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Topic: Which metal for nut and bridge??? |
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2001 12:13 pm |
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Hey ya'll.
I am building some non pedal guitars and am wondering what is the general concensus about the sound/tone that you get from different metals at the bridge and nut.
Aluminum is so easy to work as is brass. Steel is the toughest. What can of sound can I expect from these three metals. Favorites???? |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2001 8:28 pm
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Stainless Steel or Titainium(as Tom Morrell wants me to use on the next SS HAWAIIAN)Tom looks way down on brass or aluminum for what is "THE" most important part of the steel guitar..."bridge and bridge nut".
We used Stainless Steel for bridge and nut on the SS HAWAIIAN...and I believe I'm gunna take Morrell's advice and go with Titainium on the D-10 SS HAWAIIAN......."That is if David Parker(the worlds best machinist and authority on this matter) lets me".....ha 
------------------
Ricky Davis
My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2001 9:07 pm
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Personally I think titanium is the most musical metal available, however it's not friendly to work with and it's a little 'pricey'. I have a sheet of .028 Ti 6,4 that's $264 a pound.
I made the nut and bridge on my non-pedal 6 string bass from 303 stainless, but I did it mostly for aesthetics, all the frets are stainless, and I would have preferred a harder stainless alloy, like a 421, but 303 is more 'off the shelf'.
Aluminum is a softer material, especially the common alloys. Most extrusions are 6063 which is 'gummy' and soft, 6061 is the most common and least expensive 'aircraft' alloy and T-6 is the hardest of that series, it also has silicon in the alloy to make it weldable and which I think makes it more musical. A couple other harder aluminum alloys are 2024 T-4 and 7075 T-6, 2024 has manganese in it to make it more machinable, and 7075 T-6 approaches steel for strength and hardness.
Another possibility is silicon bronze, SiB, I've used this extensively and I think it's very musical.
One of the worst possibilities is 'pot metal' which was used by Sho-Bud from the '70s on.
So it kind of boils down to, softer metal, softer sound, harder metal, brighter sound. You also have to consider how well does the bottom of the bridge and nut contact the guitar and what's between it and the wood, like paint, which does make a difference in how well the vibration transfers to the guitar. |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 27 Jul 2001 5:28 am
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Chas, I think Hermes and Thor must have cut you an extra slice of celestial pie when you came into the world.
I think that the contact profile of the bridge as it touches the string also makes a big difference. My '49 Oahu (Valco) has that sharp steel edge, whereas others use round stock of vaying diameters. I initially used 1/8" round stainless on my lapsteel, changing it out to 3/16 brass for a softer tone. I also tried aluminum oxide ceramic (1/8"). If you're looking for a crisp high end you can't go much farther than that. I think I have a line on some titanium so I'll probably give that a try too. -Hey Ricky, I hope to hear your TI SS sometime. |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2001 10:53 am
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OH I did forget to mention......chas is the other genious when it comes to this.....listen to him...follow him...and you will have the knowledge to build the perfect steel.
Hey Sage......what kinda line you have on Titainium......I need some pal.
Ricky |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2001 11:15 am
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Yo Sage, thank you, good point about the string contact on top. I like using 1/4" SiB rods, which can be had in 3' lengths as Tig welding/brazing rods. One of the brand names is Everdur, another is Oxweld-26. Of course you have a Series I Bridgeport milling machine in your garage, (it's an important pedal steel guitar accessory). So by using a 1/4" ball end cutter, I can cut an accurate seat. Sometimes I've used a square or rectangular aluminum bar as a pedestal and taken a cut out of the top for the SiB, the downside is, it's another material and 'joint' for the vibration to pass through. That's why it's so important to hold tight tolerances.
Another thing is whether or not the strings go through the body.
I have a '38 Gibson EH-150 10 string that has thin blades for the nut and bridge, and it sounds 'thinner' than I would prefer. I don't know whether it's the pickup or the blades and I'm not going to change a vintage guitar that hasn't already been modified.
If you live in an area that has/had aerospace industry, there should be surplus venders around, which would be a good source for metal odds and ends like titanium or exotic stainless alloys. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2001 11:32 am
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Oh Ricky, thank you. Really I'm just a mediocre guitar player who can drill a hole in the right place if you give me a couple tries.
About a dozen years ago I got some 1" Ti 6,4 tubing with an .028 wall, it was $10/foot from a company, Trans World Alloys Inc in Pico Rivera, CA, 310-942-0077. If you are just looking for round bar, it should be a lot cheaper. You could give them a call to at least get an idea of what your'e getting into.
Using a business to business Yellow pages would probably be the best. Also there were manufacturers up in Sage's neck of the woods. |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 27 Jul 2001 1:30 pm
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Ricky, The company that I have an "in" to makes high end archetectural features and custom stuff. I haven't been there yet but I hear they have some titanium in their scrap pile. I won't have time to check it out until the end of next week at the soonest, but I'll let you know what I find after I go there.
Hey Chas- thanks for the tip on the SiB. I'll try that too.
The SGF- sometimes I love this place. |
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