Double Bass Why are bridges always left unfinished?

[ctcruiser]

Silly question time from a newbie.

Why are every part of the bass finished except for the bridge?

Is there a physical reason? Or is it aesthetics?

My wife asked me the same question after I came home with my new lefty ES-1 bass. It has a nice reddish brown finish with a black ebony fingerboard and tailpiece, but an unfinished maple bridge.

Just wondering...

 

[Tom Hutton]

There's a thread about it here:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=164757

My bridge was finished with raw linseed oil, which really brings out the grain of the wood - I think it's a purely aesthetic thing though, I would expect no great effect on the sound.

BTW, Congrats on your new bass!

 

[Tbeers]

From what I've seen, Arnold Schnitzer puts some sort of oil on all of his bridges. They're very purty... if you're looking for a flawlessly crafted and aesthetically pleasing bridge, Brewster, NY is one place to go.