Bridge plate thickness

[Tom West]

Remember folks, the choice of wood for the soundboard and the way you thickness it is MUCH more important to tone than bridge plate material or even bracing. Keep your eye on the prize and don't get bogged down in trivia!

I think Rick is absolutely right,but it is a whole raft of small details that help to make a top notch instrument.Everythings counts,we may not be able to tell the difference with one or two but add up all the little things and the differance is quite apparent at least IMHO.
Tom

[Darryl Young]

I agree with Rick on where Ash is on the stiffness/weight ratio.......no way it is even close to spruce. I didn't know it was middle of the road for hardwoods so thanks.

RD, I like your idea of using ebony over spruce for a bridge plate......hard and lightweight.

According to my reading of the USFS data, ash has middle-of-the-road numbers for stiffness/weight among the hardwoods and is way below Sitka (and other spruces).

For the last six or seven years, I've used a laminate of ebony and spruce for my plates -- so far, so good. No failures, no premature wear, lighter weight than most.

[rienk]

For the last six or seven years, I've used a laminate of ebony and spruce for my plates -- so far, so good. No failures, no premature wear, lighter weight than most.

Do you mind sharing what your lamination looks like?
Thickness of each? which contacts the soundboard?, etc...

[rienk]

I don't mind sharing the info. Spruce .060", ebony .040". Exact thicknesses aren't that important -- you're aiming for a total of about .100" so thickness the two pieces accordingly. Both pieces have the grain running lengthwise, which is to say perpendicular to the grain of the soundboard.

The spruce is against the soundboard and the ebony is the hard skin that resists wear from the ball ends.

That is what i would have guessed, but thanks for sharing!

[rienk]

I wish it were possible to make half a dozen of each part (soundboard, back, rim, bracing, lining, bridgeplate, bridge, neck, fretboard, etc) and be able to snap them together in all the various iterations, and measure the sound differences between them.

Would be a great Phd project for some sound engineer!

Let's see... that's only half a million guitar builds...