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Correct bridge

So I had the expert banjo player next door try out my three string and four string cbg and it was like a duck to water
He thought there would be a better sound if the bridge design were to a point and not flat bone. Anybody tried this and if so with good results how can they Benadryl?
Thanks

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on May 30, 2015 at 11:31am

do you mean a point at the contact of the strings ? if so yes a sharper point will result in a more precise scale and have less tendency for the strings to "rattle" against a flatter surface .

also , oddly enough , someone here did bridge comparisons with flat bottoms , 2 feet . and 3 feet .

the difference in sound was very noticeable in each .

which was best ? is personal preference i guess ,

but the difference was surprising .

i'll see if i can find that post and link it here .

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Permalink Reply by Brent Kasl on May 30, 2015 at 3:04pm

What bridge material worked best for the point?

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on May 30, 2015 at 3:09pm

best , is personal preference again , but , bone and brass , seem like popular favorites .

and really a "point" can also just be a smaller surface area . ie; a thin round bar / nail , / threaded bolt/screw . all " better " and less problematic than a wide flat surface .

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on May 30, 2015 at 3:34pm

You can get plastics like ABS ivory, resin or graphite. You can even use hard woods. They wont last as long due to the tension of the strings digging in. But easy to replace when needed.

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Permalink Reply by Richey Kay on May 30, 2015 at 6:00pm

Have a read through this Brent:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/4-tips-to-make-a-cbg-p...

Using a pointed bridge is one of the tips I gave. Pick is right on all counts. I use bone for where the strings contact the bridge, and sand to a point. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on May 31, 2015 at 3:19am

you could use a piece of hardwood mounted with a short piece of fret though a metal key sounds good if not better, and looks cool! ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Gwil Colman on May 31, 2015 at 4:44am

A really sharp edge on a bridge where the string goes over it can be a problem because the string can hang up on it when it's being tuned up. Also a string is more likely to snap on a sharp corner. A small radius is better, nearly all commercially made bridges are like this (take a look at a few). A nail/screw/bolt or whatever is ok of course.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on May 31, 2015 at 5:33am

You can't go wrong with a fretwire saddle...nice clear sound, and it provides earthing continuity so you only need to earth one string at the tailpiece. Here's the style I often use, with a raised slotted section behind to provide accurate string spacing, and it ensures the strings don't slide or skip about when picked or strummed hard.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on May 31, 2015 at 10:16am

The fret bridge is a neat idea. Sort of like a zero-fret at the other end. With the wood holding string position, it really is like a zero fret. Cool idea.