Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone ever removed the truss system from a Breedlove? A customer brought in a spectacular looking Koa Breedlove.The trouble is it sounds puny.He asked me if I could remove the system?So anyone ,and if so what was the difference in the sound?

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

That's a tough call.

Supposedly, they put those in and then were able to radically reduce the amount of bracing required as the truss was taking the brunt of the force. So if you remove it, the top may not have enough strength to take the tension. But without seeing the guitar, well, it's a crap shoot....

I took one of those systems out of a Breedlove a couple years back. Really opened up the sound acoustically. Took out the Fishman pickup, too - put in a Mini-Flex microphone. The client said it really opened up the live sound for stage work. I guess it fed back a lot in stock configuration, according to the client.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I've installed lots of the bridge doctor systems for repair jobs where the top of the guitar was really bellying up. Usually it is mid-range factory built 12-strings where I've used them. I'm not sure how BL installs them but, I believe they probably have the screw for the bridge doctor sealed into the bridge. It might be a little tricky to get at, but I'm sure it can be done (since Chris was able too).

I've always wondered how necessary they are to BL's design. Are they underbracing their tops and compensating with the Bridge doctor. Or is the bracing fine and the BD is really not necessary?

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Hi new here, I've installed two bridge doctors. They did bring down the top and helped with string height issues as well as boost the volume a bit. Subjective I know but that is a common claim among bridge doctor users. I've also worked on a Breedlove (not to remove the truss). Nice guitar but i wasn't all goofy over it. Can't speak to the top thickness. Just a note, I made the bridge doctors I used, six at once while set up. If I figured the time it took it was a wash on the cost of buying them on line. No shipping at least.


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I suggest easing off the bridge truss, i.e., loosening the rod rather than removing it. This is a warranty issue, as well as a likely potential failure issue if you were to remove it. I use the trusses in my baritones and they do not suffer for sounding puny. I suggest to you that there are other reasons the guitar might sound that way that have nothing to do with the bridge truss. Adjusted properly, with strings loosened, it should just touch the tailblock if you tap it with your finger and a quarter turn more. You should be able to spin the dowel in your fingers.

David D. Berkowitz
Berkowitz Guitars

I agree; "puny", sounds like an overtightened JLD.

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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreylsuits/he ... -runnin-13