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When I started working as the engineer for Gibson/Flatiron in 1995, in Belgrade, MT, Gibson had the majority of the domestic mandolin manufacturing and sales market. I believe it was something over...

Recently, I learned that the contact page on my website has not been contacting me. I just want to apologize if anyone has tried to contact me through the website and did not get a reply back. I...

"The post on a Brekke Traditional bridge can't possibly turn in that design without major obvious damage to the saddle and probably to the bridge and the instrument itself."

That is true some of...

To answer John's question, the intonation cuts on the saddle are deep enough that the compensation will not change when a radius saddle is sanded flat. That is, the intonation cut is straight at the...

If the picture is of your bridge, it looks like you have a tall base. Weber also made a shorter base so you could sand down the top of the base extensions a bit (but as mentioned, as long as you...

The Brekke/Weber Traditional bridges used a 4-40 threaded nut. There were also two bridge base heights.

If your instrument has the taller bridge base (pronounced pedestals for the adjustment...

Hi AlanN,

The confusion comes from the early years of Weber, Sound To Earth. For a period of time, they referred to all the bridge designs that I developed and they sold as "Brekke" bridges. ...

Actually, the tailpiece was designed to keep the instrument cost down and to enhance player comfort. Because the Sweet Pea has such a small body, I felt that having a tailpiece stick up over the top...

Hi all,

I just finished a project for Frank Smith, who started TowHaul/Smith Equipment, my day job. He's been retired for awhile but has created Music Ranch Montana, to bring in musical groups...

Actually, I make an adjustable bridge that works for most flat top instruments.

Vern Brekke
www.bridgerproducts.com

Hi Ken,

Steve is familiar with my bridges (at one time, he gave me a quote to cut them) and has talked to me about adapting the general design to his instruments. Unfortunately, my wedge system...

There were several reasons why Weber used a mortise and tenon joint on their necks with machine screws and barrel nuts:

1) The mortise and tenon blanks/bodies were much easier to cut...

Helen Beausoleil is amazing and a great person to work with. One of those unknown luthier/builders who have the skills and experience to make a great instrument.

She started with Steve Carlson...

The traditional Brekke/Weber bridge had two base heights: a short and a tall. I'm glad that Ivan also thought to lower the screw threads. We left at least a 1/16 inch space before the bottom of the...

Hi Scott,

This should be a warranty issue for Weber - if you wanted to go that route.

With that said, there are several possibilities:

Weber had four bridge base sizes. You may have the...

Just talked to Bruce about this instrument. A customer who bought it from Goodwill sent him more pictures. Apparently, someone did a major cut job on an actual Sweet Pea to make this one. They...

This was a Sweet Peas prototype that we made to test if the Sweet Pea design could also work as a travel guitar. It didn’t work well and I’m not sure how this one got out into the world. It’s...

The Ranger has a bigger body cavity than the Sweet Pea, a more interesting body shape (I think), MOP inlay on the peghead, an external tailpiece rather than the integral tailpiece of the Sweet Pea...

"The Brekke bridge is so much metal, hard mass metal, posts, bars and such---it reduces the information coming from the strings. A wooden bridge is so much more transformative and transparent."
...

There are two general styles of Brekke bridges. The original with wedges and set screws and the traditional Brekke/Weber with the knurled nut and wrench. The Original is sold through Bridger...

"Weber ditched the Brekke original for the new "traditional ". A vast improvement. I had the original on an old mando back in 2005 or 6... good tone, but not very loud. Too bad the cool concept of no...

The bridge is a standard Brekke/Weber traditional bridge and it looks to be adjusted about as high as it will go.

I would check with Bruce Weber at Montana Lutherie. He can send a taller base...

For reference: my adjustable flat top bridge will adjust down to .45 (a bit under 1/2 inch).

Vern Brekke
Bridger Products

Hey - I designed that peghead... People at the NAMM show said that it was one of the classier designs - of the patriotic themes that were made during that time period. Of couse, if you don't like...

New product alert: Flat or archtop mandolin bridges that adjust as low as .5 inches (original bridge with wedges). I have also done several custom cello bridges using the same concept. ...