Another stupid bridge question

[Mickey666]

First the disclaimer;
While I have been Frankensteining stuff together since before it became a thing, I have never "built" a Bass or any of the component parts. I don't have the money/time/skills to learn at this point.

I am trying to find someone that makes wood bridges for flat topped electric Bass bodies.
I know it's possible because I've seen them on a few higher end pieces.

The problem I seem to be having is that everything I'm finding is either a floating type, or the acoustic style glue down ones. Neither of which will look good/work with the Explorer body I'm using.

I'm not looking for anything hand carved and wild. Just something appropriate for the most non metal X body anyone's ever seen.

It doesn't need to be piezo compatible or anything as I will be using a magnetic pup ( probly a Delano extender or one of @Freekmagnets T-40s if he's got them ready to purchase by the time I'm ready to make the final decision.)

I've talked to the builders in my area, one of which is kind of a legend in country circles, they looked at me like I was insane.

The original idea was to do something with as little metal hardware as possible, like preferably tuners only.

Am I insane, or just to weird for the kool kids?

Thoughts, ideas, constructive suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Assuming you want adjustability and can stand metal screws, you could probably adapt the bridge Marko built in the MPU Brown Bass thread to "mostly wood" but you'd have to cross the "look in the mirror for the 'someone' who can build that for you" line, likely.

 

[Mickey666]

Assuming you want adjustability and can stand metal screws, you could probably adapt the bridge Marko built in the MPU Brown Bass thread to "mostly wood" but you'd have to cross the "look in the mirror for the 'someone' who can build that for you" line, likely.

That's kinda what I was afraid of...
If that's the case, this will probly never get finished.

BTW, a few small screws wouldn't be an issue, the main thing was to have no metal touching the (coated or tape wound) strings south of the nut.

 

[Will_White]

What are examples of what you want?

 

[Mickey666]

What are examples of what you want?

There really aren't any because I don't really know what I want, something that intonates reasonably well, and looks appropriate to the body shape.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but it will be fretless.

 

[Will_White]

There really aren't any because I don't really know what I want, something that intonates reasonably well, and looks appropriate to the body shape.

I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but it will be fretless.

Something like this would easy to make and wouldn't look out of place on an explorer.

With it being fretless bridge intonation is adjusted to be close and then adjusted via fingers at the other end, you don't need a complex bridge.

 

[Mickey666]

Something like this would easy to make and wouldn't look out of place on an explorer.
View attachment 5033240

With it being fretless bridge intonation is adjusted to be close and then adjusted via fingers at the other end, you don't need a complex bridge.

That could work, and if I have to build it myself, it won't be any more complicated than that for sure.

I guess I just keep looking and emailing the makers of the ones I find interesting.
Might just get lucky.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Something like this would easy to make and wouldn't look out of place on an explorer.
View attachment 5033240

With it being fretless bridge intonation is adjusted to be close and then adjusted via fingers at the other end, you don't need a complex bridge.

Me like that bass.

 

[funkinbottom]

Not mine, but here are a few ideas...

 

[Lo-E]

Carl Thompson has used wooden bridges of varying complexity on-again-off-again over the years.

As discussed here:
Carl Thompson wooden bridges...

You may want to look here, too:
wooden bridge insanity (help designing)

 

[Lo-E]

Here’s the bridge on a fretless 5 I had built for me about 20 years ago:

The bridge is floating but uses tiny, steel locating pins underneath to keep it from sliding around.

The saddle is a piece of carbon fiber bar but could just as easily be made of bone or wood and the string ground is made via a brass bar inside the body.

 

[KidAmnesia]

It wouldn't be too complicated to make a wooden fender style bridge using threaded inserts and hardwood saddles and a hardwood bar to anchor the strings and saddle screws.

 

[Mickey666]

Carl Thompson has used wooden bridges of varying complexity on-again-off-again over the years.
View attachment 5033269
As discussed here:
Carl Thompson wooden bridges...

You may want to look here, too:
wooden bridge insanity (help designing)

Thanks for the link, I tried doing searches several times but that thread never came up.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Guild and Hagstrom used a version of this bridge at various times. Guild had a Starfire or some thing in the last few years that had a variant of this as well. You might be able to find one that’s missing it’s bass. It seems like the string spacing was narrow however.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

First the disclaimer;
While I have been Frankensteining stuff together since before it became a thing, I have never "built" a Bass or any of the component parts. I don't have the money/time/skills to learn at this point.

I am trying to find someone that makes wood bridges for flat topped electric Bass bodies.
I know it's possible because I've seen them on a few higher end pieces.

The problem I seem to be having is that everything I'm finding is either a floating type, or the acoustic style glue down ones. Neither of which will look good/work with the Explorer body I'm using.

I'm not looking for anything hand carved and wild. Just something appropriate for the most non metal X body anyone's ever seen.

It doesn't need to be piezo compatible or anything as I will be using a magnetic pup ( probly a Delano extender or one of @Freekmagnets T-40s if he's got them ready to purchase by the time I'm ready to make the final decision.)

I've talked to the builders in my area, one of which is kind of a legend in country circles, they looked at me like I was insane.

The original idea was to do something with as little metal hardware as possible, like preferably tuners only.

Am I insane, or just to weird for the kool kids?

Thoughts, ideas, constructive suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I have to ask: What's the reason that you want an all-wood bridge? Is it just for the cosmetic looks, or are you trying to do something with the sound?

I've made custom wooden bridges of various types over the years. Floating and saddle-type bridges are pretty easy. But trying to make one more like a common electric bass bridge, with individual wood saddles, adjustable for height and intonation, is tough. Even using the hardest woods, like Ironwood, threading the wooden parts for machine screws to operate in is tricky.

If you are really just looking for the cosmetics, the best approach is to use aluminum (or brass) parts for the structure and threads, and cover them with pieces of a nice looking hardwood, epoxied on. Wood caps concealing the aluminum parts. That would be the practical way to build it.

 

[Mickey666]

I have to ask: What's the reason that you want an all-wood bridge? Is it just for the cosmetic looks, or are you trying to do something with the sound?

I've made custom wooden bridges of various types over the years. Floating and saddle-type bridges are pretty easy. But trying to make one more like a common electric bass bridge, with individual wood saddles, adjustable for height and intonation, is tough. Even using the hardest woods, like Ironwood, threading the wooden parts for machine screws to operate in is tricky.

If you are really just looking for the cosmetics, the best approach is to use aluminum (or brass) parts for the structure and threads, and cover them with pieces of a nice looking hardwood, epoxied on. Wood caps concealing the aluminum parts. That would be the practical way to build it.

Not quite sure what I'm going for, just something that came to me in a dream a while back.
The idea was too kool to forget about, it's kinda been haunting me for a couple years now.

 

[Ronnie Thunders]

Your cool, kid! If you can dream it you can make it out of wood no problem.

 

[Max Bogosity]

There’s also the Hofner-style bridge that allows some intonation adjustment without metal hardware. You could adapt that idea to whatever style base plate you like.

 

[Max Bogosity]

For example.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I have an acoustic bass bridge that appears to be all wood, but it actually has a brass block inside that has slots to allow the ball end of the string to slide into the slot without the ball end escaping. The brass block takes the tension. That bridge attaches to the bass body / interior bridge plate with screws.

It looks similar to one of the pictures @funkinbottom posted, but it’s not as long longitudinally (shorter slots)

Something that might change your plans, no metal south of the nut. Some, if not all, magnetic pickups require the strings are grounded, and electric basses almost universally ground the strings at the ball end by grounding a metal bridge.

String grounding might be more for noise prevention and might not be required to generate a current in the pickups.