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I don't seem to find anything on the web about bridges made of zebrawood. I believe it is a hard enough wood for bridges. Does anyone know why it is not used more?



Note: I did find one website that had a classical zebrawood bridge

http://www.nitsugamangore.com/bellucci- ... jan14.html

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

It's not traditional. If it isn't a rosewood or an ebony, then you don't see many bridges made of anything.

So far as working: it's kind of chippy and it likes to split along the grain. That said, I'm pretty sure it's stronger than walnut and I've heard of people making bridges out of that. It also looks pretty neat in the right context (and horrible in the wrong context)!

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

My guess is mostly aesthetics, and historic use of std woods - how many people want one ??? Does it sound better than the std norm ??? Nothing is stopping you from using it, but dont be surprised if it wont sell. People tend to like things that look like pre conceived notion - I built a guitar early on with quilted maple back and sides, and a dark cedar top - never sold, its now my home beater, and I think it sounds great - but it was the negative of what most people consider a guitar should look like, sound be damned.

When the industry std is EIrw and ebony, which cost about 3 and 5 bucks each, why bother I ask ???

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

In addition to what the others said a bridge is kind of located on ground zero on the guitar - if someone does not like this wood they are going to not like the entire guitar.

But you can always paint it.......

OOO,
I think if it is used in a purposeful way, I'm sure it could make a nice guitar bridge.
I have a build in the plans that will have a Zebrawood fretboard and bridge.
Someone has to break from tradition. Otherwise, all our guitars will look the same.
Then again, I prefer to try alternative wood combinations.
Also, you may want to use a well aged blank for the bridge.
I might cut the bridge shape and let it sit for some time before gluing it on the box.

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

The guitar will have zebrawood back and sides w/ zebrawood veneer on the headstock. It is a OM cutaway martin long scale model with rosewood fretboard. It would be easier to just slap a rosewood bridge on but something inside me is telling me to go for the zebra bridge. I don't think that would be in the right context, wouldn't it?

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

A bit off topic, but my old eko has a wenge fingerboard and bridge

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

How committed are you to the rosewood fret board?
Can you still inlay some zwood into it?
You could then inlay the bridge to match..

Be sure to show us what you come up with.

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Zebrawood Bridge shouldn't be any more prone to cracking than rosewood or ebony.I've seem alot of rosewood and ebony cracked.I'm going to use other woods myself on my builds.When you get it done,i'd like to see it.Sounds like a good idea to me.

000;

Call me a rogue, but I've made bridges and fret boards out of many different types (species) of woods. Zebrawood is a little on the splitty side, but if you pick the grain and specimen it will work fine, the dread in the picture is a very warm sounding instrument with nice bass lines and volume, probably has very little to do with the bridge and fret board though. But it worked very well with the hand cut z-wood rosette. (sorry about the picture clarity)
-nehemiah

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Nehemiah Covey
www.coveysacoustics.com

Interesting. I was reading an article by Bourgeois (sp?) where he was very complimentary of the tone of wenge for a bridge......comparing it as very close to Brazilian Rosewood as a tone wood. Also interesting that he thought ebony dampened the vibration and wasn't the best selection sound wise for a fingerboard or bridge.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I dunno, but I think a z back & side with a z bridge might look pretty cool.

Mike

I used it for a head plate on my first guitar--a walnut and cedar classical. I went over it with the same stain that I used on the walnut and then buffed it back so that it had just a "blush" of stain on it. Beautiful. It never occurred to me to use it for the bridge, and I doubt that it would have looked good with a dark cedar top, anyway. Seems to me that if there are no other problems in the way, you ought to be able to make a beautiful bridge and head plate combination out of zebra wood. I agree that it'll probably depend on the specific piece of wood, grain orientation, etc.
Patrick