Official Luthiers Forum!

It was suggested in an earlier post a month ago that I seriously look into using a slotted bridge rather than relying on the slots in bridge pins.
I was reading about this further at www.bryankimsey.com
For those of you that use this, how do you create the slots?
Until now, I have used a coping saw blade to create a bit more room between the bridge pin slots and the hole, but I would have thought this approach a bit rough for slots to take the whole string.
Do you drill the holes before drilling the bridge pin holes - you couldn't do it after. If so, do you use different drill bits for different string widths?
Frank

Drill all holes to 3/16", taper from there to fit pins, cut slots with a saw, appropriately widen slots and final fit strings in slots by file. Slotted pins are bad, solid pins are good.

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=15024

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

David - thanks - perfect. I should have done a search on this first.
Frank

I use a Dremal with a #113 bit!
works great.
Mike

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Mike Collins

Frank to expand a bit on what David and Mike said I use this little saw marketed specifically for this purpose by our friends at Stew-Mac:





You can make one too out of a saber saw blade but the SM ones are very inexpensive and work great.

From the pic below you can see that each individual string is fitted for the respective slot. The low E will require more swipes with the saw than the high E which may require only one swipe with the saw. It goes very fast and makes a horrific noise too that I find rather disturbing......



Also when fitting the pins for height prior to cutting the slots in the bridge/top/plate not all pins are always exactly the same in terms of fit. Mario suggested that when you fit your pins write the number of placement on the pin (part in the guitar) once it is fitted. At least you will be able to get the pin that fits each spot in it's respective hole each time at at equal height.

Use a jig saw. Find a cheap one at a garage sale. Dedicate it to this task. Glue leather to the bottom of the jig saw. Grind a blade that will fit in the 3/16" hole. You will find that you have much better control of the cut.

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

Hey Sylvan, did you apprentice with Norm Abram

Norm apprenticed with Sylvan.....

Excellent needle files for fitting each slot to each string are available from:

http://www.contenti.com/products/files/ ... files.html

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

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

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