Bridge adjusters and sound for Arco

[Thomas Erickson]

I've played a couple of basses with the same bridge before/after adjusters were added, but only briefly on either side. IMO, yes, it changes the sound, a little, but not for the better or worse - just different. And not enough to convince me it isn't just in my head, either. Like Ken, I think if you're going to put adjusters in a bridge, get the biggest easiest-to-grab ones you can find - they all mess up the look of a nice bridge anyway.

Personally, I don't get enough use out of adjusters to make them worthwhile. I think they look funny, and I'd rather just keep two bridges (if needed) - if the climate in a particular area changes enough over the seasons to really need adjusters, you probably need two soundposts anyway - might as well swap them both and clean your fingerboard at the same time...

[Ruben E garcia]

Hi Eduardo:
I don’t know if this article helps to answer exactly your question, they compared different types of adjusters and the results are very interesting
http://iwk.mdw.ac.at/Forschung/english/dbb/dbb.htm

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Ruben E garcia

Hi Eduardo:
I don’t know if this article helps to answer exactly your question, they compared different types of adjusters and the results are very interesting
http://iwk.mdw.ac.at/Forschung/english/dbb/dbb.htm

Unless they kept changing adjusters on the same exact bridge going from smallest to biggest and the exact bass, strings, player etc, there is no way to compare this.

[Nathan Parker]

That's what they did, Ken. They tried to keep the conditions as identical as possible in order to isolate the changes that occur with the different adjusters.

It's very interesting, but I take it all with a grain of salt. It probably makes a difference, but it's hard to say how much of a difference. It should be noted that I don't use adjusters because I don't like the way they sound.

[Ruben E garcia]

Originally Posted by Nathan Parker

That's what they did, Ken. They tried to keep the conditions as identical as possible in order to isolate the changes that occur with the different adjusters.

It's very interesting, but I take it all with a grain of salt. It probably makes a difference, but it's hard to say how much of a difference. It should be noted that I don't use adjusters because I don't like the way they sound.

Correct....!

[Ruben E garcia]

For what I know, that is not a lot J or I may say for what I have read, solid aluminum adjusters made from one piece of metal are the overall best adjusters to have install in your bass…

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Ruben E garcia

For what I know, that is not a lot J or I may say for what I have read, solid aluminum adjusters made from one piece of metal are the overall best adjusters to have install in your bass…

And why is that?

I prefer turning with some kind of grip on then rather than the sharp gnarled metal tearing up my fingers. The Walnut modified adjusters from the Shen guys (Paul S.) are my favorite overall. Next are the black Ebony/Plastic? ones that several Luthiers here use. I forget what they are called but Arnold uses them.

The smaller Aluminum or even brass wheeled ones are just to hard to turn most of the times.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Nathan Parker

It should be noted that I don't use adjusters because I don't like the way they sound.

I have the exact opposite opinion.

[Nathan Parker]

It's funny how that works, Arnold. Different strokes for different folks, I spose. I reckon if I lived in a place with a harsher climate, I would change my tune. But, being in Seattle, I just don't need to adjust my bridge height all that often. I gots my strings where I like 'em, and there they stay.

And, without the adjusters I'm not constantly fiddling with my bass.

[Eduardo Barbosa]

Originally Posted by Ruben E garcia

Hi Eduardo:
I don’t know if this article helps to answer exactly your question, they compared different types of adjusters and the results are very interesting
http://iwk.mdw.ac.at/Forschung/english/dbb/dbb.htm

That is a great article. Thank you!

I live in Colorado, and I think I am going to pay very close attention to how my bass behave when summer comes. I might wanna go for a solid bridge on my Orchestral bass.
Thank you.