Installing new bridge over old holes

[Dave Bagwill]

So I planed off a bridge, and the customer wants a bridge with wider string spacing. Old= 2 1/8", new= 2 3/8".
The bridge itself is no problem, but I am wondering about the new holes overlapping the existing holes in the top.

What are the considerations?

[TonyinNYC]

So I planed off a bridge, and the customer wants a bridge with wider string spacing. Old= 2 1/8", new= 2 3/8".
The bridge itself is no problem, but I am wondering about the new holes overlapping the existing holes in the top.

What are the considerations?

You could plug them and re-drill, but I suspect the plugs would not survive the drilling. That is a large difference though, so you might be OK. You could use tapered plugs inserted from the top. If you have a tapered reamer, make plugs with the same taper so they fit perfectly. Be careful not to split the sound board when inserting the plugs though!

[ken cierp]

Ditto plug the holes -- not recommending it but I have successfully secured plugs with CA and had no problems with the glue traveling along the grain.

[Dave Bagwill]

Okay, I'll plug them, situate the new bridge and proceed apace.

[Tim Benware]

Dave, it may be a little extra work but you could do this - thin a maple bridge plate, shape it to the old one, glue it over the old then use hard wood plugs to fill the old holes. Finally glue on the new bridge and drill out the holes. More more secure in this manner.

[Dave Bagwill]

I like that, Tim - I suppose I could also just laminate a maple strip over the existing holes in the bridge plate, and follow the rest of the procedure.

[Ken Hundley]

I had to do something similar once as well. Put tape along underside of bridge, filled holes with epoxy, then levelled. No problems with redrilling.