Double Bass Bridge broken!

[Caroline Miller]

Hello!

I was a at a gig and the bartender kicked over my bass and it broke the bridge. When ordering for a 2015 englehardt EMB do I need to order a specific one? I'm so confused on bridge ordering honestly.

 

[PauFerro]

My understanding is the bridge is matched to the size of the instrument. So if you have a 3/4 instrument, you need a 3/4 size bridge. If you play a 1/2 size, you need a 1/2 size bridge, 1/4 size instrument needs a 1/4 size bridge etcetera. I couldn't see and EMB on the gollihur site, do you mean the EM3 or the EM-1B?

My luthier told me that a quartersawn bridge is the best, and I witnessed a cheap, non-quartersawn maple bridge break on one instrument as confirmation. You also have to decide if you want an adjustable bridge or not. I noticed all the best instruments (even at the low end, like the Englehardt) seem to trend toward an adjustable bridge. The luthier said he "Cuts" a bridge when he puts it on, which I took to mean he will need to bevel and cut string slots in it for you.

I am not the most experienced person in the world when it comes to this (yet) but this is what I heard from the senior luthier I grilled with questions when I was about to buy my first upright.

Gollihur music deals in Englehardt basses, so I would consider checking with them. Or seeing a luthier at your local string shop (if any).

 

[Steven Ayres]

You can count yourself very lucky that the bass fell over and only the bridge is broken.

You need a 3/4 bridge blank and someone to fit it. If you're not doing the fitting yourself, find the luthier first and let her/him worry about sourcing the blank.

 

[MattZilla]

Dam! Looks like you may be able to ask them [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

But with even a fresh bridge, I kinda think that you ought to have a luthier fit it, and a luthier may already have/be able to make a bridge that will work well for you.

 

[Jay Corwin]

Unless you know how to do the work yourself, go to a luthier. The feet need to be shaped to fit the top of your bass, and no two are the same.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Yep. A new bridge is not a drop-in replacement part. NY prices for a new bridge fitted by a professional is around $300.

I'd be asking the bartender to pay for it.

Nerd Time: There is no universal standard for a 3/4 bridge. They come in a bunch of different sizes. The correct width is determined by measuring from the centerline of the belly to the centerline of the bass bar in millimeters and doubling it. That's a decision that's usually left to the luthier who fits the bridge.

 

[robobass]

Broken bridges can be glued.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

True, but gluing a flatsawn stock Engel bridge (if that's what she has) sounds iffy.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

True, but gluing a flatsawn stock Engel bridge (if that's what she has) sounds iffy.

...and a waste of time. Engelhardt has traditionally, at least on the lower cost instruments, used "firewood grade" maple for their bridges, and the two Engies I just got in recently were no exception. The first thing I did on both was to swap them out for the adjustables we sell, which are quartersawn, nice dense maple.

The Engelhardts are consistent with their bass bar placement, so most common 3/4 size bridge blanks with standard stance will fit them just fine; a center-to-center foot measurement of 4" is pretty much on the nose to fit an EM1. Common Teller or Panpi fixed bridges should also be fine, and all will be a considerable upgrade in quality to the stock EM1 bridge with not a lot of cost (not including installation.)

 

[robobass]

Worth a try, at least. I once broke a bridge across the heart. Nice bass, nice bridge. Glued it with a two component PU. I was planning to get a replacement made immediately, but 18 years later I still haven't gotten around to it. Of course this bridge is junk. But, well, the bass is also not something which deserves having money thrown at it.

 

[Caroline Miller]

yes sir it is a EM-1B! yeah, it was on its side and he knocked it over, he offered to pay for it and said for me to just senf the bill.
Okay, so ill seek out a luthier first and have him order it then? thanks so much guys!

 

[Caroline Miller]

thanks so much for all the helpful feedback! i had wondered about repairing the bridge, but it did seem too delicate.