suspect it's just an Alvarez/Yairi design consideration to set their bridge apart (no pun intended) from everybody else's. If it actually works better or worse than a standard design, I think that it would have gotten some special attention from the music press.

Carlton

I've worked on a number of Yairi's with this bridge. I don't believe I've ever had to repair one of the bridges, however. The thing I do remember is that the Yairi's with this bridge seemed to sound pretty much like other Yairi's with a Martin style belly bridge. It is an interesting design, though, and it avoids the common repair problem of a normal bridge separating from the top.

It's a top that is being sold on ebay right now. I just did a search for luthier and it came up. Just thought it looked different so I thought I'd share...

[QUOTE=Neil] I've worked on a number of Yairi's with this bridge.... It is an interesting design, though, and it avoids the common repair problem of a normal bridge separating from the top.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm...interesting, Neil, I hadn't thought of it from that angle. So, does the flush part load from the inside? That is, does it have a wider, rabbeted base that counteracts the pull of the strings? Seems like that would make it function much like a tailpiece.

Carlton

carlton

hard to get the strings through the back.

they just go into the holes and are held in place by the pins.

it may just be hype, but someone above hit on the stated rationale for the use of the system, i.e. that the separation of the tratditional pin bridge elements is supposed to inprove the tonal qualities of the top.

Michael, Michael, Michael....

No, no, no...I asked if the part that holds the string ends loads from the underside of the top (see the photo above)! Also, I even know that the pointy end of the string winds around those turny-thingys at the end of the whatchamacallit!

Carlton

I own a WYK-1. It has theis setup. The bridge and pin plate are both supported by the bridge plate. I agreee with Carlton that this reduces the forward shear on the bridge to nearly nothing. I like this design. The pin plate is inlaid through the top and glues to the bridge plate. Of factory built guitars I rate Yairi's very high. I have had several over the past 30 years. I don't notice any tonal diff. from there Martin style bridges of the 60's-early 90's.

I have offen considered doing somthing like this my self. MichaelP38503.443287037

Michael P.,

Thanks for the info. FYI, it was Neil who pointed out its effect on forward shear.

Carlton

I've been thinking about this. If the foward sheer on the bridge is reduced, then, must not the forces acting on the pin area be increased by the same amount but over a smaller area?

The net force acting on the bridge/pin plate as a whole unit is still the same. Is this not just concentrating the forces involved into a smaller area? So that there will be greater twisting (torsion?) on the pin plate. Or have I missed something?

Not critisising, if it works, it works. Just trying to understand why the pin plate doesn't get pulled out if it's not a part of the bridge plate.

the force exerted by the string balls is on the bridge plate inside the guitar not the pin ebony pin plate inlaid into the top.

Hey, physics of it says you will still have the same force and I agree with
the previous post it seems the force will still be there only a smaller area.

Carlton, I'm not sure what kind of joint the inlaid piece has with the top. I've wondered that myself. I would think that at the very least it would be a dovetail of sorts (with an angled routed edge). I imagine that the ebony piece would be glued by sliding it into the top from below. I don't know for sure. I've never taken one apart.

Paul it is true that the force on the bridge plate is not changed but that forece is restraind by the top and braces in compression. the force that is relieved on the bridge is due to the fact that the bridge is now only (really mostly)in compression. You are right that there is not a major change here but enough to keep the "bridge" from wanting to rotate forward. Of course if it was the end all to bridge and pin forces everyone would be doing it.