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wooden bridge insanity (help designing)

#61
questionmark? said:
I don't think that wooden bridges are out of interesting nowadays so forgive me for resurrecting this thread, this is my version with stainless steel saddles moving back and forward for intonation tuning AND switching from 34 to 35 inches scale (maybe 34 and a half). the shape of the saddles prevents the friction of the string also. Feel free to suggest anything instead or if it's something wrong. Sounds great by the way with no wizzy sound :)
Wood is iroko very stiff but chips out easily.
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How do the saddles stay in place? In the pic they look like rollers that would shift position as you tighten a string.
 
#62
pilotjones said:
How do the saddles stay in place? In the pic they look like rollers that would shift position as you tighten a string.
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that's true, i hold it with my fingertip at the right place (i marked the position of the saddle before) but you can put the saddle a bit forward so when you tight the string it goes at the right place. The most basic thing is to intonate once and mark the saddle position for each string.
 
#63
I'm assuming when you say that you can switch from 34" to 35" scale, you are also switching out the neck. Otherwise you're just in 34" scale with really horrible intonation...

I am somewhat glad you resurrected this thread because I have been toying with designing my own wooden bridge. There are plenty of ideas I can grab here.
 
#65
J Lund said:
I'm assuming when you say that you can switch from 34" to 35" scale, you are also switching out the neck. Otherwise you're just in 34" scale with really horrible intonation...

I am somewhat glad you resurrected this thread because I have been toying with designing my own wooden bridge. There are plenty of ideas I can grab here.
Click to expand...

sorry i didn't mentioned that it's fretless
 
#68
#71
WarriorJoe7 said:
but individual saddles need to float or else you will only be able to intonate 2 strings (unless you get lucky)
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I was refering to this , I only ask because I want to learn. The only basses I've had with one piece wooden bridges were unlined fretless so I never checked intonation for accuracy. But I'm making a fretted bass with very narrow spacing and so I'm making the bridge. I was going to do a one piece but if it will be impossible to intonate it propperly I figure I"ll make an adjustable bridge.

Warrior Joe and J Lund seem to be saying the opposite of each other. I'm not arguing. I just want to understand.

I just want to know why things are they way they are.
 
#72
I still don't understand why a guitar can be intonated with a one piece bridge but a bass can't, but I don't want to chance it so I made a crude jig and ran off a few.
woodenbridgesonthewater006.jpg

woodenbridgesonthewater005.jpg


They are also crude yet, they need to be shaped and sanded and all that, but the saddles fit tight and they will be adjustable for intonating. I set the spacing. And the hight will still be like a typical wood bridge where it is a matter of taking a little at a time until the string hight is good. If ever the string is too low, pop in a new saddle. I made lots of extras.
 
#73
The first thing I noticed was, that the strings are going to be parallel with the grain, this way the strings will "eat" into the wood and splitt the saddles, someday, if you turn them 90 degrees the strings are across the grain and will "eat" less into the wood, I think.

I also make wooden bridges for my basses, and they are done in minutes.
I put a nice piece of wood, about 2 Cm. thick in the vice, lengthwise, and make a nice decorative edge with a router on one side, flip it, do the other side and saw it off.
Than you get something like this, that piece of yellowheart is long enough to make 5 bridges from.
It was made in 2 minutes.
FirstBuild006.gif


The bridge looks like this.
FirstBuild004.jpg

The string hight is easy to adjust, make it higher or lower.
 
#74
rythman6969 said:
I still don't understand why a guitar can be intonated with a one piece bridge but a bass can't, but I don't want to chance it so I made a crude jig and ran off a few.
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On a classical guitar, the intonation might be off on the higher frets. Grab your classical guitar and try it.
The luthier makes his best to place the bridge at the exact position required.
With a one piece bridge you're basically stuck with a specific string height. with a moving bridge you can change the height or string gauge and then intonate accordingly.
Also, I suppose on an electric bass or guitar, the necks might be more prone to moving with changes of weather, and hence you'll need to adjust the saddles.
 
#75
rythman6969 said:
I was refering to this , I only ask because I want to learn. The only basses I've had with one piece wooden bridges were unlined fretless so I never checked intonation for accuracy. But I'm making a fretted bass with very narrow spacing and so I'm making the bridge. I was going to do a one piece but if it will be impossible to intonate it propperly I figure I"ll make an adjustable bridge.

Warrior Joe and J Lund seem to be saying the opposite of each other. I'm not arguing. I just want to understand.

I just want to know why things are they way they are.
Click to expand...


No, in fact, I agree with Warrior Joe. If your saddle is a single straight piece that crosses all strings, you will only be able to finely tune two strings. If you intonate the outer two strings, because of the straight line the saddle makes between them, the inner strings will be close, but probably not dead on. Most acoustic guitars are designed with a compensated nut so that there is a notch for the B string in order to adjust for that string's required string compensation. On a double bass, the bridge and saddle are one piece, and it makes a straight line across the strings. Usually only two strings can be dialed in perfectly.

Having an individual saddle for each string is the easiest way to get each separate string properly intonated without affecting the intonation of the others.

I'm doing my best to explain myself, but if you are not understanding me, it might be a good idea to run down to GC with a tuner and check out how different style bridges are tuned up.
 
#79
rythman6969 said:
but you can't adjust for intonation which is what i'm after.
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With a saddle that is 1/8" wide, there should be enough room to independently file the crown onto the saddle for each string. You can find the perfect intonation point for each string with a small pyramid or rod, moving it back and forth until you get your guitar "in tune". Once you file the saddle to the points that you marked, you will have a bridge that is intonated as long as you use the same gauge string. It won't be adjustable, but... unless you're still experimenting with string gauges, it shouldn't need to be.
 
#80
so...........like I said............you ARE saying the opposite. Either the saddles HAVE TO float .....or.....they don't HAVE TO float. It can't be both.

Stop trying to be Mr. Know it all. Cause you aint. And you don't.
No matter what school you go to you can't have two opposites be true at the same time. Sorry.
 

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