How I make my banjo style bridges

Lots of people seem to like the bridges I make for my builds, and I've often said they're quite simple to make. It's not really my design - it's similar to a banjo bridge and there are a few other builders on CBN who use similar bridges. I've been meaning to do a how-to for a while, so here we go:

9353809677?profile=originalI start off with a bit of scrap wood, most likely an offcut from the fretboard. For these two I am using walnut and maple, but any hardwood is fine. The little bone pieces are from a 80x10x3mm bridge blank which I cut into 4 pieces. I mark the bridge's full length, then mark where to drill to make the slope on the top and the 'arches' on the bottom. I work out the height the bridge needs to be first, then subtract the 3mm for the bone and mark it out on the wood.

9353810290?profile=originalI carefully drill out the holes with the piece clamped to a scrap of wood to prevent tear out.

9353810700?profile=originalNow the bridges are cut out and are beginning to take shape. Next the bone pieces are glued onto the tops of the bridges. I use superglue for this.

9353812077?profile=originalThe bone is glued on and the tape is removed. Time for some sanding.

9353812699?profile=originalI clamp a piece of 60 grit sandpaper to my bench and sand the bridge at an angle to blend the bone and wood, and to make a 'sharp' peak along the top of the bone. This is also handy for flattening the bottom of the bridge. the curves are done with the rounded corner of a sanding block.

9353813483?profile=originalThese are both finished now after being sanded to 180 grit.

9353814082?profile=originalA few coats of Danish oil and they're done! Measure the string spacing you want to use and carefully file some shallow grooves with a triangle needle file.

9353814661?profile=original

Of course there is plenty of opportunity for individual expression with this design. In the photo above I doubled up the thickness, so the blank was 1/2" thick, and used half a bone nut blank. I also went without the centre 'foot'.

I hope this has been of some use!

-Richey Kay

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Comments

  • On the glued and screwed through-brace, that's slick, and you get a big pocket under the top huh.

    Piezo - Yes I meant warm as in the tone not temperature ;). I've been buying larger bars and cutting off the extra wafers with wire cutters - I think it has a good chance of ruining them or at least changing how they sound. I have found more 3 wafer piezo bars available lately and will stop doing this. Otherwise it's not an issue.

    What size cap to warm the tone?, and on what end (+ or -)

    OK I'll make a pickup, it would be cool to be able to mix between the piezo and magnetic pickup.

    Wayfinder, Richey, and Darryl, thanks guys - you gave me a lot of killer information today, I'm excited to put it to work!

  • Think i messed up Richey, my comment was for Danny B,but ended up here, sorry, hope he finds it

  • If i've got your meaning correct re "warm", one of the advantages of winding your own pups is the ability to control the brightness or opposite as you see fit, for a warmish single coil, around 5000 winds will be a good start for experimenting, and that should be reasonable on a 3 pole pup, more winds will reduce the warmth, and progressively get brighter as a rule, i'd suggest for 1st attempt, just make a bobbin similar size to what you're seeing others use, and just fill it with wire, and see what you get, but keep a rough,[or accurate] count of how many turns you put on for future comparisons, that's the same advice another knowledgeable member gave me a few years ago, and i think it stands up ok, have fun

  • What that guy said :-/
  • So I woke my wife up mangling and reinforcing the neck an an almost finished build. I had to remove material from the topside of the neck at the tail and add it to the bottom to angle it or it wouldn't have fit under the lid. I wonder what you do. 

    Anyway Here's what I wound up with. If I place a level on the frets its a 1/2 " drop to the 1st fret to the 21st, or to the bridge area it's 3/8, I suppose with some distance for the strings to clear the frets that gives me about a 1/2 inches bridge. Look right?306575886?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • LOL OK guys... I won't quit yet, thank you both, it would be badass to make my own pickup. I've been thinking I've already had it with these piezos on my 4th build. I've wrecked 2 of them cutting to 3 string length and they just kind of suck to deal with, they are too bright anyway. I placed an old Dean Markly in my first build. I just bought a soap bar to try on my next build which is my first commission. I hope it will have nicer sound than the piezos. Is it similar coils of wire inside to hum-buckers or the one you guys make? Are they warm?

  • Hey Danny. Pickups are easy to wind once you've got the knack. Just be prepared for some frustration at first. I just use a drill to wind mine :-)
  • OK I'll be angling my neck next build so I can do this tall bridge. Your pickups are super cool, don't tell me you hand wind them, or I'm quitting.

  • I get those from eBay in packs of ten from China. They come out about 50p each.
  • Thank you all, you're welcome.

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