Starfire (archtop) floating bridge question

[Guildedlily]

Hi everyone!

So I have a '66 Starfire - new to me - and I'm trying to figure out what (if anything) to put between the (aluminum) floating bridge and the guitar top.

Does it need something between bridge and wood to stop it scratching the finish?

When I got it it had two small pieces of double sided tape at each end of the bridge.

What do you put between your bridge and arch top?

Thanks y'all

 

[GAD]

Some put tape or other stuff to keep it from moving around which makes sense if you’re gigging, but I just play ‘em naked.

 

[powerwagonjohn]

Bow rosin works best. It won't mark the finish or insulate the bridge from the Guitar top.
thanks John

 

[Walter Broes]

I use (very thin) double sided tape on some guitars, sandpaper (grit side towards the body) on others.

 

[Shakeylee]

i don't use anything but string tension

 

[Guildedlily]

i don't use anything but string tension

Is your bridge metal/aluminum, and does it scratch/mark the finish or nothing?

 

[Shakeylee]

Is your bridge metal/aluminum, and does it scratch/mark the finish or nothing?

I use one wood bridge and one bridge made out of what appears to be Bakelite feet.

neither sctratch the finish .
I don’t think aluminum would be different,would it?

 

[GAD]

I learned from Hans that the bridges were sanded (or ground likely with metal) to fit the arched top of the individual guitar that they shipped with, so if it's the original bridge and it hasn't been altered or deformed in its long life, I'd assume it wouldn't scratch the guitar.

As soon as something's been adhered to it, though, all bets are off in my book.

 

[bobouz]

I just recently gave my Starfire III a major tune-up. Re the aluminum bridge, I removed those two little pieces of cloth, and instead cut a piece of super-thin birch laminate (available at hobby/craft stores) slightly smaller than the bridge base. The guitar has been converted to a harp tailpiece, so the birch shim sits there just fine without any adhesive assist.

 

[hansmoust]

I learned from Hans that the bridges were sanded (or ground likely with metal) to fit the arched top of the individual guitar that they shipped with, so if it's the original bridge and it hasn't been altered or deformed in its long life, I'd assume it wouldn't scratch the guitar.

You're probably referring to me talking about the 'improved' Bigsby bridges that were introduced towards the end of the '90s. Those were sanded on the bottom to conform to the arch of the top. They didn't do that during the '60s.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[GAD]

You're probably referring to me talking about the 'improved' Bigsby bridges that were introduced towards the end of the '90s. Those were sanded on the bottom to conform to the arch of the top. They didn't do that during the '60s.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Ahh - Probably. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[matsickma]

I encountered an issue with a late 90's transparant red Starfire2. I had added a Guildsby to it a few years ago but kept the rosewood bridge in place. I recently picked up a Bigsby plain G bridge with the wider c/c hole spacing. I modified it accommodate the stock Guild bridge stud c/c. When I removed the bridge base I noticed the finish was marked up with gouges in the finish. As I examined the underside of the bridge base I saw the brass threaded stud protruded down into the carved out area under the bridge. This protrusion was the cause of the finish scoring. I could see how the bridge base was carved out by hand with what could have been a Dremel tool with a ball router bit to add a slightly hollowed out area to the base so that only the perimeter edge of the bridge base came in contact with the top of the guitar. It was obvious the base was modified by hand and that the brass threaded studs were ground down. For this particular guitar the studs we not ground down sufficiently as they were the cause of the finish damage.

Since few of my guitars have floating wooden bridges I hadn't seen this "hand modification" of a bridge base before. I suspect the tapering of the bridge base was done carefully but the carveout under the base and installed threaded studs wasn't as expertly installed. It was interesting to note that on the bottom of the bridge base was the marking SF2 and the last three numbers of the SN. This essentially confirmed this bridge was fitted to this specific guitar.

M