Electric Guitars

[John Backlund]

The single hardest part in this build project is the unique bridge cover...and it's a purely cosmetic part, completely unnecessary to the function of the instrument, but being an artsy-fartsy guitar designer, I wanted it to be on the guitar so Marco has dove right in and figured out a way to make the thing, but not without a few problems along the way.

His first efforts to make the stainless sheet steel bridge cover for his Marz 6 met with a few wrinkles, literally...

Here's the Marz 6 body artwork that shows the bridge cover...


Anyway, here's Marco's handmade press used on the first try to form the cover...


It wasn't quite right and wrinkled the Sheet stainless....




After some experimentation, the sheetmetal was forming well, but it was just a bit too small to fit over the bridge...here it is next to the first prototype bridge cover Marco made from composite material...

[John Backlund]

The next one looked pretty good, I think he has it...






The bridge cover will be held in place by the guitar's large 'teardrop' pickguard, which will fit over the bridge cover, the cover's sheet flanges beneath the pickguard. I'm not sure if Marco will use any screws to anchor the flanges, or if it will just fit snugly in place without them....but here it is just missing a bit of trim work on the flanges, and the three eliptical holes cut in the cover's top....


And to top it all off, just out of curiosity, Marco pressed a trial bridge cover out of red tortoise pickguard material...




I have left many photo images out in the sequence he sent me of the bridge cover making process, and have just posted a few of the major ones.

[John Backlund]

The next one looked pretty good, I think he has it...






The bridge cover will be held in place by the guitar's large 'teardrop' pickguard, which will fit over the bridge cover, the cover's sheet flanges beneath the pickguard. I'm not sure if Marco will use any screws to anchor the flanges, or if it will just fit snugly in place without them....but here it is just missing a bit of trim work on the flanges, and the three eliptical holes cut in the cover's top....


And to top it all off, just out of curiosity, Marco pressed a trial bridge cover out of red tortoise pickguard material...




I have left many photo images out in the sequence he sent me of the bridge cover making process, and have just posted a few of the major ones.

[bjcarl]

Looks sweet, John! maybe you should try making them out of those old, retro McDonald's ashtrays?

[bjcarl]

Looks sweet, John! maybe you should try making them out of those old, retro McDonald's ashtrays?

[ashtray]

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Well, loosen the pickguard at least and try not to scratch the paint sliding the cover in/out from under it.

I rate this right up there with having the truss rod adjustment at the heel end with no body cutout for access - remove neck, adjust truss rod, reinstall neck and strings, then remove, adjust again...

Ok, it doesn't turn a 2 minute job into an hour like the truss rod thing, but it does complicate string changes and setups with a couple extra steps. Any way to attach a clip inside the cover that will attach over the edges of the bridge? Or glue a magnet in there that would line up with the top of the lip of the bridge?

[ashtray]

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Well, loosen the pickguard at least and try not to scratch the paint sliding the cover in/out from under it.

I rate this right up there with having the truss rod adjustment at the heel end with no body cutout for access - remove neck, adjust truss rod, reinstall neck and strings, then remove, adjust again...

Ok, it doesn't turn a 2 minute job into an hour like the truss rod thing, but it does complicate string changes and setups with a couple extra steps. Any way to attach a clip inside the cover that will attach over the edges of the bridge? Or glue a magnet in there that would line up with the top of the lip of the bridge?

[Kap'n]

Looks cool, but how is string damping/palm muting? I'd use the cover for my Esquire if that wasn't an issue too.

I love the aesthetics of your instruments, but they need to be functional too.

[Kap'n]

Looks cool, but how is string damping/palm muting? I'd use the cover for my Esquire if that wasn't an issue too.

I love the aesthetics of your instruments, but they need to be functional too.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by Kap'n

Looks cool, but how is string damping/palm muting? I'd use the cover for my Esquire if that wasn't an issue too.

I love the aesthetics of your instruments, but they need to be functional too.

Palm muting? forget it with this guitar, won't work. But remember, it's an 'art guitar', and as such it's basically a one-off instrument, playable as-is, but unless there are a few changes made it's not going to be universally usable by many players.

I'm exclusively a fingerpicker, and can't palm mute anyway, so the Marz will suit me just fine, and that's all that matters with this guitar, it's for me, and not likely ever a production guitar, and if it does make it to mass production, modifications could be made to address the muting question.

All of my other guitars that are being produced use coverless bridge that would allow palm muting. Unless the bridge cover is made easily removable, it's a muteless bugger.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by Kap'n

Looks cool, but how is string damping/palm muting? I'd use the cover for my Esquire if that wasn't an issue too.

I love the aesthetics of your instruments, but they need to be functional too.

Palm muting? forget it with this guitar, won't work. But remember, it's an 'art guitar', and as such it's basically a one-off instrument, playable as-is, but unless there are a few changes made it's not going to be universally usable by many players.

I'm exclusively a fingerpicker, and can't palm mute anyway, so the Marz will suit me just fine, and that's all that matters with this guitar, it's for me, and not likely ever a production guitar, and if it does make it to mass production, modifications could be made to address the muting question.

All of my other guitars that are being produced use coverless bridge that would allow palm muting. Unless the bridge cover is made easily removable, it's a muteless bugger.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by ashtray

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Ok, it doesn't turn a 2 minute job into an hour like the truss rod thing, but it does complicate string changes and setups with a couple extra steps.

Until I have one in my hands, I won't be certain how difficult changing a string might be with this thing, but being a string-through like a telecaster, it may not be too difficult to thread the string in from the back, and perhaps get a needle-nose pliers onto the end and pull it out over the saddles. I'll just have to wait and see.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by ashtray

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Ok, it doesn't turn a 2 minute job into an hour like the truss rod thing, but it does complicate string changes and setups with a couple extra steps.

Until I have one in my hands, I won't be certain how difficult changing a string might be with this thing, but being a string-through like a telecaster, it may not be too difficult to thread the string in from the back, and perhaps get a needle-nose pliers onto the end and pull it out over the saddles. I'll just have to wait and see.

[jpnyc]

Both the string replacement and muting issues could be solved by attaching the cover to a hinge, with a foam block on the inside for muting, and a spring or two that pushes it back up after a mute.

[jpnyc]

Both the string replacement and muting issues could be solved by attaching the cover to a hinge, with a foam block on the inside for muting, and a spring or two that pushes it back up after a mute.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by jpnyc

Both the string replacement and muting issues could be solved by attaching the cover to a hinge, with a foam block on the inside for muting, and a spring or two that pushes it back up after a mute.

If it gets to the point where a decision has to be made on the matter of muting, that might be one way to address it.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by jpnyc

Both the string replacement and muting issues could be solved by attaching the cover to a hinge, with a foam block on the inside for muting, and a spring or two that pushes it back up after a mute.

If it gets to the point where a decision has to be made on the matter of muting, that might be one way to address it.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by ashtray

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Actually, I was hoping that the entire guitar would have to be replaced if (when) a string broke....but I supppose if that sort of thing got around it might hurt potential sales a bit.

[John Backlund]

Originally Posted by ashtray

So if you break a string, you need to remove the pickguard first to be able to remove the bridge cover?

Actually, I was hoping that the entire guitar would have to be replaced if (when) a string broke....but I supppose if that sort of thing got around it might hurt potential sales a bit.