make youre own bridge

oinils · #1 02-02-2008, 01:29 PM

sow this is the problem i was playing on my double bass and suddenly my bridge cracks in 2 just in the middle so i have now 2 parts but my mother know's a guy how can make a lot of things out of wood and he can make a bridge for me is it ok if he make it out of oak wood but have the little heart in the middle have it to be in it ?
now you can say buy a new bridge but i call evry shop and they all have to order one and i need a bride on the 9the feb
for a gig
sow can anybody help me pleas !!!

Silversorcerer · #2 02-02-2008, 02:13 PM

I think if you order a bridge blank from Quinn Violins, they stock a large selection of Despiau bridge blanks, and (fill out your profile) depending on where you are, they can ship Fed Ex. I got one from them and it came in a couple of days by normal shipping. You will still have to get it fitted professionally, and that could take a couple of days, depending on how busy the shop is.

You do not want a bridge made from oak by an amateur, IMO. Too much trouble, too many risks, and wasted time. You'd be better off gluing the old one back together with hide glue, or for temporary use, Elmer's Carpenter's wood glue, Titebond, or similar wood glue. Then take your time and get a real maple bridge fitted.

Jake deVilliers · #3 02-02-2008, 02:17 PM

No oak for you!!

Seriously, your friend should be able to glue your old bridge back together for you to use while you wait for a new one to arrive.

If you filled out your profile, we might be able to point you to a better bass shop......

oinils · #4 02-02-2008, 02:34 PM

yes sow no oak but the thing is he is an proffesional wood maker he makes all kind of things out off wood what wood would you prefeure ore something and now i gluy my bridge but im scared that it would hold and if my friend can make it have the heart to be in the middle of it of is it just an decoration
yes sorry for my bad english

**Bob Gollihur** · #5 02-02-2008, 03:31 PM

Tightly grained hard maple is the bridge wood of choice.

Bob Branstetter · #6 02-02-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Gollihur

Tightly grained hard maple is the bridge wood of choice.

The wood of choice is European maple. The slab cut American rock hard maple, frequently found in US lumber yards, is not suitable for bridges.

**Bob Gollihur** · #7 02-02-2008, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

The wood of choice is European maple. The slab cut American rock hard maple, frequently found in US lumber yards, is not suitable for bridges.

A lumberyard is not the place to shop for tonewoods no matter where you live.

oinils · #8 02-03-2008, 02:35 PM

sow european maple is the chose ok im going to aks him if he can make it and i see whats happening sow the little heart in the middle have it to be in it to ?

**Damon Rondeau** · #9 02-03-2008, 02:48 PM

I believe you're also looking for quartersawn European maple...

Silversorcerer · #10 02-03-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oinils

sow european maple is the chose ok im going to aks him if he can make it and i see whats happening sow the little heart in the middle have it to be in it to ?

The heart probably has some effect on the sound as almost all details of the bridge have an effect on the sound. If your old bridge was fitted correctly, use it as a pattern.

I have seen some home made bridges from other woods, but never oak. Maple is the traditional choice with the grain running parallel to the top of the bass.

oinils · #11 02-04-2008, 03:22 AM

sow if you see the bridge the vains have to be go up to the top of the bridge because if they are horizontly they may brake faster

Eric Swanson · #12 02-04-2008, 06:34 AM

I am not a luthier, period, but I am a pro woodworker. A long-grain glue joint will be at least as strong as the surrounding wood IF the joint fits well, the appropriate glue is used, and it is clamped properly. I can't comment on what effect it would have on sound.

Gluing something (that you care about) together properly is no joke, however. Fit, clamp pressure, type of glue, gap size in the joint(s), amount of glue, and alignment are all key components. A glue up can be a one-time do-or-die affair...tough to undo a bad job. There are only a handful of things more desperate than a glue up going awry.

+1 on the respectful recommendation to get a real bridge fitted by a real pro luthier. As my old boss used to say, "O.K. we can whittle the Christ child out of a clothespin, but why would we want to?"

