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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:25 am 
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Hello,

A couple weeks ago I purchased a large stash of Brazilian Rosewood. Not many pieces large enough for guitars (but there are some). Most of it is flatsawn but it is really nice dark and dense stuff.

I am wondering if BRW fingerboards are ok if flat or riftsawn? How about bridge-blanks? Any other useful sizes I should think about cutting some of the pieces into?

Thanks, Peter Z


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:29 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:21 am
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Location: Central PA
First name: john
Last Name: hall
City: Hegins
State: pa
Zip/Postal Code: 17938
Country: usa
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I prefer quartered for stability but have seen them in every configuration. If the wood seems stable you may be ok but pick the best orientation of grain you can

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:18 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:59 pm
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Location: Bucharest, Romania
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I wouldn't use perfectly quartersawn for classical bridges, the format has little meat in front of the saddle and it can split easily. Rift sawn, let's say 45 to 75 degrees, feels best to me.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:38 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Location: United States
Alexandru:
Why not cut the slot a little further back? Also, angleing the slot back, as seen from the side, greatly reduces the tendancy to split out the front of the bridge. If the saddle back angle bisects the break angle over the top of the bridge there should be to tipping force on the saddle, in thoery.

I like to use skew cut bridges as well. Even with the slot back from the front edge and angled, it's still safer to use the cut that's most resistant to splitting.

Flat cut BRW can surface check rather badly. I'd go with skew cut if you can't manage quartered for fingerboards.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:00 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Location: Bucharest, Romania
Country: Romania
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I now shoot for 4-4.5mm at the treble end and 5-5.5 at the bass. Those c.3mm or even less seen on Torres' and other old Spanish guitar are incredible eek What put the scare deep in my bones was a bridge I nearly completed. It had about 3.5-4mm of meat only and while polishing the slot with a fine file the front block split with minimal leverage. If it would have survived the filing, it would have certainly not survived bringing the first string to half pitch :) Since then I give a solid try to the bridge while working it and before gluing: I slightly bend and twist it, also insert a saddle and push on it.

On my latest I also cut the slot a couple degrees slanted back, based on one of your older posts about this. It's a nice trick, and also useful in the possible event of top dipping in front of the saddle. In that case the saddle will go to c. 90 deg instead of being tilted forward...

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:18 pm 
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May I also ask what kind of density is ideal for bridge stock?


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