Official Luthiers Forum!

Title says all...

Andy Birko is ur solution. Forum sponsor. Highly recommended.

No dice, tried already.

May I ask why this is a CNC problem Ed? I've never made a 12 string bridge. But plenty of 6 strings. What exactly are u aiming at?

I was aiming at having someone else press go so I wouldn't have to go through the fuss and bother of laying out a lefty 12 string bridge for what will likely be the only lefty 12 string I'll ever build. I was hoping someone else had already done so and for mild enumeration would simply replicate.

I get that. My last lefty project was an expensive pain. But I'm guessing you can fab one cheaper. And quicker.

Cheaper maybe, faster for sure not...

I would just make it by hand, it's not worth the effort to program the CNC.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I agree a one off is fairly easy to make -- I'd take the full size drawing, make a mirror copy and paste it on the blank, that way all the pin and the slot locations are already plotted.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

You may be able to get one from Martin. Guitar Maker's Connection? Give them a call. I seem to recall they had a few drawers full of bridges, and I almost picked out a 12 string lefty by mistake.

Steve

Depending on their software, even someone that had modeled a rh bridge could probably help you out pretty easily by mirroring their solid model and redoing the toolpaths,
Mike

Good idea JS, I like the spacing on my Martin quite a bit...

I have never made a steel string nor a lefty. This a a question as much as perhaps some help.

Does anyone make their acoustic bridges with a wide recess where the saddle will go, and put in a removable insert that can be replaced with the opposite compensation to flip lefty/righty? Maybe even use the working part of a tunomatic, though I am suggesting just a wooden insert. I know it is customary for a certain pattern on the peg holes, but does it really matter if you want to redo lefty/righty?

As it turns out, I like making bridges. Send me the pattern. It'll be fun. What you want it made out of?

What am I missing here? How hard is it to compensate the saddle slot the other way?

It isn't. However, my pins follow the saddle so the lines need to be reversed as well. Not a big deal either of course.

Ed, consider making the saddle slot extra wide so you have more bone to compensate width. I've used 1/4 inch and it could be even wider. Also this is a good time to think about whether you want the primaries or octaves closest to the saddle. Lastly, you can affect the string spacing within each course (slightly) by slotting and ramping the holes. Little things that have a big affect on playability.

I'd like to see pictures of whatever it is you're building

I hate to sound like one of those cantankerous old guitar builders, but...
1) Anyone that can CNC a bridge can make a left handed bridge. It's a matter of making an ACAD file and mirroring the saddle/pin adjustment. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would say "no" to this.
2) With that same element of cantankerous surleyness, anyone that can make a bridge can make a lefthanded bridge. Simply by making a jig that holds it crooked in the opposite direction to cut the saddle slot and drill the pins. In the time you spent trying to find someone to make it for you, you could have banged out the jig and had it done.
I've no desire to turn this into a CNC vs. non-CNC merits thread. But you really should be able to do something as straight forward as this in order to call yourself a luthier.

So you could make it, obviously, but you are shooting for another option. Wonder if you could get a 6 string bridge and convert it with 6 more holes ...

Andy

Most 12 strings have wider spacing at the saddle and have a deeper belly to allow for the additional row of pins. I also suggested routing a slot wider than 3/32 to give more room for compensation.

Nobody calls me a luthier and gets away with it!

Either I don't have the competence to make one, or I recognize that by doing it myself, I'm just repeating steps that somewhere, someone has done already, and for the number of lefty 12 strings I'll make in my lifetime, a purchased one-off might be a more practical solution than taking time out of my extremely busy schedule to jig up to make my own.

However, since the CNC solution was not low hanging fruit, I just made my own and that'll do.

Next task.

Well done!

Andy