Hello Walter, thanks!! I am actually a havy hand bend player. So is ok to use double stick tape to "fix" the bridge? There is a special one or just regular double stick tape? And how about placent. How can I find the right spot?
Hi Atenenbaum,
I have pinned the bridge on My NS Starfire V and its quite easy to do (and gives a noticeable increase in acoustic volume & tone) as follows:-
1. Check the intonation with open strings and at the twelfth fret + harmonics at the 12th fret, using a digital guitar tuner or similar; make minor adjustments to the position of the bridge until you get perfect intonation.
2. When the bridge is positioned exactly for perfect intonation, stick some 1" decorators masking tape on the body of the guitar around all 4 sides of the bridge so that one edge of the tape lightly touches the bridge along its surfaces.
3. Loosen off the strings and remove the bridge taking care not to disturb or move the masking tape; When the bridge is removed you will see that the masking tape has formed a rectangular oblong shape that outlines the position where the bridge was before it was removed.
4. Separate the top half of the bridge from the bottom half.
I screwed the base of the rosewood bridge on my guitar directly into the center-block below the mahogany top surface of the guitar by drilling two small countersunk holes on either side of the
INSIDE of the bridge height adjustment screws. If you use small brown-colored countersunk screws these will not be visible when the bridge is re-assembled onto the guitar.
5. When you have drilled and countersunk the two small screw holes in the base of the bridge, re=assemble the bridge, taking care to ensure that the 'G' string indent is on the correct side, and carefully position it into the oblong hole in the masking tape so that the bridge base touches the masking tape on all four sides of the oblong. Using a scriber or other marking tool mark out the position of the two screw holes on the top of the guitar body.
6. Remove the bridge and drill two undersize 'pilot holes' through the top of the guitar and into the center block beneath
7. Screw the bridge down firmly into the top of the guitar and remove the masking tape. If you use good quality tape it will not leave any marks at all on the guitar.
8. Re-string the guitar and tune up. Hopefully you will find that increased friction between the bridge and the top of the guitar body produces a noticeable increase in acoustic volume and tone and, if you have followed the guidance given above, you will find that you cannot see the fixing screws at all.
If the guitar doesn't stay in tune give the Bigsby a few heavy wangs and everything will settle down nicely.