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Permalink Reply by Travis "SlackJack" Woodall on December 2, 2009 at 5:30pm

I will tell you a few things that I have used. I use threaded material like bolts, but really like brass rod material that I pick up at Ace Hardware. I just sold one that I got pretty customized on though and it looked and sounded great. I used walnut as a saddle and grooved it with a table saw and inserted a corian bridge. Corian works well for nut material too. Bone probably sounds better because it's harder but I got the corian for free at a local countertop fabricator shop. They have tons of old samples and waste material that they'll just give you. Hope that helps...I will say, the brass rod material sounds the best in my opinion. Has a bright tone.

Travis

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Permalink Reply by Tim on December 2, 2009 at 5:51pm

i used a piece of all thread but it was too buzzy and bright i switched to a peice of dowel and will never go back to the bolt.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on December 2, 2009 at 5:56pm

My 1st couple of CBG's had wood home made bridges.After that I switched to bolts for 2 reasons.
1, It looks close to "traditional" and,,
2, its quick, cheap, and simply (to my eye) always looks good.
I build anywhere from 4 to 7 3 string CBG's a week, plus lately, 5 to 10 DB's a week.I build and sell what I think is a good tho low end (price) instrument that almost anyone can afford.That is my goal.to build an affordable CBG or DB that doesnt break the bank.I'm selling to an impulse sale crowd (tourists) so it MUST be low cost.
Bolts do that for me.

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on December 3, 2009 at 7:00am

1/4" hardwood square stock is available at the Depot for about two bucks for a 2 ft. stick. You can cut/shape easily, its cheap if you muck it up, and it can be stained to match the rest of your wood. I string it up, put the bridge in place and mark where I want the strings. Cut the slots with a small saw and file to size.
Bolts are nice because of the "traditional" use of bolts, the threads make fine slots that you can adjust the strings position. A 2 ft. stick of all-thread is about as cheap as the wood.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on December 3, 2009 at 8:14am

you can use a chunk of hardwood (left over from your neck) and then get a large brass cotter pin from the local hardware store (the neighborhood stores with "tray systems" for small parts.) One are of the cotter pin (flat side down, 1/2 moon profile) makes a great looking and sounding saddle for your bridge....

the best,

wichta Sam

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on December 3, 2009 at 8:20am

I build one sometimes from the inserts from the cigar box. Cut one for the upright part, and one for a plinth/foot. Glue together and file in your slots. You can sand it down to the height you need.

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Permalink Reply by Phil Delpierre on December 3, 2009 at 5:35pm

I'm really partial to the brass rod. I take a couple of inches off the fretboard, cut it to size and put a groove in it that holds the brass rod. Works out well, and fits nicely with the overall look of the guitar.

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Permalink Reply by Brendan deVallance on December 3, 2009 at 6:00pm

are you going accoustic or more electric? Because i went all wood on my first build and it sounds great. The sound transfers better to the sound board with wood than with metal. But the metal looks cool, and if you are plugging in then it probably dont matter. My 2 cents . . . .

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