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I made my first 2 "real" bridges with my new design. I'm pretty happy, but they are a pain to polish, especially in the corners of the lower shelf.
These are Macassar Ebony, one with a layer of manzanita. The manzanita one is being a bit more trouble to polish. I think the adhesive is causing me some trouble.
I am using a Dremel felt wheel to try to get into that corner. Does anyone have any suggestions for polishing these problem areas?
Thanks!









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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Good job Steve!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Steve, I like them a lot. A couple of comments from my designer's eye, do with them what you want.
1) I think the two tone wood is a little much. It will likely bring the eye right to the bridge and prevent it from seeing the rest of the guitar as a whole.
2) I know this would alter your design a bit but it would also make polishing easier. If you look at the second photo down, it appears less shelf-like and more scooped. Similar to the traditional wings of a "normal" bridge, but rotated 90 degrees. Might be worth looking into.
Again, when it comes to my advice and opinions, you get what you pay for.
Great work!

Paul,
Thank you for your comments.

1) The manzanita layer was requested by the client. It has other manzanita appointments on it. Generally speaking, I agree with you, but on this guitar, I think it works.
2)That corner has a small radius. Are you suggesting a much larger radius? I used a router bit that I rounded the corner on. I was thinking of increasing that corner radius. It sounds like you are suggesting more than just an increase in radius, almost a scoop instead. (That would make it look a lot like another bridge and I was trying to avoid being that close.)

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I really like them, Steve. I think if the colorful layer is supporting other design elements like... HS overlay, rosette, and binding, the two tone bridge could be really nice.

The only thing I can think of for getting into the corners, is to sand blast it. ???

Long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Way 2 Go Steve, those are quite nice. 

Really nice looking bridge, Steve.  Great lines.  Good, original design thinking, IMO. 

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Inside corners are such a pain to sand or polish.

I agree with Paul. I was looking at it, and thinking you could still achieve that nice swirled look if you simply ramped up to the top profle, or used a bigger radius rather than running flat and into the curved ledge. If you left the intersection crisp rather than rounded, it might help to keep the look you're after.

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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."

Here is a shot of that bridge with the guitar.
Does that work better for anyone seeing it with the guitar?
The binding is manzanita and the back and sides are oak.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

It didn't bother me before, but that looks really awesome!  Great continuity of design.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I think if you changed the relative thickness of the wo woods to place the glue line on the vertical surface the polishing problem would be more like the solid bridge.
I like it but it does draw my eye to the bridge.
Nice design.

The shelf concept is disturbing to my eye. I would much rather see a uniform transition from thinnest to thickest. I like the dual color but feel that the reveal as it transitions would be more dramatic. It also solves the polishing problem.

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

Maybe having less of a steep cut and more ramped would make it easyer to pollish also, but,
I like it alot and think it gives the instrument your own design signature.

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Steve, you are right that I was initially thinking of a ramp look. However, if you went with a big radius, maybe 1/2 - 3/4" you could achieve your stepped look and still keep the transition smooth. It for sure will be easier to polish.