bridge direction?

[sj9]

This is probably a stupid question but how can I tell if my bridge is on the correct way or is backwards. Pics attached.

[Willie Poole]

There are some that say it doesn`t make any difference but to my way of thinking yours is on backwards...The E string bout should be the most forward of all of them which you now have on the G string......If the base fits the top god then just turn the saddle around..

Good luck with it..

Willie

[sj9]

I noticed it might be backwards because the A and E strings sit deeper into the bridge than the wound. Should not the deeper grooves be for the wound strings.

[billhay4]

Should not the deeper grooves be for the wound strings.

Yes.
Bill

[sblock]

Yes, it's on backwards.

[Steve Sorensen]

The easy way to remember is that the off-set is tied to intonation change as the bigger wires are stretched.

Since (as long as you have an unwound AA course, the EE strings are the thinnest wire, they are the baseline for offsets -- therefore the EE side should be furtherst forward -- usually that means that they are in line with the front edge of the saddle.

Steve

[MikeEdgerton]

A past thread with some images can be found here.

[Stevo75]

Can't you tell easily because the big slots are for the big strings and vice versa?

I know there is a deeper discussion with respect to intonation and which way the bridge needs to be oriented BEFORE cutting the slots (for those that are not symmetrical), but after the slots are cut, presuming the person did it correctly, it's easy to see which slots match which strings.

[Tom Wright]

The majority of these stepped compensating bridges have roughly symmetrical steps, so they look the same when rotated 180. Indeed the only difference is the slot width, a fairly trivial detail in practice for a wooden bridge.

A previously fitted and installed bridge has its feet sanded to match the shape of the top, and this may be a more important feature to preserve.

[MikeEdgerton]

The majority of these stepped compensating bridges have roughly symmetrical steps, so they look the same when rotated 180. Indeed the only difference is the slot width, a fairly trivial detail in practice for a wooden bridge.

A previously fitted and installed bridge has its feet sanded to match the shape of the top, and this may be a more important feature to preserve.

I think you'd find the OP's bridge doesn't fit your description.

[Drew Streip]

I think you'd find the OP's bridge doesn't fit your description.

However, "A previously fitted and installed bridge has its feet sanded to match the shape of the top, and this may be a more important feature to preserve."

What he's saying is, if the feet do happen to be properly mated, then just turn the saddle around, rather than turning the whole assembly and having to possibly re-fit the bridge.

[MikeEdgerton]

I get that, his statement about the top is wrong. Look at the picture. As far as the bridge base goes I always mark the top of the bridge base and the bottom with a pencil as B and T (for bass and treble) to assure I get the base back on correctly. It's not going to be visible and if you have 4 orientation marks you can pretty much assure that the base is right. The top is easy, there's a right way and a wrong way. You can't always assume they are going to be symmetrical, they aren't. You also can't just turn the bridge top around to create a left handed bridge although some folks seem to think they can.

If one buys a mandolin with a bridge that was slotted after being put on backwards the slotting isn't going to do anything for you, you still need to have the bridge top oriented correctly.

[sj9]

Thanks for the help everyone. I just messed up last time I took the bridge off to clean and put it on backwards. Just switched it back, seems like everything is ok

[Willie Poole]

A lot of people have so many ways of saying the same thing....

Willie

[billhay4]

There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Bill

[Paul Hostetter]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

In this one, the pinkish top bridge (like the OP's bridge) is backwards.

The middle dark blue one is correct according to Gibsons' original specs.

The bottom lighter blue one is bilaterally symmetrical, and must be custom made. It works better than the middle one on about 25% of mandolins with the usual 13-7/8" scale strung with J-74s. Don't ask me why. On the other 75%, you can tell the original plan was correct. I use my ears and a strobe-o-tuner.



The notches for the strings should be an automatic tip-off whether you put the top of the bridge back on right.

And if you can't hear the difference in intonation one way or the other, then it really doesn't matter.