Resonator Bridge Replacement

Subject: RE: Resonator Bridge Replacement
From: CraigS
Date: 24 Aug 02 - 05:18 PM

It does depend on the nature of the bicuit. Back thirty years I had a Japanese resonator which had a standard adjustable slide, screw at each end, slotted into the biscuit. This was too quiet, so I experimented with things to find out what happened. I tried a lot of materials, cutting them to fit into the slot on the biscuit. Brass was too tinny, bone was too quiet but louder than the original, plastic was similar to the original, rosewood was good but I wore it out with my playing style and had to shim it. An old piano key gave me a really good ebony bridge, but I broke it fairly soon after making it.

With the experience of the intervening years, I would suggest trying African ebony, but soak the thing in superglue before use to stabilise it.

Subject: RE: Resonator Bridge Replacement
From: Tweed
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:03 PM

My Regal's, (yeah, here we go again with Tweed's *$%*$%! Regal...), bridge slides right out of the groove on the biscuit. It's made out hard maple they say. They also say that if you replace it with bone or ivory that the sound will be too tinny, but I'm tempted to check it out anyhow, just to see what it does to the tone.
Grab's right, you oughta replace the bridge, unless you could mebbe super glue a wood shim to the bottom of the bridge (not the biscuit) and sand or file off any extra so it slides back in neatly. Here's a recent post regarding reso bridge tips from a resowizard from Hawaii. He flips the bridge completely over and...well here...
CocoJo's Reso Tips

Subject: RE: Resonator Bridge Replacement
From: Grab
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 09:59 AM

Elderly's biscuit bridges have the bridge and biscuit glued together fiarly inseparably, so without a router it'd be difficult to separate one from t'other.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Resonator Bridge Replacement
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 09:24 AM

The saddle part of a biscuit bridge is probably made of maple, just like a fiddle or upright bass bridge. I don't know whether you can replace just the saddle. Looking through Elderly Instruments' catalog, I see replacement saddles for spider bridges, but not for biscuits. They do have the whole biscuit bridge for $9.00. If the saddle is replaceable, you could easily fashion one from a bit of maple with just a saw and a belt sander. Sacrifice an old wooden kitchen spoon if you have to.

Subject: RE: Resonator Bridge Replacement
From: Grab
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 08:55 AM

It's the same problem as shaving down the bridge/nut on a normal acoustic guitars. If you cut too much off, you need to buy another one, and that's the incentive to be more careful shaving bits off it next time. :-( Biscuit bridges are more expensive than the normal hard plastic bridge/nut on an acoustic guitar though.

Graham.

Subject: Resonator Bridge Replacement and Material to use
From: songs2play
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 03:52 AM

I've got a little problem with regards to adjustment of action on my newly bought resonator. I've been used to having a fully adjustable bridge (up and down) on my other guitars; but with the resonator once you've taken off too much (yes I know what you're thinking - I said it as well) what do you do?

I was wondering what the bridge is made of, I've heard the phrase "biscuit", but mine appears to be made of a light hardword.

Is the type of wood important ? can it be mahogany for example; or can a hard plastic material be used.

Any advise would be graetly appreciated.