Will replacing tune-o-matic with wooden bridge increase acoustic volume?

**jjang1993** · 03-22-2019, 04:41 AM

Deleted

**asedas** · 03-22-2019, 06:02 AM

maybe not the more acoustic but not as bright tone as metal one. I'm playing modified AF105 and one of first things I've made is to remove metal bridge

**skiboyny** · 03-22-2019, 08:40 AM

The tone will change you may or may not perceive it as more volume. I do cause I like what I'm hearing comparatively.

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 08:47 AM

I wish I could hear an "A/B" as well. I'd consider getting one for my 175. I practice acoustically most of the time

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 09:00 AM

asedas seems right, wooden one is less bright here

**JCat** · 03-22-2019, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by jjang1993

Would I get more acoustic volume if I were to put a wooden saddle on my Ibanez AF71F? I looked far and wide in this forum and couldn't find any polls or debates on whether what role the saddle has on the acoustic projection of the guitar.

"Volume" and "projection" are different entities.

Projection refers to the sound (acoustic or amplified) that can be heard in a venue, a certain direction and distance from the source. It depends on the frequency distribution and the direction of the sound.

Volume refers to the power of the sound but doesn't tell anything about the frequency distribution or direction.

Several factors in the design and set up of the guitar contribute to the strength and character of the acoustic tone. The bridge construction is one of them. A one-piece bridge has a different character compared to a bridge with individually adjustable saddles.

Any part that vibrates produce a tone or mechanical buzz. The bridge of an acoustic guitar is supposed to transfer energy from the strings to set the spruce top in motion. -What if the guitar doesn't have a spruce top? Maybe it's laminate or even a solid body? A laminate guitar could still have good acoustic projection. Full size hollow bodies are acoustically louder than small thin-lines and semis.

The advantage of adjustable saddles is all about intonation.

The advantage of a carved wooden bridge is all about the character of the tone. A one-piece bridge has the potential to produce stronger harmonic overtones (that we typically associate with acoustic guitars). The carved off-set must match the string-set otherwise it won't intonate and tone, resonance and loudness would not reach full potential.

Now, how do I make my guitar acoustically louder? If my guitar has a spruce top, I would start by increasing string down-force on the bridge. There are more than one way to get there (go too far and the guitar could be choked.)

How do I go about to make my guitar project better? In short; less bass, more mids, stronger fundamentals; virtues of a metal ToM bridge, but mostly about guitar and/or amp design and settings.

If my guitar doesn't have a spruce top (or similar construction, based on the same principle) the guitar is primarily supposed to be amplified and I would concentrate on the amplified tone rather than acoustic loudness.

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 10:09 AM

Can someone recommend someone who makes custom wood saddles?

**mr. beaumont** · 03-22-2019, 10:14 AM

Is Ultimaguitar still around? They did the bridge for my Kingpin, it's a thing of beauty.

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Is Ultimaguitar still around? They did the bridge for my Kingpin, it's a thing of beauty.

I couldn't find them, but I did just e-mail this guy who is within driving distance and seems good Stuart Day Guitars - Custom Guitar Builder & Designer - GUITAR MODELS

**sgosnell** · 03-22-2019, 10:43 AM

Matt Cushman makes custom saddles. It's not his primary vocation, AFAIK, but perhaps he could be persuaded. Pictures of dead Presidents and other notables such as Franklin can provide strong persuasion.

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

Matt Cushman makes custom saddles. It's not his primary vocation, AFAIK, but perhaps he could be persuaded. Pictures of dead Presidents and other notables such as Franklin can provide strong persuasion.

haha "allow me to introduce you to a few of my friends: Meet the Washingtons and the Lincolns. Jefferson apparently came alone today." *moths fly out of wallet"

**KirkP** · 03-22-2019, 01:30 PM

I replaced the metal TOM bridge with a wood bridge on my Ibanez AF105NT. I did it to eliminate the metallic “twang” I was hearing when plugged in. Reducing mass of the bridge probably increased the acoustic volume a little, but with the thick laminate top and two pickups acoustic volume wasn’t a concern. As I recall, the wood bridge improved the acoustic tone. Since the character of the acoustic tone affects the vibration of the strings it contributes to the electric tone.

**skykomishone** · 03-22-2019, 01:39 PM

Matt Cushman. He's a frequent contributer on the Builder's Bench part of the forum. He does excellent work, is an awesome guy, and will not require a second mortgage. Check him out.

**joe2758** · 03-22-2019, 01:57 PM

cool, i emailed matt. ebony vs rosewood anyone?

**sgosnell** · 03-22-2019, 02:29 PM

Ebony. Rosewood could present problems if you decide to sell overseas. Other than that, I don't think there is enough difference to hear. It's all cosmetic and economic.

**lawson-stone** · 03-22-2019, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by sgosnell

Ebony. Rosewood could present problems if you decide to sell overseas. Other than that, I don't think there is enough difference to hear. It's all cosmetic and economic.

Isn't ebony also a problem for overseas sales? I thought both were pretty much protected. I confess though I haven't looked at the CITES information in a long time.

**sgosnell** · 03-22-2019, 05:21 PM

Not AFAIK, but I don't really know very far.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 03-24-2019, 07:18 AM

The only protected ebony species is Madagascar ebony (Diospyros ebenifera) and only if it originates from Madagascar after 2011. It’s not protected if it originates from outside Madagascar. So, as far as guitars go it’s basically a non-issue.

**ruger9** · 03-24-2019, 07:43 AM

I ran this experiment, on 2 guitars:

A trestle-braced Gretsch Hot Rod: The wood bridges had considerably less volume in that case. And the tonal change was kind of like going from roundwound to flatwound strings.... I was trying to get a more Charlie-Christian vibe out of it, which of course was a fool's errand. But it was an interesting experiment.

Epi Broadway: which is a full-hollow, with exactly the same results.

With the Hot Rod, I went back with the Tune-o-matic (I now have a Compton on there, the TOM rattled), and on the Broadway I did end up staying with a rosewood bridge, and also stayed with roundwounds. It was a good blend of vintage and modern. With the TOM the guitar sounded like any electric hollow, with the RW it had more of it's own character.

**sgosnell** · 03-24-2019, 10:55 AM

IME the base makes more difference in the sound than the saddle. The difference between a well-fitted solid base and a two-footed one can be striking. Sometimes one is better, sometimes the other, depending on the guitar (and taste), but different. I've found no way to predict which will sound better to me, because every guitar top is different. Perhaps more scientific experiments would enhance predictions, but I have better (to me) uses for my time. I just experiment with different saddles and bases until I find the combination I prefer. Mostly though, I have solid bases and wooden saddles.