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Bridges
Apr 19, 2014 16:59:01 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 16:59:01 GMT -5
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Bridges
Apr 20, 2014 9:14:11 GMT -5
Post by Marshall on Apr 20, 2014 9:14:11 GMT -5
I like the curved ends and the deeper scallops and the crisper lines on the Ryan a little more. But that's splitting hairs. I can't afford either.
The curved alignment of the pin holes is a nice aesthetic, but I would wonder if the arbitrary change in string angle over the saddle will affect the relative strength of each string sound.
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Bridges
Apr 20, 2014 9:38:38 GMT -5
Post by millring on Apr 20, 2014 9:38:38 GMT -5
Look at the lines, the Ryan(top) is sharp/crisp edges while the Olson(bottom & center) has softer edges. The Olson is has a radius front to back while the Ryan only has a back radius. Do you know where they get those bridges made?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2014 9:53:19 GMT -5
I like the curved ends and the deeper scallops and the crisper lines on the Ryan a little more. But that's splitting hairs. I can't afford either. The curved alignment of the pin holes is a nice aesthetic, but I would wonder if the arbitrary change in string angle over the saddle will affect the relative strength of each string sound. It evens the break angle. The saddle radius raises the break angle of the strings at the apex, moving the pin hole back should lower it. This also helps lessen the chance of cracks between pin holes since the holes don't all follow the same grain line.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2014 10:01:24 GMT -5
Look at the lines, the Ryan(top) is sharp/crisp edges while the Olson(bottom & center) has softer edges. The Olson is has a radius front to back while the Ryan only has a back radius. Do you know where they get those bridges made? Yes, they both have CNC milling machines to produce them. Olson puts a tray with a dozen bridge blanks on the bed of his CNC, starts the program, then goes and does something else for a hour. A hour later he has a dozen bridges all exactly the same. By hand this would take about 3 hours for a experienced craftsman to produce a dozen.
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Bridges
Apr 20, 2014 12:51:35 GMT -5
Post by Marshall on Apr 20, 2014 12:51:35 GMT -5
I seem to think there was something about CNC programing that lead Goodall to switching bridges. Maybe the old ones were made by hand and the guy retired. He got a CNC for the new bridges and couldn't or wouldn't get the thing programmed like the old ones.
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Bridges
Apr 20, 2014 12:53:47 GMT -5
Post by Marshall on Apr 20, 2014 12:53:47 GMT -5
. . . ,It evens the break angle. The saddle radius raises the break angle of the strings at the apex, moving the pin hole back should lower it. This also helps lessen the chance of cracks between pin holes since the holes don't all follow the same grain line. Oh that's way-cool. Everybody should do it.
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 9:43:58 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 9:43:58 GMT -5
I know this veers slightly off aesthetics of bridge design, but I thought I'd throw this in, anyway. Five years ago, on the UMGF, luthier Mario Proulx posted this statement in reference to bridges, bridge plates, mass, weight, and density:
"I like RW bridge plates, as long as they're not EIR, which can be too porous and has higher damping properties than the denser rosewoods. My favorite has long been African Blackwood, as it's the liveliest of the rosewoods, but also the densest. The extra mass actually works -for- me because of my lightweight bridges; the whole has to be viewed as a system, and I think it's misleading to think of the bridge and plate individually. I do use maple, though, for when I'm after a little extra brightness, airiness.
"All things equal, switching out a big RW plate to a smaller maple one in a Martin will help volume and brighten the entire guitar's voice. Some would say that's a good thing, others would say it's not. Same can be said for the reverse. Cool thing is, it's a reversible, non-destructive modification."
Thoughts?
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 10:55:17 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 10:55:17 GMT -5
I didn't check all the rosewoods for mass so I'll take his word that the Blackwood is the densest. If you want to do so here is a good site for that kind of info. www.wood-database.com/wood-identification/#p The Rosewoods African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana) Bois de Rose (Dalbergia maritima) Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) Burmese Blackwood (Dalbergia cultrata) Burmese Rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri) Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa) East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) Honduran Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii) Kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis) Madagascar Rosewood (Dalbergia baronii) Palo Escrito Rosewood (Dalbergia paloescrito)*** Siamese Rosewood (Dalbergia cochinchinensis) Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) Tulipwood (Dalbergia decipularis) Yucatan Rosewood (Dalbergia tucurensis) ***This rosewood is not listed on any wood ID sites but is referred to by guitar wood suppliers. I have the feeling this may not be a true Dalbergia species. There are hundreds of Dalbergia species but many are not used by woodworkers. The vast majority of them being too small to do anything with. Another confusing trivia bit, African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) and Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon).
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 11:29:25 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 11:29:25 GMT -5
I know this veers slightly off aesthetics of bridge design, but I thought I'd throw this in, anyway. Five years ago, on the UMGF, luthier Mario Proulx posted this statement in reference to bridges, bridge plates, mass, weight, and density: "I like RW bridge plates, as long as they're not EIR, which can be too porous and has higher damping properties than the denser rosewoods. My favorite has long been African Blackwood, as it's the liveliest of the rosewoods, but also the densest. The extra mass actually works -for- me because of my lightweight bridges; the whole has to be viewed as a system, and I think it's misleading to think of the bridge and plate individually. I do use maple, though, for when I'm after a little extra brightness, airiness. "All things equal, switching out a big RW plate to a smaller maple one in a Martin will help volume and brighten the entire guitar's voice. Some would say that's a good thing, others would say it's not. Same can be said for the reverse. Cool thing is, it's a reversible, non-destructive modification." Thoughts? So he balances out the light weight bridge with a heavier bridge plate. He didn't state what he uses for bridges to make them so light weight. But it seems to show that a certain amount of mass is necessary for good tone.
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 17:49:31 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 17:49:31 GMT -5
On one of his old build sequences (with photos) he was using a Brazilian rosewood blank to craft the bridge. From other photos on his website, it looks like the bridges are RW or ebony. And if that's not enough information, he also adds a small brace across the bottom elevation of the (maple?) bridge plate that he refers to as the "Proulx Magic Tone Enhancer." Notice some of those braces are composite sandwiches.
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 18:07:19 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 18:07:19 GMT -5
On one of his old build sequences (with photos) he was using a Brazilian rosewood blank to craft the bridge. From other photos on his website, it looks like the bridges are RW or ebony. And if that's not enough information, he also adds a small brace across the bottom elevation of the (maple?) bridge plate that he refers to as the "Proulx Magic Tone Enhancer." Notice some of those braces are composite sandwiches. It's his creation and he can build it any damn way he wants but from a repairman's point of view it's the Proulx make the bridge plate a absolute bitch to get out enhancer. +
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Bridges
Apr 21, 2014 18:35:17 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 18:35:17 GMT -5
Marty—point completely taken.
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