A more thorough, loving explanation is that having someone (who charges for their time), regardless of skill, make a one-off piece for the first time is likely to take longer (be more expensive) than something made by a well-respected specialist. The quality is another issue. If someone is grappling with the most basic factor, specie, then what pitfalls will they encounter regarding angles, finish, grain orientation, moisture content, growth ring density, etc.?

I am a true woodworking nerd from way back. I can make just about anything out of wood (eventually

). That said, I buy out whatever I can, from those who make the item in question all day, every day. IMHO, to do otherwise sort of implies that their knowledge, skill, and years of experience don't have much value.

What is our time in this life worth? My basic sense is that it should be spent doing what we each do best, have a passion to do, or both. Making bridges, for me, doesn't fall into any of those categories. Just a thought...

Silversorcerer · #13 02-04-2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oinils

sow if you see the bridge the vains have to be go up to the top of the bridge because if they are horizontly they may brake faster

No, the grain runs parallel to the plane of the instrument top, the grain should not be vertical.

oinils · #14 02-05-2008, 02:46 AM

but if the grain is parallel is it not easyer to brake the bridge ?

Andrew McGregor · #15 02-05-2008, 02:59 AM

It's not about strength, it's about not damaging the top of the bass and about the tone. Just do it that way even if you don't get it.

martinc · #16 02-05-2008, 04:32 AM

oinils:

Bass bridges you see today are the product of hundreds of years of experimenting. The heart in the middle is there for a reason...if you look at a bridge you will see that the heart cut-out is under the D and A strings and the other two cut outs are under the G and E strings. Its to help provide a more open and even sound from the bridge. There may be other reasons too but the point is a bass bridge is not just a funny-shaped piece of wood to hold the strings in the air.
Take the advice from other posters. Buy a bridge and get someone who is qualified to fit the feet properly, taper the top and check and replace the sound post if necessary.

Eric Swanson · #17 02-05-2008, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew McGregor

It's not about strength, it's about not damaging the top of the bass and about the tone. Just do it that way even if you don't get it.

If you run the grain the other way, at a right angle to the bridge, you will have end grain sitting on your top. Add string tension, and it will seriously dent the spruce, immediately. While I don't know what the sound would be like, I do know that you would punch a couple of nice unfixable dents (cut grain, unsteamable) into your bass top. The feet would press in the spring wood much more than the summer wood, hence uneven foot contact.

+++++1 on don't do it.

Essentially, you are talking about a slice of end grain that is cut from a block about 6 1/2" thick...Never mind all the other issues...

**Damon Rondeau** · #18 02-05-2008, 01:35 PM

I'm an experienced woodworker (with real live training and professional experience) and I've done a fair bit of luthier work to my basses and to my friends' basses. I'm big on do-it-yourself personally and I wouldn't be automatically discouraging to anybody. Even so, I would never decide to make a bridge as opposed to simply buying a blank. The quality of materials and the design/production expertise embodied in even the cheapest blanks are things any person working on their own would be hard-pressed to beat. Some things are way too cheap to think about building, and I think a good bridge blank is one of them. Your DIY work is cut out for you just in fitting the thing, let alone making the thing.

**Damon Rondeau** · #19 02-05-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oinils

but if the grain is parallel is it not easyer to brake the bridge ?

You should get ahold of a bridge or some bridge stock and try to break it in the way you're thinking of. That eastern european quartersawn maple, properly seasoned, is pretty impressive stuff.

Silversorcerer · #20 02-05-2008, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oinils

but if the grain is parallel is it not easyer to brake the bridge ?

If the bridge is correctly fitted, this is in fact the best way for the grain to support the force. The grain is like a stack of long flat bricks on top of your bass and the force bears down directly on top of that stack. If your previous bridge had the correct grain orientation and broke, it was because it was fitted improperly to the top, probably the wrong angle.

A more detailed discussion can be found at this link:

http://www.musictrader.com/string4m.html

This is not a new question. Bridges have been cut this was for hundreds of years and for very good reasons. It reduces the likelihood of breaking, warping, and protects the soft wood of the top. It's a bit late to reinvent the wheel in this matter;- unless you want a plexiglass bridge.