bridge marking

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nkforster
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bridge marking

Post by nkforster » Mon Apr 25, 2022 2:26 pm

Just posted a video on Instagram showing how I go about marking off the bridge.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcwEuuRDgFP/

The plastic jig is from Luthier Supplies in Denver, Co. USA.

Dave M
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Re: bridge marking

Post by Dave M » Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:17 am

Thanks Nigel that is a nice detailed view of the process.

I really need to get away from simply manoeuvering rulers and straight edges round the box!
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kiwigeo
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Re: bridge marking

Post by kiwigeo » Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:51 am

nkforster wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 2:26 pm
The plastic jig is from Luthier Supplies in Denver, Co. USA.
The business appears to be temporarily closed at present..
Martin

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nkforster
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Re: bridge marking

Post by nkforster » Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:48 am

kiwigeo wrote:
Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:51 am
nkforster wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 2:26 pm
The plastic jig is from Luthier Supplies in Denver, Co. USA.
The business appears to be temporarily closed at present..
Website says it is open.

https://www.luthiersuppliers.com/

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kiwigeo
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Re: bridge marking

Post by kiwigeo » Thu Apr 28, 2022 5:37 pm

Might have been looking at a site with a similar name.
Martin

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Mark McLean
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Re: bridge marking

Post by Mark McLean » Fri Apr 29, 2022 9:24 am

Nice video Nigel. I always love seeing an expert doing a task to notice the little points of difference to my ham-fisted work. Let me see if I understand your process. Please correct me where wrong:
1. You are doing this at the stage when the guitar is prepped for finish, but not yet sprayed.
2. I notice the strip of tape down the middle for marking on - good idea.
3. I see you measuring distance from the 12th fret and marking that. Do you mark scale length, or SL plus compensation, or is it the position for the front of the bridge. If it is position for the front of the bridge, how do you know exactly where the saddle will end up? Is that because your bridge design and slotting is standardized so you always know the relationship of saddle to the front of the bridge?
4. I assume that the plastic jig is only for centre-finding, and that the distances are what you measured and marked with the ruler? Or do you also use that jig to measure?
5. Then it is all about setting those dowels in the right place in the soundboard and the underside of the bridge. That is a nifty process. Much more robust than my method which uses a couple of thin panel pins drilled through the bottom of the saddle slot.
6. Do you always match the same bridge with that instrument when you get it back from the sprayer, or are your bridges so well standardized that any bridge would fit?
Cheers
Mark

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nkforster
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Re: bridge marking

Post by nkforster » Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:02 pm

Yep, you've worked it all out. I think it's much better not to talk in these videos, people learn much more if they're not being spoon fed. They have to watch.

Yes, all my bridges are identical so I know where the saddle is in relation to the bridge front edge. That is the position I mark on the top and slide the plastic block up to.

I tend to write the name of the customer on the bridges' bottom so it stays with the instrument after spraying. Whilst they are all made the same, there may be slight variations after sanding and I don't want gaps.

Go through my other instagram videos, I've loads up there on building. I get a lot more views on IG than I do on YouTube these days.

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