Individual bridges

[mrINFINITY]

Traktor,

I know this doesn't really belong here, but since i got your attention, would you happen to know where to purchase those individual bridge pieces for each string like that come on most fanned fret insruments?

[rockola]

The Megatar web site lists them as spare parts. Other sources include Bunker Guitars (http://www.bunker-guitars.com/) and Novax Guitars (http://www.novaxguitars.com/). I know that the German manufacturer ABM also has them, though I don't know who sells them retail. None of these options are too cheap.

[lemur821]

Maybe you could construct your own? Replacement saddles for regular bridges are easy to come by, and all you'd need would be a little 'L' shaped piece of metal to mount them with.

[traktor]

Hi, mrINFINITY,


We did offer them for sale as parts, just to see if there were any interested homebrewers out there. As ola says, they are not cheap (because of course we had to have them custom made, as this is not a standard part available anywhere).

You can of course make your own. I made our first prototypes and am currently playing a ToneWeaver with my handmade platelles of brass.

You can get saddles lots of places -- I recommend Graph Tech in Canada -- and generally the saddles will come with height adjuster screws and length adjuster screws. In some cases the standard length adjuster screws may not be long enough on these kind of instruments, so you'll need to track down some M3 size hex head cap screws in longer sizes. Our instruments use anything from 5mm to 25mm lengths. MSC direct will have some of these screws.

The part you'll need to make is the L-shaped plates. See our website because there are a few close-up pictures there. The tiny plates must be about 10mm wide (because that's the length of the saddles), and about the length of a normal guitar bridge plate or maybe a little longer.

You can find L-shaped metal in brass, which is about the easiest to work, or aluminum. You'll need a metal saw to cut the pieces, and a file or grinding wheel or some such to shape and smooth, plus a drill for the screw and string holes, and to bevel the screw holes.

I thought it was kind of a fun project, and it's not terribly hard if you have access to the tools.

[rockola]

Originally posted by rockola
None of these options are too cheap.

On the other hand, Custom Shop Parts (http://www.customshopparts.com/) lists individual bridges for $8.50 each, which is pretty hard to beat.

[traktor]

$8.50 each sounds pretty good. But, ola, where did you find these items on that site? I couldn't find them.

[rockola]

Originally posted by traktor
$8.50 each sounds pretty good. But, ola, where did you find these items on that site? I couldn't find them.

Go to "Bass Parts", "Bridges", and look for "Indi Bass Bridge System".

[rjgoos]

Or...you can do it for almost free:

http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/nylon.gif

Actually, this guy's web site is a hoot! He makes all sorts of funky instruments out of almost nothing: http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/


I also have enjoyed reading the "cigar box guitar" sites, such as:

http://www.cigarboxguitars.com/


I like these sites, because these guys are just having fun, and making some interesting instruments at the same time.


R Jay Goos

[Consul]

Ooh, I like that site! Thank you!

[traktor]

Originally posted by rockola
Go to "Bass Parts", "Bridges", and look for "Indi Bass Bridge System".
These bridge parts are quite possibly too large for a two region instrument with 10-12 strings. Meaning that they *may* be too wide to use a lot of them side by side. Bass bridges are usually longer and wider, due to the common wider string spacing used on basses.

They'd almost certainly be great if building an 8-string, one-region instrument, but if planning to place 10-12 strings side by side it would be good to get dimensions aforehand, just in case.

[mrINFINITY]

I'm actually not planning on touching a touchstyle instrument, i'm gonna try to build something similar to a Novax Charlie Hunter signature. I've played two of them and they are awesome guitars.

[traktor]

The first time I saw what we call platelles, it was in Ralph Novak's shop, and he placed Charlie's instrument (then in construction) in my hands. Wow! What a beauty!

Ralph also showed me how he made the tiny plates, and I requested one of his ruined ones, and found some metal stock and bought a metal saw. (And discovered that making nice and identical plates was way difficult!)

However, after blundering around and making some working samples, I did a CAD drawing and arranged a machine company to custom-make brass and chrome ones. In fact, I sold a batch from my order to Ralph, and for all I know he's been using those. Or perhaps he's arranged a custom batch on his own by now.

Ralph's work is just marvellous, and the fanning of frets produces a magnificent tone. You'll see.

[mrINFINITY]

>Ralph's work is just marvellous, and the fanning of frets produces a magnificent tone. You'll see<

I know, i've played many of his guitars. His guitars are usually what i recommend to everyone for 2 reasons:
1. It plays perfectly in tune the entire fretboard
2. when you strum a chord you can hear the individual notes better.

The fanned frets (though not a new idea) are a great idea, and ralph is a great luthier.

[traktor]

Originally posted by mrINFINITY
I know, i've played many of his guitars. His guitars are usually what i recommend to everyone for 2 reasons:
1. It plays perfectly in tune the entire fretboard
2. when you strum a chord you can hear the individual notes better.
I'd have to agree with you. When I was working on the ToneWeaver design, the original design was for a single plate for the bridge, and Ralph talked me out of it.

He had two instruments hanging on his wall, almost identical in scale and wood, except that one had a single bridge plate, and the other had individual "platelles" for each string.

He played a chord on the single plate instrument, and then the same chord on the individual plate instrument, saying, "Can you hear how the individual notes sound clearer?"

And I could.

[FretDragon]

Getting back to bridge design.... let's assume I want to build a 10 or 12 string with "standard" 2 region tuning.

I go out and buy 2 (non-trem) strat-style guitar bridges, remove the individual saddles, bend my own "L-plate", and find some longer (up to 25mm) M3 size hex head cap screws to lengthen the compensation travel.

Is this correct?

And can I ream out the saddles to be used on the bass side so the thicker strings will pass through?

[traktor]

Originally posted by FretDragon
I go out and buy 2 (non-trem) strat-style guitar bridges, remove the individual saddles, bend my own "L-plate", and find some longer (up to 25mm) M3 size hex head cap screws to lengthen the compensation travel.

And can I ream out the saddles to be used on the bass side so the thicker strings will pass through?
That's essentially correct. Of course, without seeing the guitar bridges you actually buy, I don't know if it uses M3 metric screws or something else. The chrome ones we use have M3, and the Graph Tech saddles also use M3.

The common "strat" saddles will just pass a string up to .095W or .100W, snugly, which works OK. To use larger string gauges, use a fine, small, round file or if you have the skill, a Dremel tool with appropriate bit.