Official Luthiers Forum!

For the third time, what you are saying is simply not the case. This is basic mechanics. If you don't believe me (which is obvious), please consult with your nearest statics professor.

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John

Oh geez. You don't think the stress on the bridge is different if the strings are pulling directly on the bridge than if it's distributed through the bridge plate?

Why don't YOU consult a statics professor.

The force is the same, the stress distribution and force concentrations are different.

If the strings are anchored through the bridge plate, the ball ends are being pulled against the bridge plate and top and the tension stress is distributed throughout the top of the guitar.

If the balls eat their way through the bridge plate and top and pull directly on the bridge, then the back of the bridge is being leveraged away from the top directly.

If you can't see that I don't know what else to say.

I can design an experiment to show you I guess.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Okay, I have the experiment designed.

I'm going to make two simulated tops, just the section that has the bridge.

The underside will consist of an x-brace and bridge plate, the section will be glued to a framework.

One will be intact and the ball ends of the strings will anchor to the bridge plate.

The other will have oversized holes cut through it so the ball ends will pull directly on the bridge, simulating a worn top.

The bridge will be clamped to the top and strung up like normal.

Then the clamps will be removed and the motions of the bridge will be observed.

I predict that the bridge with an intact bridge plate will exhibit a movement of sliding forward about half an inch, and then stopping, and from there it will be actually held against the top by the tension of the strings.

The other bridge, with the worn holes, will simply fly off the top due to the tension being applied directly to the bridge.

If successful, this will show that the bridge is affected differently in each case due to the forces being distributed differently.

You can try it too, what do you think?

If you are correct and what I'm saying is simply not the case, thenth bridges should behave similarly when unclamped.

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Old growth, shmold growth!