On my latest build I used a hard-tail bridge for the first time. I had a couple of issues with it but with help from members of this forum got it all installed and the result is pretty good. However, I do have another query
The top of the box is quite thin, about 5mm. (just between 3/16" and 1/4") and I assumed that this would not support the tension of the strings if the bridge was screwed just to the top. This being the case I added a couple of wings to the neck just under the bridge and fixed the bridge to them. Is this the accepted way to to fit these things?
It seems to me that this hasl affected the resonance from the box and the sound from the instrument. It just doesn't sound as "bright" as my previous efforts
Any help/suggestions greatly appreciated.
Art.
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I use the hard tail for mag pickup amplification. I have also used individual roller bridges, since they are not platformed with a single base, they offer more individual articulation, on an acoustic/piezo build
Thanks Tim, I'm building a couple more and still experimenting.
I’m new and experimenting and having a blast. Hope you are too
'Brightness' can also be affected by the depth of the box. A thinner box tends to sound brighter than a deeper one.
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions
Art.
That’s how I did it. Gluing wings on the neck under the bridge won’t affect tone. The type of wood used in the neck and body and the style of attaching it does (neck through vs bolt on vs glue on). Neck through tend to be brighter with better sustain. Maple is the brightest of the commonly used wood for guitars. The more resin in the wood, which usually also makes it darker, tends to dampen the sound and makes it more mellow.
Haven't used a hard tail bridge on any of my builds, but it seems as if by nature they spread the contact area of the bridge over a larger surface of the box and by doing so will dampen the vibrations passed to the top. I would think that they will work fine with an electric pickup, but not as well for sound transfer acoustically. The best sounding acoustic build I have done has a threaded rod for the bridge supported on the ends by nuts with the only contact to the lid of the box from the nuts. It sounds great through the pickup to, but sings beautifully unplugged.
