Martin Jonas
Feb-26-2004, 7:30am
Having read the various advice on bridge fitting at frets.com and here, I've been sanding down my bridge feet (standard rosewood adjustable bridge on a Washburn carved spruce top), using fine sandpaper on the top. The curvature and the fit seem just fine with the strings off and slight finger pressure at the bridge pins; good contact all around. However, with the strings on and tuned up, the string tension slightly deforms the bridge and/or the top and there is light shining through along about the first 2mm on each foot next to the centre gap and about 5mm of light at the other side of each foot. That means the bridge is still in full contact along about 90% of its length, but it doesn't seem quite right. How can I get the bridge to match the shape of the top under tension rather than without? Continuing with sandpaper on the top with the strings off doesn't seem a promising route to get the last bit of light eliminated. Or should I leave well enough alone? Compared to the fit when I got the mandolin (which I think was still the original factory setup), it's already an incomparably better fit and the tone has improved considerably.
I think the root of the current appearance is that the original fit had a large gap in the centre of each foot, as the bridge was clearly pre-cut for a top with a higher arch than mine. As a result, the tension had previously pressed onto the edges of each foot and this seems to have made a permanent slight depression just where I now have the light shining through.
Any advice?
Martin
(feeling my way through mandolin setup...)
I think the root of the current appearance is that the original fit had a large gap in the centre of each foot, as the bridge was clearly pre-cut for a top with a higher arch than mine. As a result, the tension had previously pressed onto the edges of each foot and this seems to have made a permanent slight depression just where I now have the light shining through.
Any advice?
Martin
(feeling my way through mandolin setup...)