Fitting a bridge.

[slapthefunky4]

So I just finished fitting a bridge for the first time by myself. I started with just a blank, and fit the feet to the top, arched the top of the bridge, filed some string grooves, and thinned it a little bit.

I was terribly proud of myself. My bass sounded so much bigger, louder and clearer.

But today, I realized that I had carved the bridge backwards. You know, the face that is perpendicular to the feet should be towards the fingerboard, well, I carved it so it is towards the tailpiece. oops. (edit: This is correct, I did mine the other way.)

So, my question is, will this do bad things to the bass if I leave it this way? Is premature warping of the bridge the only thing I have to worry about? Am I in danger of it tipping over?

When I get home from work, I'm gonna check and see if I flip it around, if the arch will be close enough that I can make it work again. Mostly, I'm just disappointed that I have to spend another $75 for a decent bridge and start over.

[forester]

if it fits the top correctly and your bass has improved...play it. most likely you wiil be the only one to notice. longevity will be about the same. i have found that it is rare that you can just turn it around and startover..you might try by installing adjusters and thereby gain some height and reseat feet etc.

[slapthefunky4]

Originally Posted by forester

if it fits the top correctly and your bass has improved...play it. most likely you wiil be the only one to notice. longevity will be about the same. i have found that it is rare that you can just turn it around and startover..you might try by installing adjusters and thereby gain some height and reseat feet etc.

That's good to know. I did order some adjusters from Gollihur Music that should show up any day now. I guess I'll just keep it that way until I notice anything weird.

[uprightben]

"You know, the face that is perpendicular to the feet should be towards the fingerboard, well, I carved it so it is towards the tailpiece. oops."

Slap me if I'm just confused, but the way you described orienting yoiur bridge is, in fact, the correct way. The "sloped" face should point to the fingerboard and the "flat", or as you out it, perpendicular face should point to the tailpiece. So maybe you got it right in spite of yourself.

[bassist14]

thats the way it should be

[slapthefunky4]

Originally Posted by uprightben

"You know, the face that is perpendicular to the feet should be towards the fingerboard, well, I carved it so it is towards the tailpiece. oops."

Slap me if I'm just confused, but the way you described orienting yoiur bridge is, in fact, the correct way. The "sloped" face should point to the fingerboard and the "flat", or as you out it, perpendicular face should point to the tailpiece. So maybe you got it right in spite of yourself.

No, you should slap me for being confusing. I just realized I described it wrong.

Originally Posted by bassist14

thats the way it should be

That is the way I should have done it.

[Martin Sheridan]

You might be more confused than you think.

Generally if the bridge is branded it will be branded on the back or tailpiece side.

Since this is your first bridge you may have fit the feet well, but you might have done them at a slant towards the fingerboard? Or, when you tuned up you may have pulled the bridge too far forward so that it looks like it's leaning forward.
Look at the feet, if there is air under the feet of the bridge, you may just need to push the bridge back into upright position. Did you lubricate the grooves with a pencil? Did you use a round file? How much did you take off the facce of the bridge, maybe not enough? What is the thickness of the bridge at the strings and at the feet?

Anyway, congrats on trying to do it yourself.

[slapthefunky4]

Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

You might be more confused than you think.

Generally if the bridge is branded it will be branded on the back or tailpiece side.

Since this is your first bridge you may have fit the feet well, but you might have done them at a slant towards the fingerboard? Or, when you tuned up you may have pulled the bridge too far forward so that it looks like it's leaning forward.
Look at the feet, if there is air under the feet of the bridge, you may just need to push the bridge back into upright position. Did you lubricate the grooves with a pencil? Did you use a round file? How much did you take off the facce of the bridge, maybe not enough? What is the thickness of the bridge at the strings and at the feet?

Anyway, congrats on trying to do it yourself.

This bridge was not branded. It was just a cheap one that was great for my first try.

As far as I can tell, the feet are sitting perfect on the top with the flat face is perpendicular to the body. Yes, I lubricated the grooves. I did use a very small round file to groove approximately 1/2 of the strings diameter deep. I sanded down the sloped face until the thickness at the strings was a hair under 1/8" and about 7/8" at the feet.

I used to think that I knew at least the basics of bridge making. A friend of mine is a luthier at a music shop here, and he taught me how to do a violin bridge, and walked me through a couple of those.

[bonaventura]

Originally Posted by forester

if it fits the top correctly and your bass has improved...play it. most likely you wiil be the only one to notice. longevity will be about the same. i have found that it is rare that you can just turn it around and startover..you might try by installing adjusters and thereby gain some height and reseat feet etc.

Just a question, anybody (including Martin ): Why does it matter, from a physical, technical, vibrational standpoint, whether the perpendicular face is facing the fingerboard or the tailpiece? Is there any reason, other than the way it looks? Does it resist the tendency to lean upward any better that way?

[kurt ratering]

there are some who cut a bridge so that the center line of the bridge(in profile) is square to rib line. this puts the string tension down the middle of the bridge. i feel that it may be a more efficient path for vibrations, and also helps direct down pressure more evenly on the top.

[forester]

SF4, your adjuster install is as critical and as (challenging) as fitting your bridge..."measure twice cut once".

bonaventura.. i believe it is a form following funtion application. the stance is classic for support.. and when thinning is done to the beveled side /l it is less likely to create a knifedged cap ^ (weak).. the bevel also offers opportunity to blend the thin through the face of the bridge (rolling in a arc from side to side) evenly. as to the question of sound dynamics, i could put you to sleep with, conjecture, corn-pone and boldface lies.. i will limit myself however, to the more basic utilitarian approach to bridge butchery.

[Gearhead43]

I always thought that the downward bridge slope was intended to counter-act the tendency of the strings pulling the bridge top toward the fingerboard. Especially when tuning.

[forester]

possibly..but i think the only resolve to pull is 0 friction at the string notches. (doubt this can be achieved).
policy i have to live and work by:violin,viola,cello,bass 2-3 degree cantilever to the rear for all bridges, the argument being, i believe, to counter the repeated tune/detune/retune..of student instr. and to hopefully resist warping forward as they sit for months on end in the case,up to pitch ,warehoused. we are going through 05'-06' circa signed and dated set-ups done by myself and the "boys" 80% of the bridges are A-ok. Warning: any more than 2-3 degrees and now your looking at the feet squirting forward under tension and the bridge alighting across the room.. some older bass bridges w/ adjusters can have enough slop to move 5-10 degrees front to rear with the feet planted.