Curve on Bridge Bottom

[Ron Nossaman]

> Has a straight-bridger measured crown on an installed 
>board without the bridge, and then measured it after the long bridge was 
>installed? Does it not flatten the board a bit? 

I haven't measured after the fact, but I have set both a crowned and a flat
bottomed bridge on a new board. There is not a heck of a lot of difference.
The bridge is curved - that's CURVED. That being the case, a flat bottomed
bridge will lay on a bridge just like a crowned bridge will. You won't be
able to tell if the bridge lying on a board is flat or crowned by looking
at it. Glued and screwed down to the soundboard, you still won't be able to
tell. The only way this will come home to you is to do it both ways. If you
think you can detect any difference between a flat and crowned bridge, go
with the one you like best.  


>Is some of the ribbing 
>theory (tighter radii) designed to compensate for the small (??) flattening 
>effect of a straight bridge?

Not in the least. In my case, the tighter radii in the treble is intended
to get some crown (and compression stiffening) under load in an area that
has typically been deficient in both. I consider the flat and crowned
bridges to be functionally equivalent.  


>It can't hurt to cut a nice little curve into the bottom of a new bridge - 
>can it?
>
>Terry Farrell
  
Not at all, if you consider it necessary. 

Ron N