Bridge height on accoustic

[thefishinmusician]

I have a Gibson Songbird that is in because of the neck angle...This one is the opposite of most reset problems , so the saddle is too tall and tipping over , and it still wasn't high enough...I could reset the neck , or plane the fingerboard and refret it to get it in the ballpark...OR...If I made a new bridge that was 3/8 thick , Maybe a tad thicker , I could get the proper saddle height...What would be the negatives of a bridge that thick ?..I'm always looking for the least invasive option..

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, I would consider a 3/8" bridge, but also keep in mind the weight/mass of the new bridge so as not to kill the responsiveness of the top.

Just a thought.

Taff

[thefishinmusician]

That was my only real concern...

[Mark McLean]

Trevor Gore advocates making a bridge as a wood and carbon fiber sandwich, so that it is strong and stiff, but lighter.  It would also allow you to use a less heavy wood than ebony or rosewood, but still achieve the same stiffness (maybe walnut, cherry or blackwood/koa - depending on what you have to hand).  Then you can dye it black or ebonize it. 

[Russell Vance]

Hi All,

My understanding of the bridge height contribution to the guitar is that of the bridge and saddle height combined forms a lever relationship with the sound board which transfers string energy/frequencies from the strings to the soundboard.    The tension of the strings and the change of this tension via the pick attack combined with the distance from the end of the lever (the tip of the saddle) to the top/soundboard has a direct relationship to the tone of the instrument and the amount of energy transferred to the top.   There is also the push rod effect (vertical vector/component of the string vibration transferred from the tip of the saddle to the base of the bridge) to be considered in the string energy transfer but as that is not significant in this question I've ignored it.

Anyway, the logical extrapolation to prove this relationship is to understand that a theoretical bridge/string height of zero relative to the top of the instrument  (no lever action) would produce no sound transfer to the soundboard.

So, a taller bridge and saddle height will directly affect the tone and volume of the instrument. It will also stress the soundboard somewhat more than a standard height bridge config (which the instrument is designed for).   As will the mass of the bridge/saddle unit in some non-linear damping manner.

Trevor Gores carbon fiber laminated bridge construction is an absolute no-brainer , however good luck with getting support from the Luddites for this very good/sound idea.

There is more to this subject than is apparent and I ask the acoustic makers to help fill in the gaps for us.

Regards, 

Rusty. 

[Walter W Wright]

new gibsons tend to come out of the box a little overset, i suppose with the idea of pulling into line over the upcoming years

certainly not to the point of a saddle tipping over or damaging the bridge, that's neck reset territory

[jbbancroft]

Without actually seeing the situation I would probably do a neck reset. You will be shaving the top of the heel to tip the neck forward some. This could effect the intonation and cause the instrument to play sharp, but if it is a bit on the flat side now you won’t have a problem or you may not have to move it much anyway, where intonation would be effected.

I personally would not plane and re-fret the neck. If you went with a higher bridge 3/8” is the maximum I would go,   Then have a saddle that protrudes no more than 3/16” above the bridge. 

Jim