What type of bridge/peculiar mando

[Dennis Russell]

good day to everyone, I have a "A" style mandolin that this fellow brought in for set up and install a bridge and tuners. The make is a Antares it is an arch top type, but the tone bars are real close together, after measuring it would seem that they are 1 an1/4 apart from each other. From examination with light and mirror the tone bars run from the tail block to the head block. what I am concerned about is finding a bridge that would sit with its feet almost over where the tone bars go. isnt this the usual way the bridge sits? or is this a unusual set up, what should I use for a bridge, because it is a arch top I wouldnt want to have it crack if using a regular type bridge,, any help would be appreciated........Dennis in Yuma arizona

[sunburst]

As long as there is plenty of top thickness, I'd use a "standard" mandolin bridge. If you're worried about the bridge "feet" "sinking" into the top, fit the bridge to the top all the way across rather than having two feet with a "gap" in the center.

[Jim Rowland]

The little I could find on the Antares mando indicates that it is one of the very low priced imports,most probably with a laminated top. Some of these things do use "tone bars" very nearly centered,indeed some of them use only one large one glued at the center. If that is near the case,it is unlikely that the top would give way under the standard bridge and equally unlikely that foot placement would make much of a difference. I am,of course, guessing at this.
Jim