Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Materials used - making - placing - gluing to the sound-board <-----<<< got to get this right!
Herman
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Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by Herman » Tue Jul 07, 2026 6:14 am

The tops I make have a 28"curved bracing. For that I make the bridge bottoms concave.
Does anyone know if Martin, or the other big companies, use concave bridges or just dead flat ones?
thanks
Herman

John Parchem
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by John Parchem » Tue Jul 07, 2026 9:37 am

I remember in the Kit Guitar Forum John Hall of Blues, Creek Guitars Inc and Authorized CF Martin Repair Center said that Martin never radius their bridges. I have no first hand knowledge. He is very close to Martin. I do.

I went back and found the discussion in the kit guitar forum Kevin was in the discussion. https://www.kitguitarsforum.com/board/v ... php?t=8181

Kevin in California
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by Kevin in California » Tue Jul 07, 2026 4:47 pm

hmm
I just looked back at that dialog.
Perhaps I'll try this, not radiousing the bridge on the guitar I'm currently building.

John Parchem
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by John Parchem » Tue Jul 07, 2026 7:50 pm

It is weird any more I can not remember why I went to the pantry half the time, yet I remembered a particular topic from 9 years ago.

Herman
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by Herman » Wed Jul 08, 2026 10:48 am

Ya, the brain works weird.
I remember that Ken was convinced that the bridge should have the most percise fitting to the top as possible before glueing.
But as shown in the link it does not have a lot of difference, since many use a flat bridge without trouble.

Carl Dickinson
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by Carl Dickinson » Wed Jul 08, 2026 11:31 am

I got a bunch of Martin bridges that had previously been installed and removed. Still had some glue on the bottom. They were all flat. They all had about 1/8" edge all around with no glue.

peter havriluk
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Re: Flat or curved bridge bottom?

Post by peter havriluk » Fri Jul 10, 2026 1:51 pm

I took Ken's advice and match-sand a concave radius into every bridge I make. Takes but a few minutes and is a small bit of easily-added attention to detail.

And I wouldn't be copying CFM's cost-oriented shop practices unless I really liked untapered bridge pin holes, unslotted bridges, and rough-shaped bracing, all done in the name of nickel-grabbing, preying on the gullibility of buyers to claims of 'tradition'. How about honoring tradition in deed, not just in advertising?

And slotted bridge pins, a gift from cost-conscious and corner-cutting Japanese plywood-guitar builders a half-century ago. Exactly how are they any kind of improvement?
Peter Havriluk

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