Hi Brian, I think that the Baldwin that Ed is talking about has the bridge glued directly on to the sound board. Replaced one by myself and had a lot of fun keeping the bridge in place for the glue to set. If I were to do it again there would someone else there to hold the bridge in place while I drilled pilot holes for screws that would hold the bridge in place while the glue cured. Then remove the screws. As I remember the bridge is about 12 or 15 inches long with a slight curve. Three small screws should do the trick. Joe Goss ----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Trout <btrout@desupernet.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, April 03, 2000 7:20 PM Subject: Re: Bass Bridges > Hi Ed, > > Normally, when I used to send out bass bridges, they would come back with > the old apron and shoe attached to a new bridge body pinned and ready to > install, unless I specifically asked them to duplicate the apron as well. > That's good, if you're considering the old shoe may have small pieces of the > soundboard still attached. It will mate up perfectly with the old > soundboard. It indexes itself. (No filler needed.) > > I have always glued the bridges onto the soundboard, mainly using the > soundboard screws as clamps to hold it all together while the glue dries. (I > can't remember ever having seen one that wasn't glued on.?) If there are > some major splits and cracks in the wood where the bridge came off, I'll > usually be pretty liberal with the glue, trying to get it into those places > where it cracked and split and splintered, etc. I definitely don't want > anything loose in there to buzz at me when I'm all done. Also, I believe > that having a solid glue joint will give you a better tone quality than just > the screws alone. I would also worry less about whether those screws might > be coming loose over the seasonal moisture swings that most of us experience > year to year. > > That being said, I have moved a bit farther with my replacements of bass > bridges. It's one thing to duplicate, but it can be another to build an > appropriate bridge assembly. When we duplicate, we are assuming that > everything was right from the original. But more times than not, I've been > disappointed in the results. When duplicating, we duplicate whatever was > there, good or bad. It may or may not have had too much or too little side > bearing. It may or may not have had downbearing. When we make them from > scratch, we have control over all of those factors, and then some. It only > takes a couple of hours to make even some of the more complicated bass > bridges. To me it's worth it. And you won't be waiting by your mailbox for > the next 3 weeks wondering where's my bridge??! > > Good luck with your bridge. > > Brian Trout > Quarryville, PA > btrout@desupernet.net > > > > > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC