Lowering my bridge....

[Paul Busman]

The bridge on my Kentucky mando is already at the lowest position, but I think the action could be even lower. I gather this means I must grind/file/sand the bridge down, but I don't know where to do it, or the best way. Should I sand the part that rests on the soundboard, or the two small areas that sit on top of the adjusting screws? Or even the top of the bridge? Just buy another, lower bridge?
I'm pretty handy with wood (see www.busmanwhistles.com) so I know I can do the job-- just want to know the best way. Thanks.

[Bob DeVellis]

Assuming that the amount it needs to be lowered is pretty small, the easiest place is where the upper and lower sections meet (e.g., the underside of the top piece). The contact areas between top and strings and between bottom and instrument are more critical. Of course, if you can see any daylight under the feet of the bridge where it mates to the top, this might be an occasion for improving that fit. It depends on how good the setup was when you got the instrument. If the fit is nice and snug, I wouldn't mess with it and would just remove a little bit of wood where the upper bridge piece contacts the adjustment wheels.

[Paul Busman]

Of course, if you can see any daylight under the feet of the bridge where it mates to the top, this might be an occasion for improving that fit. #It depends on how good the setup was when you got the instrument. #If the fit is nice and snug, I wouldn't mess with it

Actually, this bridge doesn't exactly have "feet"-- it snugly fits the top of the sounding board all the way across. Should it only touch the sound board in two "food" areas at the ends of the bridge? If so, how long should those areas be? I can pretty easily dremel the bridge to that sort of shape.

[Greenmando]

Sounds like you might want to shop around for a luthier to do a set up for you.
Some bridges have full contact some do not. Depending on how much you want to drop the action you might want to look for a different bridge top some are taller and shorter. Since it is two piece leave the part in contact with the top alone.

[Michael Lewis]

This is where some bridges begin to meet their dimise, so I will point out a preventative approach. The saddle (top piece) generally has a step machined at each end where the thumb wheels rest. These steps, notches, cut outs, whatever you want to call them, should have a radius (fillet) where the surfaces meet at the inside corner. This spreads the load rather than concentrating it at the inside corner. As long as the saddle is fairly tall it isn't too important, but when it gets whittled down to a smaller size it looses some strength and often will crack at the inside corner. Also, don't take too much off the ends of the saddle, as this is just what makes it less strong. You can remove the posts from the foot, and lower the raised sections where the posts are fitted. Take a little here and a little there and pretty soon you have a big adjustment. If the Saddle doesn't drop all the way down you may have to shorten the posts, and if the saddle is through drilled for the posts you still may have to shorten them or they can snag you when they stick through the top of the saddle.

[Frank Ford]

What Michael said.

That's the right way to do it!