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Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=36726		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
This is in a jumbo. You can see the UTS wire missing the 1" or so plate. It sounds thin or bright . Do you think that's why? Would you consider adding to the BP 3/4" towards the X?
Author:  David Newton [ Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
What kind of guitar is it? Is there a shadow? I looks like the plate is not glued down, or is that a pencil line?
Nothing wrong with a 1" wide plate, the pin holes are in the right place. That would not explain a thin tone.
Thin tone is usually found in overbuilt, over braced guitars.
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
It's a shadow.
Author:  John Arnold [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
I agree.
The bridgeplate is not the problem.
Author:  Colin North [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Pictures look to me like the UST wire definitely comes through the soundboard just in front of the bridge plate.
If that is the case, it's not exactly common practice to leave the front of the bridge "unsupported" by bridge plate - I would consider adding to the front of the BP for structural reasons(stress riser) - however......
I don't think this would be the cause of the thin tone - more likely overbuilt.
Factory guitar?
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Not factory, not really a thin sound but the bass isn't what I'd expect from a jumbo. It seems to accent the high end and not the low end tones.
That was my concern that the saddle or the front of the bridge isn't over the plate.
Author:  Alain Moisan [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Hey Chris,

How deep is the box?
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
5 1/4" at tail 4 3/8" at neck .
I also turned the UST around so the wire is out of the bass side. With the way it was the E and A volume (balance) was very low and then it got louder from D to E.
Author:  theguitarwhisperer [ Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Looks to me like the front of the bridge is well supported by the x-brace. The bridge patch adds stiffness to that region and anchors the strings, I'm not sure it resists torsion, as being lengthwise along the bridge it would twist as well. That's what the x-brace does.
Author:  bluescreek [ Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
There are many reasons that you may now have the bass response you are looking for. A few questions for you ,
1 What bracing scheme
2 What saddle material
3 what pick up system you use
5 What does the bridge look like
If you have a bone saddle you may try using tusk . You can also play with the strings and pins. I just swapped out a UST for K&K mini and that made a world of difference.
Author:  Don Williams [ Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Chris, it could simply be that the saddle slot isn't dead flat and the pickup isn't seated properly in the slot. I've had that happen before, and cleaning/slightly widening the slot was the fix. If the slot is slightly too narrow for the UST it can cause the problem as well.
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Putting the UST with the wire coming out of the bass side solved the problem which to note is how the instalation guide shows. Why ? not sure nor do I care after spending a couple of hours checking out all that other stuff and adding CA to areas etc...
Polished the fret ends and frets with micro mesh and the bridge which I did some shaping on , basically putting a radius in the ends of the saddle area so the saddle ends weren't going flush with the top of the bridge (would have been nice if there was a tad more of neck backset) and lowered the action at the nut on the E and B. The E was really high and then properly shaped the nut and polished it up and then tweeked the action on the E&B at the saddle and polished it up too.
Although I may go back in an see if I can get the low E and D a tad more balanced once my Fishman Loudbox 600 gets here. Also thinking about upping the E&A string gage some too.
As for the guitar unplugged not having the bass responce I'd expect, I guess it is what it is but I suspect that a larger BP would have some effect also. But I'm not going in there to find out, after all it's not mine. :)
Author:  nickton [ Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Do you mean it's a "Shadow" brand pickup? :shock:
Author:  Chris Paulick [ Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
no
Author:  John Arnold [ Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is It Me Or Is This Bridge Plate Too Small?
Quote:
I guess it is what it is but I suspect that a larger BP would have some effect also.

Yes, it will have the opposite effect. It will add more stiffness than mass to the bridge area, resulting in less bass and less volume.
Quote:
Putting the UST with the wire coming out of the bass side solved the problem which to note is how the installation guide shows. Why?

Either of several reasons:
The saddle bottom is not flat.
The bottom of the saddle slot is not flat.
The pickup is not uniform in thickness.
The saddle is so low that the strings are not exerting sufficient downforce on the saddle.
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