Tell me what you think

[Russell Adkins]

Im tossing around in my head mind you , a guitar flat top and I do mean flat with bracing like a jazz archtop an adjustable bridge like on an archtop also with a tail piece like an archtop , oak sides and back and if I can get some at my local lumber yard ill use some clear pine for the top, neck will be oak , fret board oak probly dyed black along with the tail piece and adjustable bridge being dyed also maybe some marquetry work in a few places , some figured maple bindings , haven't decided on what scale I might want maybe 24 or 25 1/4 maybe. Anyone got any opinions or critisizim as to my might be plan? Russ

[Dave Bagwill]

Hi Russ - as long as you are going for a jazzy tone and less sustain and volume, you can probably make this work. I've used this bracing scheme on some 40' radius instruments which turned out great, but I used a regular pinless bridge. There will be a lot of subtleties in getting enough downforce to the bridge using a tailpiece, you'll have to do some research.
As to the woods, good 1/4 sawn red oak is the only oak I've used, from KMG and it sounds very nice. The pine I'm not experienced with.

[Russell Adkins]

that's close to what I have in mind, let me ask you why it will sound different than a fixed bridge?I was also thinking of maybe using an aluminum or brass saddle and nut , reason being is that I make pedal steel guitars and I use brass and aluminum for bridge and nut rollers and I get lots of sustain on a pedal steel of course that's not an acoustic instrument . Is the angle of the strings over the bridge critical here for sustain? Russ

[Dave Bagwill]

It's the angle over the strings that determines the downward force on the bridge, which determines the amount of string pressure delivered to the braces and the top.

The tailpiece/floating bridge combination does deliver that power, but only on a very arched top and a very tall bridge.

For a flattop, the down force is attenuated by a tailpiece/floating bridge = not enough power to keep that bridge rocking.

Plus, the bridge will not rock freely to and fro, it will push downwards, mainly, which will give less sustain and more prominence to the fundamental of the note. Which is okay if that is what you are aiming for.