Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Bridge & tailpiece for solid body

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    sydney, australia
    Posts
    177

    Default

    hello all. i'm planning on building an electric solidbody octave mandolin. does any company manufacture a metal bridge and tailpiece for four courses of two strings? i guess i could get by with just a bridge if it comes to it. i don't relish having to attack a bass bridge or do one from scratch.

    thanks!
    poe #27
    collings mt custom
    various guitars

  2. #2

    Default

    Sean,
    Andrew Jerman (a member here "Thistle####")makes a nice "Strat" style hardtail bridge that
    would work great for a solid body. You would want the barrel
    style saddle model for paired course's.
    Hope this helps!

    Tom

  3. #3
    Luthierus Amateurius crazymandolinist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Somewhere in Florida
    Posts
    653

    Default

    His site is crossroadswood.com by the way.
    "The Beauty of Grace is that it makes life Unfair" - Relient K

    "THEY'RE HERE!!! THEY'RE HERE!!! the Albino Brain Chiggers!" - Harry from 3rd Rock

  4. #4
    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    California
    Posts
    2,474

    Default

    Direct link to his bridges.
    (though those might not work so well for an octave)




  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    sydney, australia
    Posts
    177

    Default

    thanks for that. i will check it out. #

    ..........ok, i did. well, his 8 string bridge is out of stock, and whilst i haven't work out the string spacing, jeff might be right about the octave not working. not sure yet. so, am i right in saying that the 8 string bridge is a kind of modified bass bridge, with extra string holes and ridged barrels to enable placement of the extra strings?



    poe #27
    collings mt custom
    various guitars

  6. #6

    Default

    Sean,
    I have a few 8 strings lying around for personal use, so email me if you're interested. I should have more done in a couple weeks. I am going to use them on an octave that I'm building now.

    Andrew

  7. #7

    Default

    Sean,
    I just realized you were in Australia. #You should contact Rob at Jupiter Creek music. #He makes bridges and it would save you a bunch on shipping.

    Andrew




  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    sydney, australia
    Posts
    177

    Default

    thanks andrew. have e-mailed rob and waiting on a reply.
    poe #27
    collings mt custom
    various guitars

  9. #9
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    North Wales
    Posts
    6,431

    Default

    I have an 8-string octave mando from Cassandra Elk, who makes them from standard min-Strat and bass parts and sells them very cheaply on Ebay -- mine was 99 Euros. It has a barrel-type bass bridge, slightly modified, which does the job very nicely. No need for ridged barrels: the strings are located by the pull from the off-centre holes for the ball-ends.

    Here's a picture of the bridge on mine:



    Martin




  10. #10
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default

    The big gap between courses , and the low strings at the verge of the neck
    suggests that bridge is a bit of a kludge, I'D WISH remade baseplate with the intonation adjustment screw in it redrilled a bit more inboard spacing there ...
    particularly I have noted the tendency to push low tension low pitch strings off the neck more when the finger board is arched.
    the bass Pair at least a bit more inboard from the edge,
    given all the extra width available.



    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  11. #11
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    North Wales
    Posts
    6,431

    Default

    The big gap between courses is kind of inevitable, considering that this is a guitar neck. I found that less problematic to adapt to than I might have expected. Of course, if the neck were narrower, then this bridge would indeed need a remade baseplate. What is a kludge is that using the action adjustment bolts as string locators means that the distance between the outsides of each pair of strings is constant, meaning that the insides of the bass strings are considerably closer to each other than those of the treble strings.

    Martin

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    sydney, australia
    Posts
    177

    Default

    thanks guys, especially for such thought provoking info. was sitting looking at martin's emando, and pondering teh string spacing, when it occured to me that i could use the middle 4 courses of an electric 12 string gtr bridge. the spacing should be right for a mandolin, give or take a few mm. this is probably not a new idea, but will give it a go as an experiment. if it works out, then i'll chuck all this messin' about, and just make one from scratch (if i can get the right saddles separately.)
    poe #27
    collings mt custom
    various guitars

  13. #13

    Default

    I based my 4 and 5 string bridge spacing on my acoustic bridge and was quite surprised by how close it was to guitar spacing. The 8 and 10 string bridges were designed by GD Armstrong and he specified the dimensions to be staggered to take the differing string gauges into consideration. If you use an existing guitar bridge then cut the treble side off so the exposed brass will be down and not as noticeable. Also, I get my saddles from allparts. They are the Jazzmaster saddle. The screws and springs aren't long enough so I have to toss them and put new ones on. If you need any help let me know.

    Andrew

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    sydney, australia
    Posts
    177

    Default

    well, rob from jupiter creek never got back to me, but no matter, 12 string bridge is waiting for me at the shop, and i might just make one from scratch anyway. #

    getting the right pickup was going to be a challenge due to string spacing, but the body shape i cut is perhaps more suited to an octave mando so i can get away with a gtr pickup, and again, i might make my own - haven't done it before but a friend will show me how.

    when the emando gets a neck and starts happening, i'll post some photos and get your opinions.....be kind please # thanks again



    poe #27
    collings mt custom
    various guitars

Similar Threads

  1. Two solid-body e-mandos
    By Martin Jonas in forum Videos, Pictures & Sound Files
    Replies: 7
    Last: Sep-15-2007, 3:45pm
  2. F shaped solid body on E-bay
    By Pedal Steel Mike in forum Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics
    Replies: 1
    Last: Nov-26-2005, 12:18pm
  3. F shaped solid body on E-bay
    By Pedal Steel Mike in forum Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics
    Replies: 0
    Last: Nov-26-2005, 11:47am
  4. Bridge for solid body electric mandolin
    By cascadepicker in forum Equipment
    Replies: 2
    Last: Jul-13-2004, 9:13am
  5. solid body bridges
    By thistle3585 in forum Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics
    Replies: 5
    Last: Mar-08-2004, 3:21pm

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •