Rollers for bridge/nut, repurposed parts from somewhere

Ken Koellner · From: Massachusetts, USA

I've see rollers on bridges and/or nuts even on some low end instruments. My first electric I got in the early 70s had a roller bridge that was effectively a piece of thread rod with some round nuts with grooves on them. This parts must be repurposed parts from something else. Anyone know one know of repurposed cheap parts that can be used to make a roller bridge or nut?

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

String ends are commonly used - ie- Carter Starters.

Tim Toberer · From: Nebraska, USA

The brass ends of strings can work as rollers. Put them on an appropriate size of music wire, can't remember right now the size. The "comb?" bridge itself can be made with careful filing where the rollers go and cut the long groove for the wire with a hacksaw. 3/8 aluminum rod for a nut works and 1/4 aluminum for a bridge. All you need is a decent vice a hacksaw and some needle files. Much easier with a small milling machine, but I made a few like this and turned out ok. A cheap milling vice from harbor freight on a drill press might work too. If you are good with computers you could design one on fusion 360 and have it it made a a community Doer space. I would really love to have a small aluminum casting setup, hopefully when I retire I will have the time!

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The first Sho~Buds used string ends for the rollers.

Ken Koellner · From: Massachusetts, USA

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oO9cH9FXCHsJR0X0mSC1bM23F3kDtnHU/view?usp=sharing[/img]
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oO9cH9FXCHsJR0X0mSC1bM23F3kDtnHU/view?usp=sharing

If that link works, that's the bridge from my first guitar from the early '70s. I found one on Reverb. The bridge is a threaded rod with some nuts with grooves on it. I figure they must be something repurposed.

I never thought of string ends. I think that must be what's on those 3D printed bridges. (But PLA is likely not a good choice for material, extremely brittle and not great on longevity.)

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

When I built The Red Neck Blonde about 1970, I used string brass ends. I was using a Sho-Bud Perm. For measurements and Ideas. I cut the slots for rollers in the key head nut casting.
Done them with a hack saw. Measured width of slots, Stacked new hack saw blades a little narrower than slot width. Taped them together at both ends, Put in hacksaw. Cut slots slightly narrow, Then sized and finished with files. Used a piece of drill rod hardened, Or piano wire for shaft.

Good luck with project.

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