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Thread: Bridge placement for correct intonation

  1. #1
    Harley Marty
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    Mar 2016
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    Mullingar Co Westmeath Ireland
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    Default Bridge placement for correct intonation

    This thread could also be in CBOM. I’m making a 5ths tuned 4 string instrument GDAE two octaves below mandolin with a 30.5” to 32” multi-scale or can-fret. I’m going to try for light gauges so for the low ‘G’ at 32” I’m thinking of trying a .60 first, i don’t think it will go any higher than a .80. How much extra length do I need to allow for proper intonation at the bridge? It will be a floating bridge but I need to design for its placement pretty accurately before I start.

  2. #2
    Mandolin tragic Graham McDonald's Avatar
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    Oct 2004
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    Canberra, Australia
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    Default Re: Bridge placement for correct intonation

    Find someone with an electric bass and measure the compensation on that. Compare that to the compensation on an electric guitar and put your bridge in between the two. The thinking here is that your tuning is somewhere between the two and the string gauges are a bit lighter than a bass. That should put you somewhere close (like within a few mm) to where the bridge will go.

    Cheers

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  4. #3
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Nov 2005
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    Default Re: Bridge placement for correct intonation

    ......And then sit down and play it for several hours so see what a stretch that 32" G will be on your hands. Even as a double bass player for several decades, there is no way I could play a CBOM scale that long and be able to realize the full range of the instrument without killing my hands in first position.

    If you are set on the idea, build a great body and then make the neck in a manner that you can change it later. With new models, I'll often make several different necks in the prototyping stage and try them all out. Often a minor change in the scale or tuning will have a significant impact on the body coupling and overall resonance. Better to have a slightly unexpected scale that kicks @$$ than an unsuccessful one that winds up like my avatar...
    www.condino.com

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  5. #4
    Harley Marty
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    Mar 2016
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    Mullingar Co Westmeath Ireland
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    223

    Default Re: Bridge placement for correct intonation

    @j. Condino The body & neck are already made. I just need to put the fretboard on & figure out the frets to meet the precise bridge location. I have a 31” resonator bass that is in GDAE 5ths that I’m comfortable to play, so being fan fretted will put this on a par with the 31”. This will be my 7th fan-fret build, my previous builds range from 18”/19” mandolin tuning to 23.5”/24.5” octave mandolin tuning.

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