restring an archtop with floating bridge

[thirddegree]

how do you guys do it?

i have a godin 5th ave and a 125. do you change a certain amount of strings at once so the bridge stays in place?

thanks

[billkath]

One at a time-for most normal changes. A few times a year I'll strip right back-everything off, for a good clean and maintainance on all the bits-the bridge, saddle,fretboard and frets.Then I'll do a full setup.

[goshawk]

As Bill says, mostly I do one string at a time. I have read of a couple of other tricks you can try:

Change the two E strings first. Once you have them replaced and tuned (so there's tension on the bridge), replace the other four strings.

Use low-adhesive masking tape to outline the position of the bridge. Then if it shifts when you have the strings removed, you can put it back in place. I supposed you could also use the tape to actually hold the bridge in place.

DISCLAIMER! I haven't tried either of these techniques myself, just read about them online, so be very careful. I'd be particularly concerned about using the tape. First, to make sure it doesn't mar the finish. Second, because bridges have bass and treble sides, it would still be possible to put it back incorrectly if you're not careful.

[Reg]

I know players who put tape around the bridge, to mark location to change strings and clean neck... Reg