Anyone ever glue a floating bridge to an arch top guitar?

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I recently replaced the trapeze tail piece and tun-a-matic type roller bridge on an Ibanez 175 style. The wooden arched bridge the the tun-a-matic sits on is not achored to the body so it moves if you put any pressure on it. Would gluing it down be Ok? Any suggestions are appreciated. Very nice upgrade btw, the guitar sounds and sustains much better.

Patrick Ickes · From: Upper Lake, CA USA

With the guitar tuned to pitch, the downward pressure exerted on the bridge should make it nearly impossible for it to move.
Check your neck alignment/set angle and tailpiece height.
If you can, post a profile picture of the strings and bridge.
Something's out of whack.
Patrick

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

If you don't want to glue down the bridge, you can glue a small piece of sandpaper to each side of the bridge, and that will stop the slip. I've also seen one that had been secured with one very small nail (wire brad) on each side of the bridge...not a bad idea, but personally, I wouldn't do that if it was a very valuable instrument.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Yeah, I would not glue it. I've done the sandpaper method Donny mentions. I typically used a pretty high-grit paper on some old Gretsches where the string angle wasn't very large and the bridge would move too easily. I think it was 400 or 600 grit. Worked pretty well.

Dennis Olearchik · From: Newtown, PA

Would double-sided tape work?

Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

Double sided tape could interfere with the transfer of vibration from the bridge to the guitar top. It may cut volume and change the frequency response of the instrument. My guess would be a "mellower" tone would result.

But it wouldn't hurt to try it, you may like the way it sounds.

Dom
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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I just remembered that when I removed the old bridge I cleaned the guitar and used guitar polish. I did a bit of research and rather than pin the bridge or double face tape, I am going to clean the bridge area on the arch top and bottom of the bridge with alcohol and then use a little violin rosin on the bottom of the bridge.

Here is the guitar with the bridge area taped off after intonation was set. This guitar sounds very nice especially played through an old Polytone Mini Brute amp.

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

An idiot who owned my 1960 Gretsch 6120 before me glued the bridge base down. I suspect he was the same idiot who sanded and repainted the body orange (with an overloaded 4" brush from all appearances). The only good side effect was that removing the bridge base revealed small vestiges of the original orange stain.

Good to see you've found a preferable strategy.
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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Ok....problem solved and only cost 3 bucks for a block of violin rosin at the music store. I removed the bridge and cleaned the bottom of the wooden arch with alcohol and the face of the guitar area to remove any polish. I used 320 sandpaper to create a dust on the rosin block and then brushed it with my finger on the bottom of the wooden arched bridge.

Took 10 minutes, sounds great and the bridge does not move even with a heavy handed vibe. I wish all my projects could be this easy to fix...ðŸ˜

Thanks for replys,

Lenny

Patrick Ickes · From: Upper Lake, CA USA

Excellent!
Good detective work remembering you polished the top.
Patrick

Bob Moore · From: N. Rose, New York

A little of topic but my wife polished the puplit and my bible would not stay in place. Had no piece to hold anything in place. Bob M

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I have four F-hole archtops in my collection with floating bridges but I've secured them all to the tops by drilling a small hole on each end of the bridge and putting a small screw through it and into the face of the guitar. That way if I ever have to remove the strings for a repair or a good cleaning the bridge will stay where it's supposed to be....JH in Va.
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