Pinless Acoutic Bridge

[ZoSo0789]

Whats the deal with these things? The (from what I can tell) come standard on just about all Breedlove acoustics. They just load as if it were an acoustic version of a top-loading Tele ash-tray bridge. Is there some sort of advantage to NOT having the string's end up against the top of the body? Or is having the ball ends inside the bridge somehow increasing some sustain by having those ends right where the bridge is blued down?

 

[darnright]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

I have seen some early (60's-80's) cheaper acoustics made this way, but most all of the "better" acoustics I've seen in the past were pinned. I haven't gone acoustic shopping in 20+ years though.

-dave

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

I don't know of any tonal differences, but it's a whole heck of a lot easier to change strings on say, an Ovation, than on my Alvarez with pins.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

Assuming that's yours, how does she sound compared to any normal bridge-pinned acoustic (barring differences in wood type, strings, etc.)?

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

If you want to see some odd bridges look at the Viola Braguesa and the Guitarra Portuguesa.

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/europe.htm

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

hm, those are pretty cool actually. Some of them remind me of my girlfriend's guitar that she has hanging on her wall. It's a 50's or 60's Tunestar Acoustics with a sunburst finish and it has this cool little trapeze tail piece for a bridge

 

[Bludave]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

Just my opinion, but in order for the guitar to resonate the way it should the strings should be in contact with the bridgeplate. For this to happen the strings need to feed through the bridge into the body. The pin just really holds the string in place when being strummed or plucked. As a guitar ages the strings will beging to cut into the bridge plate more and this will aid in its ability to resonate better. This is why many "old" guitars sound so good(among other things). This is not to say that this style bridge won't work, I'm sure it works fine, bnut for the best contact..... the strings need to contact the top. The bridgeplate and the bridge are glued to the top, so when the string passes thru the top and seats against the plate, it is literally making contact with the top and the bottom of the guitar top. More contact= better sound transfer.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

Sorry, that's not mine; I was just posting a pic for the general benefit of the thread.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

Just my opinion, but in order for the guitar to resonate the way it should the strings should be in contact with the bridgeplate. For this to happen the strings need to feed through the bridge into the body. The pin just really holds the string in place when being strummed or plucked. As a guitar ages the strings will beging to cut into the bridge plate more and this will aid in its ability to resonate better. This is why many "old" guitars sound so good(among other things). This is not to say that this style bridge won't work, I'm sure it works fine, bnut for the best contact..... the strings need to contact the top. The bridgeplate and the bridge are glued to the top, so when the string passes thru the top and seats against the plate, it is literally making contact with the top and the bottom of the guitar top. More contact= better sound transfer.

But according to Dan Erlewine, those strings shouldnt cutting into the bridge plate whatsoever and if so, then the strings are installed wrong and are slowly over time breaking apart the guitar from the inside out. At least, according his his book anyways (Guitar Player's Repair Guide v.3). I don't know, which is why I'm asking as I have no experience with acoustics whatsoever.

As for comments about the overall string contact, that's what I was getting at. The string's ball ends sit inside holes in the bridge and the string comes out in the middle of the bridge and over the saddle and so fort. So while it's not contacting the bottom of the bridge plate, the end sits inside the bridge snuggly, wouldn't it be transferring almost as much if not just as much energy straight to the top.

In addition, these things have the JLD Bridge Truss system which connects the bridge plate to body (around the back strap lock area), so maybe that's why these have top-loading bridges. That Truss system could possibly make up for some of the sustain lost from not having the ball ends right under the bridge plate....

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: Pinless Acoutic Bridge

I'm kind torn between sides haha I agree with Bludave's opinion, but I can also kinda picture it to where the top-loading bridge is just about the exact same