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New bridge design
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=40595		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  James Orr [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  New bridge design
About a year or so ago, Don Williams and I started working on the design of this bridge. The whole process has been extremely fun and rewarding. Iterative, collaborative, and pretty casual. Just the way I like it.

When we started working it up initially, I gave him some design input and he went to work. He'd bounce ideas off me, I'd bounce them off him, and Rod True and Paul Woolson would chip in at times, too. Tons of fun. There a million belly bridges out there, but I think what we came up with is just unique enough.

The bottom of the bridge is radiused for the top and has a shallow rabbit for the finish. Don also developed a method for locating it, and made a mask template for the finish prep. Not bad.

I wish I had a better picture, but it's what I got out of a shadowy lighting situation. I think we're both very happy with the way it came out!

Attachment:
DSC_0124.jpg
Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Sun Jun 09, 2013 5:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Pretty nice. What does it weigh?
Author:  James Orr [ Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Thanks, Tony! It's the absolute secret to my sound, but I'll go ahead and tell you.

30g
Author:  Jim Watts [ Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
James, I like it! it's pretty similar to mine.
Attachment:
Randy - body straight on small.jpg
Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
James Orr wrote:
Thanks, Tony! It's the absolute secret to my sound, but I'll go ahead and tell you.

30g


Now I have to go and add weight to my bridges! Mine are only 26 grams.
Author:  James Orr [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Jim Watts wrote:
James, I like it! it's pretty similar to mine.


Ha! Oh no! :) Good minds think alike!
Author:  RustySP [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
James, can you turn it over and photograph it so I can see the rabbet?
Author:  Tai Fu [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Nice

I have a bridge like that on my #3 but honestly I don't know if I should just stick to the Martin belly bridge with sharp definition between the wings and the belly.

I also had trouble cutting the bottom rabbet correctly when the bottom radius is accounted for... now I just radius the bottom of the bridge, locate it, knife the finish off and strip, then glue it on. Still looks good enough to pass. Problem is the radius is so subtle that the router plate can't follow the radius like it should, which ended up making the bridge look as though it's about to come off.
Author:  Beth Mayer [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Very pretty, James and Don. I like the smooth curves better than the more common dropoff to the wings seen on most belly bridges.
Author:  alan stassforth [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Nice work, guys!
What did you use to countersink so cleanly?
I have a cool bridge design,
but noticed 2 of them cracked from the saddle being pulled by string tension.
Back to the drawing board,
and looks like I'll be pulling a couple of bridges someday!
Never done that yet.
Good thing I didn't sell them.
Author:  James Orr [ Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
RustySP wrote:
James, can you turn it over and photograph it so I can see the rabbet?


Hi Rusty. Definitely. I'll do it tomorrow.

Beth Mayer wrote:
Very pretty, James and Don. I like the smooth curves better than the more common dropoff to the wings seen on most belly bridges.


Thanks, Beth! We were very intentional about have a very organic, curvy flow all around. Andy Goldsworthy's work has been very influential to me, and this call to nature is a very important element of his work. Not that we captured it, but having a somewhat organic feel was one of the hopes.

alan stassforth wrote:
Nice work, guys!
What did you use to countersink so cleanly?


Thanks, Alan. Don is much more than a craftsman and designer. He did that with his laser beam eyes.
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Very nice. Only thing I'd be concerned about is pre-cutting the rabbet. Finish thickness may not be uniform on every guitar and the depth of the cut will vary. At least that's been my experience. You may also find you may want to vary the width in the future. Mine are a lot narrower that they were a few years ago.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New bridge design
Terence Kennedy wrote:
Very nice. Only thing I'd be concerned about is pre-cutting the rabbet. Finish thickness may not be uniform on every guitar and the depth of the cut will vary. At least that's been my experience. You may also find you may want to vary the width in the future. Mine are a lot narrower that they were a few years ago.


In fact I am even thinking about some kind of 1930's Gibson non-bellied bridge, because it means the bridge will be very light.
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