I often get asked “What is the difference between an archtop bridge with a full base and a bridge that has two individual feet?” It is impossible to say that one bridge is better than the other. After defining how each bridge works we can see that under the right condition they can both be good solutions. Many well known guitar makers choose one or the other with wonderful results. They tend to pick a bridge design that works well and compliments their guitar design. For the everyday player finding or choosing a bridge can be a complicated choice.
The bridge is one of the most important parts of the guitar. It is responsible for transmitting all of the strings energy into the body of the guitar. Only five percent of the strings energy is transmitted into audible sound so any negative influence greatly affects the voice of your guitar. Extra weight or a bad fit between the base of the bridge and the top surface will result in a great loss of volume and resonance.
The bridge function on a violin and cello is similar to that of a guitar, it has a tremendous affect on tone, playability, and response. Carving a new bridge can transform a bad sounding instrument into one that works very well. This task is an art; you are in control of refining and bringing the voice of an instrument to a good place. Some controlling factors that are usually altered are the thickness of the base, the thickness of the top of the bridge, the size and shape of the inner openings, and the width of the feet. Although violins and cellos are considered to be more specific instruments, the same aspects apply to the guitar and are therefore just as important.
Tune O Matic Bridge For Archtop Guitar
I feel that I get more response out of the guitar when I carve a bridge with two feet. With a strong well-designed arch between the feet the bridge has the same strength as the full-footed bridge but with half of the mass. This guitar is easier to set in motion with the lateral vibrations of the strings and top. With less mass the bridge is more efficient at transferring energy instead of absorbing it.
D’Aquisto, Benedetto, and countless other wonderful guitar makers have had great success with the full footprint bridge. Having the whole surface planted makes the bridge stiffer. The same result happens with the voice of the instrument. Jazz guitar players sometimes want a stiffer and faster response that is quick and short. This bridge design complemented their guitars in a balanced and successful way.
One could use either of these two bridges to bring a guitar’s voice into focus. For instance, if I had a guitar that was too lively and a bit scattered I might consider putting on a full footprint bridge to calm things down. One could do the opposite to make a dull sounding guitar a little more vibrant. Remember though, that the fit between the bottom of the bridge feet and the top of the guitar is probably the most crucial factor in transmitting energy from the bridge into the body of the guitar.
S Kawai Japan Archtop Three Pickup Vintage Hollowbody Guitar (nat
The guitar works as a complete system and every thing that exists on the instrument must have purpose. Neither of these bridges is better than the other. The truth in making an efficient working bridge is its design and fit to the guitar to transfer the most amount of energy with the minimal amount of absorption. Each bridge has a different resulting characteristic and they supply a maker with another palette of sound manipulation.Archtop guitars are for playing jazz. (Certainly they are not exactly synonymous with jazz, but they are the predominant tool for jazz players.)
And electric components have lots of their own requirements for setup. Since is an acoustic place, I'll ignore the electronic part, and concentrate on the acoustic elements of the jazz guitar.
Because the bridge is movable, and is held in position only by the downward force of string tension, it needs to be repositioned from time to time to achieve good intonation.
Hybrid Adjustable Wood Bridge
The easiest way to accomplish this is to play the harmonic at the twelfth fret, and compare that note to the note made by the same string actually fretted at the twelfth fret:
If the fretted note is sharp compared to the open harmonic note, then the bridge needs to be moved toward the tailpiece a bit:
Obviously, if the fretted note is flat, the bridge needs to go the other direction, toward the neck. By repeating this process with the various strings, you can reach the ideal bridge position in relatively short order. Usually, you can slide the bridge while the instrument is tuned to pitch, although sometimes it may be necessary to slack off the strings to move the bridge without damaging the top finish. Often you can get the bridge in a good position by using just the two E strings, leaving the others detuned completely until the bridge is where you want it.
Archtop Bridge Fitting Jig
The top of this bridge is so massive that it affects the acoustic tone. It offers nearly perfect intonation because each string can be dialed in to the best effect. There's something of a tradeoff here, tonality vs. intonation.
Simply screw the bridge up or down as desired. It couldn't be simpler to find the best action height. Depending on the instrument, tuning, string gauge and bridge height, it may be necessary to reduce string tension to adjust the action upward, but in virtually all cases, it's easy to lower the action while the guitar is tuned to pitch.
Unlike their flat top counterparts, archtop jazz guitars usually have an array of things screwed to the body, such as this fingerrest support:
Epiphone Zephyr Regent Vintage Archtop Electric Guitar, Blonde, C
It's a good idea to keep an eye on these things, checking them for tightness from time to time. The vibration of the instrument when played, bumping in and out of cases, and any number of small accidents can loosen various parts, causing them to rattle.
Good advice. A fingerrest or pickguard is usually made of plastic, and often comes with this protective skin on the surface. If it's left on for too long, it can be mighty difficult to remove. The plastic surface can always be repolished if it gets lots of pick scratches.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to play the harmonic at the twelfth fret, and compare that note to the note made by the same string actually fretted at the twelfth fret:
If the fretted note is sharp compared to the open harmonic note, then the bridge needs to be moved toward the tailpiece a bit:
Obviously, if the fretted note is flat, the bridge needs to go the other direction, toward the neck. By repeating this process with the various strings, you can reach the ideal bridge position in relatively short order. Usually, you can slide the bridge while the instrument is tuned to pitch, although sometimes it may be necessary to slack off the strings to move the bridge without damaging the top finish. Often you can get the bridge in a good position by using just the two E strings, leaving the others detuned completely until the bridge is where you want it.
Archtop Bridge Fitting Jig
The top of this bridge is so massive that it affects the acoustic tone. It offers nearly perfect intonation because each string can be dialed in to the best effect. There's something of a tradeoff here, tonality vs. intonation.
Simply screw the bridge up or down as desired. It couldn't be simpler to find the best action height. Depending on the instrument, tuning, string gauge and bridge height, it may be necessary to reduce string tension to adjust the action upward, but in virtually all cases, it's easy to lower the action while the guitar is tuned to pitch.
Unlike their flat top counterparts, archtop jazz guitars usually have an array of things screwed to the body, such as this fingerrest support:
Epiphone Zephyr Regent Vintage Archtop Electric Guitar, Blonde, C
It's a good idea to keep an eye on these things, checking them for tightness from time to time. The vibration of the instrument when played, bumping in and out of cases, and any number of small accidents can loosen various parts, causing them to rattle.
Good advice. A fingerrest or pickguard is usually made of plastic, and often comes with this protective skin on the surface. If it's left on for too long, it can be mighty difficult to remove. The plastic surface can always be repolished if it gets lots of pick scratches.
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