Re: Another bridge question.
Originally Posted by
Bill D
... Other string instruments have a solid bridge. Why not the mandolin?
Maybe a more direct question would be: "Why do arch-top fretted instruments often have adjustable bridges, while flat-top instruments often have solid bridges?" (In other words, let's include those arch-top jazz guitars with "most" mandolins.)
My (non-expert) assumption: Because carved & arched plates have far more end-grain exposed to atmospheric conditions than do flat-top instruments, thus swelling and shrinking more quickly in response to changes in humidity and temperature.
Some might want to discuss the "non-contiguous" nature of the fibers in a carved top, but that's a bit beyond my pay grade.
YMMV!
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
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I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
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