Metal, Screws & Wood: A Bridge Building Thread

[BTL]

If anybody's interested, the MOQ for round one was 25 bridges. The MOQ for round two was 50 bridges. I'm happy to share the OEMs I've worked with offline.

 

[pilotjones]

Sheldon Dingwall Is the first I am aware of using pairs of buttonhead cap screws as string saddles, two or probably three decades ago. I haven't run into any mention of anything earlier.

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I recently came across the Marleaux Spock bass. The Bridge is designed so that the strings rests on two screws. I have just found out that Dingwall is also using this approach as well as @pilotjones on his "current" project. [Do you know who came up with this idea?]. The contact between the screws and the saddle should be pretty good, because the threads should have a large contact surface with the screws.
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[13ghosts]

Sheldon Dingwall Is the first I am aware of using pairs of buttonhead cap screws as string saddles, two or probably three decades ago. I haven't run into any mention of anything earlier.

Thanks!

 

[JIO]

Awesome thread showcasing the wide world of bass bridges! We can't forget the original Dano bridge which is about as crude as you get but still works in it'a frugal simplicity!

 

[July]

The design I came up with is some "form follows function" and "reduce to the max" bridge. It's a remix - simple and optimized (and polished).

My aim was to design a bridge that has a good contact to the body, is stable, allows a high pressure of the string on the saddle and has a good handling. Another aspect was a relative simplicity in terms of machining. I designed two versions, one single string and one 4-string bridge.

I recently came across the Marleaux Spock bass. The Bridge is designed so that the strings rests on two screws. I have just found out that Dingwall is also using this approach as well as @pilotjones on his "current" project. [Do you know who came up with this idea?]. The contact between the screws and the saddle should be pretty good, because the threads should have a large contact surface with the screws.

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Hardly any (non single rail) bridges accounts for compensation for intonation when positioning the components. This is certainly not really relevant, but it helps, for example, keep the break angle relatively equal for all strings. A proper position of all parts could also avoid lateral pressure on the saddle. With single bridges, it's a different matter because you can position them separately.

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And this is what I came up with:

• screwed-on saddles
• a direct compensation for the intonation on the 4-string bridge
• the same string mounting concept as on my Kramer
• components that are aligned with the string angle (nut to saddle in relation to the center line)
• some kind of brucification where I use counter screws on the back of the bass (which can be implemented on almost any bridge, if the screw holes are wide enough)

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Hopefully, nothing on this design is (still?) patented...

Material selection (from top to bottom): Stainless steel, brass, and aluminum. There are two reasons for this: the overall weight of the bridge is low in this combination, and it looks cool (brass is usually hidden under chrome or nickel). [Not sure about galvanic corrosion, so I might change the screws.]

The aluminum is 7075 ("aerospace grade") and the brass is CW617N. In addition to stiffness and hardness, I wanted low lead content.
It looks great when polished and can age gracefully. It can also be polished again any time if necessary.


Links/references:
Spock - Marleaux Bassguitars
Z - Dingwall
There's another storm brewing!

Your version is wonderful! Do you plan to produce it? Small series?

 

[13ghosts]

Your version is wonderful! Do you plan to produce it? Small series?

Thank you!!
I tried to make it minimalist and functional while maintaining an aesthetic appeal.

Producing it in series requires setting up a business. That's complex and sucks time, money, and energy. Not sure if it's worth it. Most probably not - unfortunately...

I have an update in the pipeline (for the single string version). If you're really interested, feel free to get in touch

 

[MPU]

My Aria Pro 2 had a cast zinc (or whatever pot metal) bridge. High end Arias had brass bridge so…. I made a brass version of the same bridge. Took three evenings of machining with miniature milling machine, drill press and disc sander.

 

[2saddleslab]

Everyone needs a little fiber.