Bridge help

[Ripper]

Troops...

While changing the strings on the ol' 12 string, the bridge fell out
of place. Now I dont know which way it goes back. It has those grooves and such, and I looked for string wear to try and line it up but it all looks the same.

Any suggestions?

[darguitar]

Is it possible to post a picture of your bridge 1st?

[ChrisK]

Well, if'n it's a Tune O Matic, most folk adjust the tailpiece too low and there might be string wear on the side of the bridge toward the tailpiece.

Of course, we don't actually know what model of guitar this is.........

[stratatouille]

"While changing the strings on the ol' 12 string, the bridge fell out of place. Now I dont know which way it goes back. It has those grooves and such, and I looked for string wear to try and line it up but it all looks the same."

Do you mean the saddle on your acoustic 12 string? ( guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=guitar&thread=1141829763&page=1 )

If so, does this help? (the compensated part is for the b strings) Okay.

M. Strat

[Ripper]

Thanks guys...
Yep, I figured it out. I also figured out its a compensated bridge made of Tusq?

You all came to my rescue!...Thanks again!

[wolf]

stratatouille
Nice diagram. If you drew that yourself, it is quite impressive.

[stratatouille]

"stratatouille
Nice diagram. If you drew that yourself, it is quite impressive."

M. Wolf,

No, I cannot take credit - but I agree is nice diagram.

This is the source:

www.guitarnucleus.com/gnstore/graphtech/BS2216-00T_meas.jpg

By the way, M. Deepblue, this part is called the saddle on an acoustic guitar.

The bridge on an acoustic is the slotted wooden structure that accepts the saddle. A little bit confusing, I know ... because electric guitars have no saddle. Okay.



M. Strat

[sumgai]

stratatouille said:

electric guitars have no saddle.

Not quite true. By definition, a string's vibrations are stopped at one end by either the nut or a fret, and at the other end by the saddle. It doesn't matter how the saddle is mounted to the guitar, it need only serve the purpose of ending the string's vibrations at some point along the length of the string. (A secondary job is to transfer those same vibrations into the body of the guitar.)

A saddle can be one piece, such as the one you presented, which is a common, or shared, saddle. Most better quality guitars will have a shared saddle that is compensated to account for the intonation of wound versus unwound strings.

OTOH, a saddle can certainly be unique to just one string, and this is very often the case in an electric guitar - one string, one saddle piece. These will all sit within the same bridge structure, just as your acoustic diagram shows the single saddle sitting within the bridge. The difference is obvious, individual saddle pieces are more easily adjusted for intonation.

If you go to nearly any website that sells guitar parts, you'll find that you can buy a bridge, and that you can buy a saddle, or a set of them, separately from the bridge - the parts list will be very explicit in this. Or you might find a "kit", all the pieces included in one price, which might be listed as 'complete bridge', or it might be abbreviated to just 'bridge'. Just make sure you are aware of the differences, and you shouldn't end up with parts you didn't want/don't need/can't use. (This is where pictures come in handy, identifying what it is you're about to purchase. )

HTH


sumgai