vintageparlors
10-26-2010, 05:02 AM
I just finished another bridge replacement on a 60's vintage 0-size flat top. The original bridge was screwed to the soundboard with strings fed over the saddle and through individual holes in the bridge itself. No bridge pins allowed. This was common on many Kay and Harmony models of the period. Sometimes the original bridge fails for one reason or another but the primary reason for replacing this style softwood bridge with an ebony pin bridge is for better sound resonance through the top.
In this case, I was able to increase the string spacing at the saddle from 2 3/16" to 2 3/8" with no risk of strings rolling over frets at the edges of the fretboard. I know from experience that many of the old American-made factory builds were very conservative when it came to string spacing at the saddle. In fact, I can only recall a scant few instances were I wasn't able to increase the string spacing at the saddle for the customer during a bridge replacement job.
There's allot more involved than drilling holes wider apart but that's for the luthier/tech to determine on a case by case basis. But the moral of my story is....it doesn't hurt to ask your luthier or guitar tech whether it's possible to SAFELY increase string spacing at the saddle during bridge replacement....assuming you'd like it wider, that is. For an older instrument, it can make for a big difference in the playability of the guitar AND make the fingers on your pickin' hand real happy.
In this case, I was able to increase the string spacing at the saddle from 2 3/16" to 2 3/8" with no risk of strings rolling over frets at the edges of the fretboard. I know from experience that many of the old American-made factory builds were very conservative when it came to string spacing at the saddle. In fact, I can only recall a scant few instances were I wasn't able to increase the string spacing at the saddle for the customer during a bridge replacement job.
There's allot more involved than drilling holes wider apart but that's for the luthier/tech to determine on a case by case basis. But the moral of my story is....it doesn't hurt to ask your luthier or guitar tech whether it's possible to SAFELY increase string spacing at the saddle during bridge replacement....assuming you'd like it wider, that is. For an older instrument, it can make for a big difference in the playability of the guitar AND make the fingers on your pickin' hand real happy.