Exact bridge placement

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kominak

Posts: 135
Joined: Apr. 20 2010

Exact bridge placement

Luthiers, what's your method of finding the exact bridge position (and ensuring it's perpendicular to the fretboard)?
I know classical guitar builders use a compensation of about 1-2mm, I believe there's usually no compensation used when building flamenco guitar?
I have 660mm scale, so where should the 660th mm end? At the front of the saddle? Middle of the saddle?

Thanks a lot!

_____________________________

Martin Kominak
Slovakia

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 3 2011 7:53:41

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Exact bridge placement (in reply to kominak)

I compensate 1mm at the treble and 1,5mm at the bass. So in my case, a 660 scale would be 661,5 6th string and 660 1st string.

Its a bad idea not to compensate. If you compensate just a little bit like I do, you can always fine-compensate in the saddle bone. If you compensate to much you´re kind of lost.

I hope this helps.

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Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 3 2011 10:30:39

Stephen Eden

Posts: 914
Joined: Apr. 12 2008
From: UK

RE: Exact bridge placement (in reply to kominak)

yup you should always compensate! Also think about how thick the strings you prefer to use are. The thicker the string the more compensation you can use. I like to use 1.5 across the board. It's always worked for me.

To get it, I simply use a rule to mark out the position either side of the finger board. join the two points up and stick a bit of masking tape along it and butt the bridge up against it. you can then use the ruler again to if you have got it right :)

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Classical and Flamenco Guitars www.EdenGuitars.co.uk

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 3 2011 12:14:02

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: Exact bridge placement (in reply to kominak)

quote:

ORIGINAL: kominak

Luthiers, what's your method of finding the exact bridge position (and ensuring it's perpendicular to the fretboard)?
I know classical guitar builders use a compensation of about 1-2mm, I believe there's usually no compensation used when building flamenco guitar?
I have 660mm scale, so where should the 660th mm end? At the front of the saddle? Middle of the saddle?

The way we do it is to clamp a rule to the center line of the fingerboard then set the bridge under it and mark the leading edge on the top. Lay a drafting square against the edge of the rule and make a line from your mark. That line is now perpendicular to the fingerboard. Holding the bridge centered on the rule and held to the perpendicular line you tape the edges. It should be perfect. We use a compensated fingerboard so I can't help you on that. Anders and Stephen are excellent sources of accurate information.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 3 2011 13:51:59