Just wondered if anyone has used a glass bridge with a piezo.....I've seen JUJU's bottles but was maybe looking for a glass bolt/threads.... any ideas or thoughts on sound?
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Well, this is a complicated subject, with many opinions.
I believe mass is a factor, and would have a dampening effect on the transfer of energy from the strings to the soundboard of any acoustic instrument. But some instruments are probably far more sensitive to it than others. Violin certainly would likely to be one.
I have seen luthiers spend innordinate amounts of time minimizing bridge mass, even when its already light as a feather. I have seen violin and similar bridges carved on and reduced further in mass by probably aprox. 20% and have heard people insist it "brightens" the sound appreciably. I will not claim to be able to tell the difference, and have wondered if at some point we may be dealing with some of what I will call "tone snobbery". Of course mine sounds better than yours, cant you hear it? LOL!
That said, some reasonable consideration for mass should probably be shared with density when considering bridge materials and construction. Also good tight gap free fitment between bridge and soundboard, and any saddle to bridge fitment. But remember there are no rules except to have fun.
Hmm...hard and dense is good but there's a point at which the weight of the "hard, dense" thing keeps the top from vibrating as efficiently. That's one of the reasons maple is used for violin-type bridges...hard but light. I guess someone needs to try it and tell us.
Roosterman said:
I think the exact opposite -
Glass is hard and dense, so gives good sound transfer.
My initial thoughts are that if it is thick enough to stand up to the pressure, then it'll probably be too heavy to get much sound out of it. Of course, if you go all electric, then it wouldn't really matter.
Replies
I believe mass is a factor, and would have a dampening effect on the transfer of energy from the strings to the soundboard of any acoustic instrument. But some instruments are probably far more sensitive to it than others. Violin certainly would likely to be one.
I have seen luthiers spend innordinate amounts of time minimizing bridge mass, even when its already light as a feather. I have seen violin and similar bridges carved on and reduced further in mass by probably aprox. 20% and have heard people insist it "brightens" the sound appreciably. I will not claim to be able to tell the difference, and have wondered if at some point we may be dealing with some of what I will call "tone snobbery". Of course mine sounds better than yours, cant you hear it? LOL!
That said, some reasonable consideration for mass should probably be shared with density when considering bridge materials and construction. Also good tight gap free fitment between bridge and soundboard, and any saddle to bridge fitment. But remember there are no rules except to have fun.
Roosterman said:
Glass is hard and dense, so gives good sound transfer.
BUT ....
I install them in a cavity on the bottom of the board, directly under the bottle.
Matt