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Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=28836		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Chris aka Sniggly [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Is this common? I suspect that's what Martin used back in the day but I'm certainly not an expert.

Is it desirable?

Chris
Author:  Alan Carruth [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I suspect it was commonly used when BRW was more commonly available. These days, with all of the legal and supply issues, I'd certainly think twice. I'm sure you'll arguments, but I don't believe it adds so much to the sound (if anything) that it would be worth the hassles.
Author:  Laurent Brondel [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Chris aka Sniggly wrote:
Is this common? I suspect that's what Martin used back in the day but I'm certainly not an expert.
No, they used maple.
Chris aka Sniggly wrote:
Is it desirable?
Yes.
Author:  Chris aka Sniggly [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Thanks Brondel. I have some stock that is good for nothing but bridge plates so now I've found a use for them.

Alan - Your concern with Cites is duly noted. Thanks for the input.

Chris
Author:  Philip Perdue [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I think I may be switching to orange osage. There have been threads (I think here) reporting the use of this wood for bridge plates. The good thing is the ability obtain the wood. I have not had time to do any testing. Maybe others with more experience can add to this thread.

Philip
Author:  DennisK [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
5 bucks if you include one of those bridge plates in my package from the sale thread :mrgreen: I've always heard that it's one of the best for that purpose as well. Should think so, since Osage is getting so popular and is said to sound very similar to Brazilian.

But yeah, legal restrictions on the transportation of an instrument are annoying. I think I'll only "curse" one instrument with these snippets of wood, for the novelty and to see how it sounds. But if it already has the headplate and bridge, might as well do the bridge plate too. And back/sides if I ever happen to run across the perfect set for a reasonable price (and not pass it up this time)
Author:  Brock Poling [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I have used it for a long time, but I am finding more and more that I prefer maple.
Author:  LuthierSupplier [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I'd use it if I had some, but only on Sitka/rosewood guitars. On Cedar or Redwood I'd use maple. That is just my preference.
Author:  Mike Collins [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I'm with Brock on the maple!
BUT -I use slab sawn wood.
It's much more difficult to crack!
Think pin holes and abusive players shoving strings & pins in!
Pau-Ferro is great !
& cheap!

I have made 3 layered ones with grain 90 degrees to each other.

Now for the can of worms-How thick do you make yours?
Mine are .100-.125 depending on the strings the player wants to use-ie.
Lights-med.or believe it or not heavys !!
I've never had a bridge plate crack between the holes or the bridge since using the slab sawn woods.
Mike
Author:  Chris aka Sniggly [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Brock Poling wrote:
I have used it for a long time, but I am finding more and more that I prefer maple.


I am curious as to why? I've never used maple so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.

Chris
Author:  Brock Poling [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Mike Collins wrote:
Now for the can of worms-How thick do you make yours?
Mine are .100-.125 depending on the strings the player wants to use-ie.

Mike


Interesting you say that. I have steadily been increasing the thickness of mine too and I like the results. They went from .07" at the thin side up to about .10+" now.
Author:  Brock Poling [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
Chris aka Sniggly wrote:
Brock Poling wrote:
I have used it for a long time, but I am finding more and more that I prefer maple.


I am curious as to why? I've never used maple so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.

Chris


I don't know that I can articulate it well, but I think the mids and trebles seem a little more "crisp" and the overall clarity is better. Maybe I am just imagining it, but to me I can hear a difference.
Author:  woody b [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I've never used Braz for bridgeplates, but I suspect splitting could be a bigger problem than most woods. Maple works great. I guess that's why there's so many guitars with Maple bridgeplates. I've also used Osage Orange, Honduran Rosewood and African Blackwood. I "think" I hear the difference in them, but they've all been of different types of guitars. I'm sure any differences are subtle. Put me in the .100"+ thickness camp.
Author:  John Lewis [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I have a nice supply of persimmon. I think Alan Carruth is a big proponent of this wood for bridge plates - it is tough to split.

One persimmon board is perfectly riftsawn and big enough to cut plates so the grain runs either parallel or perpendicular with the grain of the top. If you can find some persimmon it might be worth picking up a small board just for this purpose.
Author:  lneal14513 [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
We recently completed 5 dreadnoughts, 2 of which have BRW bridge plates, approx .100 thick
The other 3 had honduran mahogany bp, (1 of which is my instrument)

All were red spruce tops and honduran mahogany b & s, as dimensionally alike as 5 guitars can be without CNC.

While I really liked the sound of mine, and it continues to get better as time goes on, deep down I liked the sound of the BRW ones just a LITTLE bit more. Just a bit more of that dry "punch" bluegrassers seem to love. None of them sound dramatically different, but the brw had just a smidge more of everything. We had 3 in the shop recently (the 2 brw and mine) and I had a chance to really compare them, both flatpicking and fingerstyle.

I'm going to start on another deep bodied OM soon with some cuban mahogany for the b & s. I'm looking forward to trying a maple bridge plate in that.
Author:  John Mayes [ Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
I think Brazilian makes a nice bridge plate. That being said I normally use Maple, although I've used Honduran Rosewood on some recently.

To me Brazilian on the bridge plate ads a bit of zest to the sound (cause you're not fully clean unless you're.....) where maple, in my opinion, tends to be a bit more neutral in tone. I position the grain so that one grain line is not running the length of the bridge pin holes to help prevent splitting. Cause it's no fun to replace a bridge plate!

Mine are around .090-.100 thick.
Author:  alan stassforth [ Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brazilian Rosewood for bridge plates???
you guys are kidding, right?
actually, i always wonder if i'm using the right wood there.
i just got a thought though,
how about a thinner plate made of lignum vitae?
might be sound deadening, might not.
would be durable as heck.
imo, the material doesn't affect the tone much.
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