Much time and consideration went into the design of these bridges. They are a very popular upgrade among my repair clients so I have decided to produce them as a replacement part for any archtop guitar. Most importantly, they are entirely customisable and built to measure. While they are more expensive than mass produced bridges, I believe they are unequalled in terms of functionality.
String Compensation - Introduction
All guitar builders recognise the need for string compensation. For some reason archtop builders differ greatly in their approach. Some use a straight profile which is convenient to manufacture while others recognise the difference between the wound and plain strings, but overdo the compensation. I set out to find the ideal profile by measuring the compensated length of each individual string. Then I plotted these positions perpindicular to the string plane and created a digital profile from which tool-paths could be referenced or generated.
Requirements
I make a few assumtions about the guitar to which the bridge will be fitted. The frets should be properly installed and crowned. The guitar sshould be set up properly so that the neck is straight with little relief. The action should not be unusually high. The nut slots should be at the correct depth so that there is not excessive clearance between the first fret and the under-side of each string. It is optimised for scale-lengths between 24.75" and 25.5".
Features
No tilting of the bridge base required - bridge sits perpendicular to string-plane.
Indian rosewood or African ebony as standard - other species sometimes available.
The bridge saddle is available seperately for installation on an existing base.
Typical height adjustment between 20mm and 26mm. Lower/higher bridges available if necessary.
String spacing: 52mm to 56mm (measured from outer-edge of Low E to outer-edge of high E)
Bridge base with common body-arch profile. (bridge base may need to be shaped for an exact fit. I supply fitting guidelines. Often, people prefer to have a professional guitar-tech do it)
Finish scraped and sanded to 800 grit, then polished to a high sheen.
Modified versions available for left-handed guitars and for those players who prefer a plain G (3rd) string.
Printed set-up guidelines included.
10-day evaluation period. If you are not satisfied for whatever reason, I offer a full refund (less actual postage costs). Payment by paypal or money-order.
String Compensation - Introduction
All guitar builders recognise the need for string compensation. For some reason archtop builders differ greatly in their approach. Some use a straight profile which is convenient to manufacture while others recognise the difference between the wound and plain strings, but overdo the compensation. I set out to find the ideal profile by measuring the compensated length of each individual string. Then I plotted these positions perpindicular to the string plane and created a digital profile from which tool-paths could be referenced or generated.
Requirements
I make a few assumtions about the guitar to which the bridge will be fitted. The frets should be properly installed and crowned. The guitar sshould be set up properly so that the neck is straight with little relief. The action should not be unusually high. The nut slots should be at the correct depth so that there is not excessive clearance between the first fret and the under-side of each string. It is optimised for scale-lengths between 24.75" and 25.5".
Features
No tilting of the bridge base required - bridge sits perpendicular to string-plane.
Indian rosewood or African ebony as standard - other species sometimes available.
The bridge saddle is available seperately for installation on an existing base.
Typical height adjustment between 20mm and 26mm. Lower/higher bridges available if necessary.
String spacing: 52mm to 56mm (measured from outer-edge of Low E to outer-edge of high E)
Bridge base with common body-arch profile. (bridge base may need to be shaped for an exact fit. I supply fitting guidelines. Often, people prefer to have a professional guitar-tech do it)
Finish scraped and sanded to 800 grit, then polished to a high sheen.
Modified versions available for left-handed guitars and for those players who prefer a plain G (3rd) string.
Printed set-up guidelines included.
10-day evaluation period. If you are not satisfied for whatever reason, I offer a full refund (less actual postage costs). Payment by paypal or money-order.
Example Bridges - Many options available, order below.
Customisable Compensated Bridge
for Archtop Guitar
for Archtop Guitar
Pictured above are examples of 'The Original' in Indian Rosewood. The ends of the saddle are squared with a slight bevel
The Original is only available for a standard 12" fingerboard .
Pictured above show the original design in African ebony fitted to an existing base on a modern D'Angelico factory guitar. The ends of the saddle are rounded this time.
This ebony bridge is a one-off which is built with the 'stairstep' approach as used on countless factory guitars. However, it uses the compensation profile of my original design which is very different from the generic 1950's stairstep design. The base has been inlaid to a customer's specification. (This saddle variation is not available as a replacement bridge option) .
Fitted to a 1960's Gibson thinline archtop, this rosewood bridge is compensated for a plain G (3rd) string. The bridge-post holes are left open for a traditional look and the existing base was used. The post-to-post spacing (measured from centre to centre) was 2.9" (73.6mm) which is the most common spacing for Gibsons.
This bridge, 'The Modern', was the first in a new line of semi-machined bridges which are slightly easier to reproduce. If an unusual saddle radius is required, this is the one to go for. The unusual shape of the saddle is a result of the 8mm cutter and it has a destinctive 'organic' look to it. The original Hofner base is used here. This bridge was fitted to a guitar as part of an extensive repair to a recent Hofner which is documented on the repairs page on this site.
This one is fitted to a 1950's Gibson ES 175. The original metal bridge was badly warped. The customer was curious about the tonal effects of the wooden alternative. Once again, the original base is retained.
This one is designed to be set low - 16.5mm in its lowest position. This is often a requirement on older instruments where the top has caved slightly or where the neck angle leaves the strings closer to the soundboard.
When ordering, please specify all requirements as clearly as possible.
Some things to consider:
Choose 'The Original' or 'The Modern' as specified above
The most common archtop fingerboard radius is 12". If you are uncertain, email me the guitar model and year and I will try and find out. A commercially available fingerboard radius gauge or the (free) printable one available here may also be useful.
If you are purchasing the saddle alone, measure between the centre of the two thumbwheel posts (often 2.9"/73.6mm - a Gibson standard). This will ensure a perfect fit with your base.
Use your existing bridge to determine what string spread will suit the guitar best. measure between the outer-edges of the saddle slots for the E-strings (usually 52/53mm).
Unusual requests are welcome and please feel free to email me with any questions. The general bridge-spec is available for download as well as a printable radius gauge which is useful for identifying unusual radii.
Downloads
bridge spec (pdf)
Fingerboard radius gauge (pdf)
Price per complete bridge: €70
Price per bridg saddle: €40
Some things to consider:
Choose 'The Original' or 'The Modern' as specified above
The most common archtop fingerboard radius is 12". If you are uncertain, email me the guitar model and year and I will try and find out. A commercially available fingerboard radius gauge or the (free) printable one available here may also be useful.
If you are purchasing the saddle alone, measure between the centre of the two thumbwheel posts (often 2.9"/73.6mm - a Gibson standard). This will ensure a perfect fit with your base.
Use your existing bridge to determine what string spread will suit the guitar best. measure between the outer-edges of the saddle slots for the E-strings (usually 52/53mm).
Unusual requests are welcome and please feel free to email me with any questions. The general bridge-spec is available for download as well as a printable radius gauge which is useful for identifying unusual radii.
Downloads
bridge spec (pdf)
Fingerboard radius gauge (pdf)
Price per complete bridge: €70
Price per bridg saddle: €40
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