Solid-Foot Cherry Bridges
The bridge is one of the most critical elements of any banjo
Design:
I use a solid-foot design for my bridges. This design provides the bridge continuous contact with the head for excellent sound transmission, and reduces sagging of the bridge over time. Additionally, this design provides an equal mass of wood under each string, like a violin bridge, creating an even, balanced tonal response across strings.
Materials:
Bridges are constructed of cherry with a Richlite tip. After a lot of experimenting with maple, walnut and cherry bridges of various weights, I found that, to my ear, a medium weight cherry bridge provided the most pleasing tone - plenty of punch and clarity, but with a warm, roundness to it. Richlite is a recycled paper product which has the density and color of ebony, but is sustainable to produce, unlike ebony which is becoming increasingly scarce. Additionally, Richlite doesn't chip out like ebony does.
Weights:
Bridges come in two weights; Standard, which produces a rich, balanced tone, and Heavy, which tends to suppress the high end, leading to a mellower tone. Since these cherry bridges are already a little mellower than their maple counterparts, I generally recommend the Standard weight to most folks, unless you have a super bright banjo you are trying to tame.
Height:
There is no standard bridge height, but I can make any height bridge, so just let me know what you need. Generally, my bridges range from 1/2" - 11/16" in 1/16" increments, with the most common heights being 5/8" and 11/16".
Spacing:
The Standard Buckeye bridge string spacing is slightly wider than either Traditional banjo bridge string spacing, or Crowe spacing. Below are the actual measurements, and as you can see there is only 3/32" difference between them, so, any variations will be minimal.
Traditional: 1-11/16" (1-22/32")
Crowe: 1-3/4" (1-24/32")
Buckeye Standard: 1-25/32"
If you would rather have something other than the Standard Buckeye spacing just let me know.
String Slots:
Bridges are slotted for steel strings, but I can also slot them for Nylgut strings. If you plan to use Nylgut strings, just let me know the set (1B, 2B etc...), so I can notch appropriately.
Pricing:
Bridges: $40
-Price includes free domestic shipping
-International orders add approximately $18-$22
-Custom requests add $10
Ordering
If you are interested in a bridge, just contact me and let me know what you need. Make sure to include your Name, Address, Bridge Height and Bridge Weight, and if you are using Nylgut strings, which set you will be using.