Official Luthiers Forum!

Gotta love that StewMac string spacing rule, it really does make layout of string spacing a no brainer.  In fact, this evening I laid out a bridge in the typical fashion, find the outside spacing, and slide the rule along until you get two marks on the rule aligned.  Then, simply mark and drill.  Too easy!  I drilled, stood up to take in a wide view of my work... Doh! This isn't supposed to be a 7 string !

Anyone know how to swap out a bridge plate (titebond)?

One more riser than treads; one less space than strings...

I'm sensing something Zen here Rick, perhaps if it were put in haiku?

Wood, bent, bound and carved
Shavings shed, dust expelled, birth
Doh! I need a beer!

Head-on over the Frets.com and learn about bridge plate swapping.

I made myself a 1/4" thick aluminum caul, shaped like a bridge plate, that bolts to a big 'ol clamp. Heat it wit a torch, then quickly insert and clamp. Watch carefully, feeling with the back of the hand or fingers that the finish side won't get so hot that you'll hurt the finish or open the seam. After about 5 minutes, pull the clamp and caul out, and quickly reach-in and with knife or other improvised item, begin peeling up the plate. If it doesn't release easily, heat some more...

Mr. Collins should be ale to add to this discussion, but since you titled this thread so terribly, he may even look.

Good luck, and do tell, why are you drilling the bridge after it's fixed to the guitar?!?!?

[QUOTE=Mr. Grumpy]and do tell, why are you drilling the bridge after it's fixed to the guitar?!?!?
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering. It's so easy to set up a jig to drill out the pin holes on the bridge while making the bridge, and use them to align the thing to the top when gluing. Makes no sense to do otherwise.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Hey Liquid... StewMac makes a great tool to plug the holes on a bridge patch.
You might could fix it more easily than replacing it with that.

Here's a link to the BridgeSaver.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

This is my second acoustic, the first one went great, this one not so much.  I have made at least most of the possible mistakes, and invented at least one new one.

Thanks for the point to Frank's site, and the quick run through Mario.  I'll be making this attempt when I get back in my shop.  Though I'll probably spend some time on #3 first.  That one is going great!

Why am I drilling the bridge on the top?  Thats a long story that made sense at the time.  Needless to say, I won't be repeating that experiment...

IMO there is no need to allow for string thickness and create equal space between the strings at the bridge, as one does at the nut. Players expect equal spacing between string centers at the bridge end. The handy tool for this is a proportional divider.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.