12 hole bridge question

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HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

12 hole bridge question

I was watching Flamenco Flamenco and Paco was playing a old looking guitar but I think it had a 12 hole bridge because his guitar didn't have the loop that normally accompany 6 hole bridges.
Has 12 hole bridges been around for super long?

Sorry just a question to answer my curiosity.

Cheers

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2013 14:47:18

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

It could have been converted to 12 holes.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2013 14:57:27

Morante

Posts: 2184
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

U can have an 18 hole bridge and no string showing. I have only seen this on a Romanillos: on a flamenco bridge there would be less wood, so could be dangerous, though beads or other stoppers work perfectly well.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2013 15:10:00

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3431
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Most of my guitars are fairly old, 1967-91. When I bought them I had never heard of a 12-hole bridge. Not to say positively that such didn't exist, but I seriously doubt that known luthiers and factories were making them.

My 2008 Abel Garcia classical has a 12-hole bridge. I don't remember discussing it when I ordered the guitar. In a later conversation, after I received the very nice instrument, Abel said it's what he routinely does. I like it.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2013 19:50:38

Jeff Highland

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

I build mine with 18 hole bridges.
I have a long drill bit which i use to convert bridges in situ to 12 hole for break angle problems.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2013 20:24:51

C. Vega

Posts: 379
Joined: Jan. 16 2004

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Richard,

The first guitar I ever saw that was originally fitted with a 12-hole bridge was made by Abel Garcia in the late 1990s.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 22 2013 0:34:56

estebanana

Posts: 9367
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Most people credit the guitar maker California John Gilbert as the one who did the 12 hole bridge first. Probably in the 70' or early 80's.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 22 2013 18:06:57

Jim Kirby

Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

How long has Romanillos been making 18 hole bridges? I use them on classicals, but I can't figure out how I'd find enough wood to do it on a flamenco bridge.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 23 2013 0:06:52

estebanana

Posts: 9367
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Good lord, the 18 hole bridge is overkill.
It's just a guitar not a pierced penis..people need to get a grip.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 23 2013 1:44:46

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

quote:

pierced penis..people need to get a grip

Do they now?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 23 2013 6:48:41

estebanana

Posts: 9367
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Well I've living in the San Francisco area for 22 years and every time I see things with too many holes poked in them it traumatizes me and just reminds me of the body mod freaks that walk down the street publicly displaying their pierced junk.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 23 2013 20:38:37

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

Stephen,
18 holes allow you to display a clean tie block inlay.

The first i saw some 11 years ago on a Rafael Moreno classical.
He told me that it would be a very bad idea to use 18 holes on a flamenco. Because there´s not enough wood , the tieblock would end up being to weak.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 8:20:40

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to Jeff Highland)

quote:

build mine with 18 hole bridges.

18 holes?

Doesn't this make it a bit fiddly as to exactly which hole the string goes through first when restringing?

I find even 12-hole bridges a bit of a pain to restring. . .

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 13:12:39

krichards

Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

I always use a 12 hole bridge myself, but you can achieve the same outcome with 6 larger holes. You just thread the string through the hole twice.

I tried this once and it worked fine, but aesthetically it didn't seem to work so well.

Another advantage of more holes is greater weight reduction, every little helps in that respect.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 14:47:04

constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1677
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

I find this discussion fascinating--I never thought of an 18-hole tieblock. But I have to say, the photo, although blurry, seems to me to show the usual arrangement of 6 holes with loops of string tied over them in the usual way.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 15:11:26

Jeff Highland

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

How about 21 holes

Ethan the original picture was a 12 hole the string goes over the block once.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 20:10:52

johnguitar

Posts: 208
Joined: Jan. 10 2006

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

As always in this business, there is nothing new under the sun. This is from 1838.

http://www.granadaexpert.com/johnray/innovation-in-19th-century-paris/

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2013 20:56:50

estebanana

Posts: 9367
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to HolyEvil)

quote:

As always in this business, there is nothing new under the sun. This is from 1838.

http://www.granadaexpert.com/johnray/innovation-in-19th-century-paris/

Love this.
Thanks John.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 25 2013 0:25:18

bugeyed

Posts: 56
Joined: Aug. 24 2009
From: Conroe, Texas

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to krichards)

quote:

but you can achieve the same outcome with 6 larger holes. You just thread the string through the hole twice.

How do you "lock" the end of the string?
....Oh, maybe you could use an adjacent hole to make the loop & when you get to the 1st string, uh.............???? Drill 1 more hole?
kev

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 30 2013 21:31:31

krichards

Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England

RE: 12 hole bridge question (in reply to bugeyed)

quote:

How do you "lock" the end of the string?

The same way you would with 12 holes. You make a knot by slipping the end through the first loop, a couple of times. You can also melt the end to produce a ball end on the nylon strings if you want extra security.
The bass strings only need to be looped under once.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 31 2013 8:13:22