Official Luthiers Forum!

I had to make a new bridge. The switch from light steel to heavy nylon strings seemed to be fine, until I started playing things like octave A's with the open A and the a on the g sting. So I loosened the strings; well you have to practically take the strings OFF to get the bridge out, especially when you have to fit the new bridge. Guitar strings are like rubber bands!

The new one seems to work good, The action is like 2.25 mm to 2.75 mm. It seems like it is higher when I play. It's probably low enough. The intonation is correct now, but I noticed that the notes AFTER the 12th get sharp. I don't ever go there, but they do.

The only negative I've found is that the bridge looked pretty good to me, even under the 5X (at least that's what they SAY it is) magnifier with the LED lights, but when I take photos: it looks like crap. AHHH to have the eyes I had when I was 20! I have 3X progressives with stuff built in for astigmatism. I don't THINK that I have a problem seeing. I can pick out a Heron at the edge of a pond with reeds behind it from 300 yards driving down the road doing 70. Drives my wife nuts. I have no problem reading, but I think my close focus has too small a field of vision. And is cloudy besides.

I blame age. I'll be 65 in June.

Anyway, the original bridge needed wood on the outside edges because the arch must be MUCH curvier than most. It ended up only 1mm thick at the edge of the center, and 1 mm of new wood at the other edge. I fit the new one by pressing it down on carbon paper, because it seemed like it fit, but when stung up, the outside ends weren't tight. I took a lot more off the middle, but it is still there right at the corners. Oh well. I could see if a sliver of wood would fit under.

I think it looks cool. It isn't REALLY finished, I had to do more tuning, so that isn't blended in well, only filed. I just miss playing it.

_________________
Why be normal?

It definitely looks cool!
Keep playing and enjoying the guitar until you feel like putting it down long enough to sand and polish the bridge. This is what we do for fun and we are not under a time restriction for when we have to have it "done".

Yes,that's what I plan to do! It is just scraped, I don't usually sand anything. I can scrape more out of the center too. With some finish on, it might look more respectable. I played it after dinner and it was fun.

_________________
Why be normal?

Ken that's a pretty difficult shape to get looking perfect.

I am interested in what sort of volume you get out of the archtop with nylon strings? I wouldn't have thought they would give much at all...?

Dave

I tried to make a recording with GarageBand this morning. It appears that the mic isn't working with garage band. I worked on a tuner the other day. But it didn't work with Google hangouts a few days ago until I switched to Chrome. That will probably take a while to figure out. I'm on the computer all morning, but mostly typing. Don't know how ANYTHING works. So you are spared my playing. I just started at Christmas.

I tried a lot of things, even Quicktime. The mic sounds like it is wrapped in balls of cotton, or 10 yards away facing the other direction.

I don't think the guitar has a volume problem at all. Now I don't have guitars to compare it with. The classical I bought 30 years ago at a garage sale needs some work, but it seems every bit as loud as that one, And much louder than that one did when I lowered the action down. I didn't even go as low as this one is; about 2.25-2.75 mm at the twelfth.

The plain nylon strings die off quite quickly, but the wound strings add some resonant sizzle the wouldn't be there otherwise. It has a lot of sustain, mostly from them I think. It doesn't sound quieter than it did with the light steel strings, But maybe it its.

_________________
Why be normal?