Bridge and saddle heights

[tippie53]

The 1/2 inch is a sweet spot using martin based bracing . If you go lower , you want to use gibson bracing. there are trade offs and what seems to work in your head doesn't always work the way you think it would.
There has to be a certain amount of potential energy applied to the top to get the most out of it. I will use the Martin bracing scheme and manipulate the string gauge but the applied forces are about the same. I have tried lighter tops and less bracing but there is a structural trade off .You have to match the bracing scheme but trust me on this , if making a lighter top was key , we would have figured out how to brace paper. After 130 guitars I am still learning about bracing and stiffness.
Tone has so many variables and there is a lot that comes into play . I used to think lighter was better but it isn't. You trade off volume , sustain . You have to find what you are looking for and don't trust all you read. Mario uses a different bracing structure with laminated braces and bolt on necks and other composites .
As for higher the bridge the less saddle , NO NO NO , you still want to plan for .125 to .180 saddle. Also the bridge footprint , bridge plate all play more of a part than you may thing.
This is the driver mechanism of the top and how it works with the braces , and come into play. If I would list my specs , I am in the vein of older martins .

Bridge 5/16 to 7/16
saddle height .125 to .180
bridge width 6 inch
pyramid 1 by 6 ooo and smaller
typical belly on dreds
Bridge plate 1 3/8 tucked
larger plate butted
000 small untucked

[sycamore6]

John....thanks very much for your list of typical specs....that's v. useful confirmation data for this subject.

On the design of bridge plates.....I've used unfigured maple so far and orientate the grain at about 45 deg to the string line. I've never been sure whether this is correct though. I've seen pics of cracked bridge plates where the crack went straight through the pin hole centres from 1 to 6. Presumably angling the grain direction helps to reduce the chance of this? Also....are other woods suitable for bridge plates and have laminated plates been used with success?

John

[tippie53]

I used them and seen them in all kinds of configurations. I like to see the grain run off parallel to the strings but I don't know how much it really matters. I think most cracks are from an overstress , more from the shrinking on the top , but agree holes that follow the grain line may cause a stress riser.
like Rick I try for a 45 off quarter and I have used rift . Like Rick I use a backer to drill

[Tom West]

Runningdog : But it is the combination of many of these little factors that result in a nice chunk of tonal improvement. Right on with the caul for drilling the bridge pins and make the caul while the box is open. Sometimes I forget until the box is closed....!!
Tom

[tippie53]

Just to add a bit to this discussion , when it comes to tone , JOINT INTEGRITY is just so important . A joint is is taking the stresses and adding support to that given area . If you don't take the time to dry fit and use a proper cawl for that job , it takes away from the wood selection .
The bridge , top, and plate are a very crucial area. The plate is not just fighting the torquing of the load off the strings, it needs to convey that movement to the top so you can hear the transfer of energy . The joinery here needs to be as good as you can get it. Any mismatch and you loose efficiency , too much glue can be a dampening cushion and not enough may cause a joint failure.
The more you build , the more you need to pay attention to the details.

[Darryl Young]

Just to add a bit to this discussion , when it comes to tone , JOINT INTEGRITY is just so important . A joint is is taking the stresses and adding support to that given area . .......

The bridge , top, and plate are a very crucial area. The plate is not just fighting the torquing of the load off the strings, it needs to convey that movement to the top so you can hear the transfer of energy . The joinery here needs to be as good as you can get it. Any mismatch and you loose efficiency , too much glue can be a dampening cushion and not enough may cause a joint failure.

........

"The bridge , top, and plate are a very crucial area."
"The joinery here needs to be as good as you can get it."

If these statements are true, why have several experienced folks given advise on another thread that uneven gaps between the bridge plate and X-brace are perfectly acceptable? Either the advise wasn't the best.........or it seems the above statement can't be completely true. Help my feeble mind resolve this apparent contradiction. Not trying to be argumentative, as I figure there are valid points I'm overlooking, but would like to resolve this for future reference.

For the record, my current philosophy is that John's statement above is very true and I wouldn't feel comfortable with gaps in the bridge plate area........but I've been wrong before and my (and maybe most everyone else's) philosophy is always evolving.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The sign of a real craftsman is his ability to recover from error and then proceed to develop new and more interesting mistakes!

I love this quote!
Isn't it so true.
I believe that "integrity of the bracing" is what is most important. The subtleties of how the guitar sounds I agree become minor in the beginning at least.

Kevin