Chica and the use of light-weight bridges

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a_arnold

Posts: 558
Joined: Jul. 30 2006

Chica and the use of light-weight br...

Anybody have any comments on the Nov issue of "Vintage Guitar" article on Manuel de la Chica? Lots of interesting luthiery stuff in there on one of the greats of the Granada school of building.

Brune (the author) says he stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries. I didn't realize that was a generally accepted opinion.

My question to you guys:

Apparently Chica used African mahogany by preference (rather than ebony) for his bridges. Brune says Chica used it because it is lighter but, unfortunately, much softer so the bridge holes wear out and the bridges are often replaced with ebony, which changes the sound radically.

What effect does the difference in density of the bridge have on sound? Is it just that a light bridge will accelerate faster in response to string vibration?

Have any of you experimented with lighter bridge wood?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 12 2007 20:35:57

nhills

Posts: 230
Joined: Jul. 13 2003
From: West Des Moines, IA USA

RE: Chica and the use of light-weigh... (in reply to a_arnold)

I can confirm that my '61 de la Chica has a mahogany bridge. With the staining, it looks more like dark walnut than ebony.

I don't know how much that affects the sound, but it is loud with quick response.

Norman

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"The duende is God's orgasm." - Antonio Canales

"I'm just a poor crazy man in love with his art." - Santos Hernandez (as translated by R. Brune)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 12 2007 22:40:16

HemeolaMan

Posts: 1514
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: Chicago

RE: Chica and the use of light-weigh... (in reply to a_arnold)

i meant to try moses graphite and see if they could make me a bridge

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 13 2007 1:26:33

Armando

Posts: 302
Joined: May 27 2005
From: Zürich, Switzerland

RE: Chica and the use of light-weigh... (in reply to a_arnold)

Hi

I think that light weight bridges are very important for a good guitar, not only for flamencos. I have recently made a test with a ready braced soundboard. I knoked the soundboard to get the top resonance and it sounded at B. After having sticked a rio rosewood bridge on it witt double sided tape, the pitch dropped to an F# and the soundboard did not respond easily due to the mass of the bridge that has to be put in motion.

My conclusion was, that the bridge was too heavy and i should avoid using such heavy bridges on flamencos.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 16 2007 20:47:34