Bridge slant question

[Ron Nossaman]

>
>My question today is :
>A colleague submit me the idea that the slant on the bridges is designed to
push the sounboard in a S shape, so there is a better resistance because
this shape is more stable He told me the same design exists intentionally in
the Ovation guitar sounboard.
>
>What do you think ?
---------
>
>Best regards
>
>Isaac OLEG


Isaac,
It's not uncommon to find that S shape in a compression crowned soundboard,
but I doubt that was the designer's intent. I'm not sure what you mean by a
'slant on the bridges'. A bass bridge with a cantilever will lever a new
soundboard, particularly a compression crowned one, into an S curve very
quickly, especially if it is set up with too much down bearing, and is very
hard on the board. The cantilever was intended to move the bridge attach
point further from the rim to, get into a more flexible part of the
soundboard and, hopefully, improve the bass response. I don't think they
were all that good an idea, considering the stress they put on the
soundboard. The S curve is the result, not the intent, of that approach. If
you find that shape in any other section of the board, it just means that
cumulative compression set in the panel has made it impossible for it to
maintain the crown. Again, too much downbearing can force a board into such
shapes, but it isn't a desirable thing, and isn't designed in.  

 Ron