Floating bridge...

[voneville]

I've heard numerous mentions of double stick tape to keep a floating bridge in place while the strings are off. Does this deaden sound at all? The reason I ask this is because I've heard painting the neck pocket on a solid body can affect tone because you are taking away wood to wood contact. It stands to reason that a piece of tape would do the same thing. I used a machinist rule to measure mine and make sure it was in the same place when I removed the foam on my Artcore. I also lowered my action, so I had to do some fine tuning anyhow. I was thinking though, some blue masking tape would probably do the trick holding it down while if you needed to take the strings off. If this has been covered already, my bad

[jjpistols]

I use double stick poster tape, no complaints at all

 

make sure it is "wall safe" so there are no finish worries

[numbthumb]

I have a floating wooden bridge on my AK85.

 

When the AK had factory strings (prolly 10s), the bridge was pretty mobile and after playing a while with palm-muting, etc, I'd had to move the bridge back into position.

This was only a minor irritation. I found I could set up the intonation (if required) in about a minute. Not what you want on stage perhaps, but no sweat for use around the house.

 

I went to 13s for meatier sound, and I like the feel of flat-wound 13s. The bridge never moves now. Period.

 

For keeping the bridge in place while changing strings, I suggest you leave a couple of strings with tension up while you change the others out, then change the last two strings.

 

Since the intonation is so easy to set up with a floating bridge, I would really call this a non-issue.

 

The only 'issue' to my mind is if you want a floating bridge and light strings and don't like the bridge slipping down while you play.

 

Of course, if you come to HC for an opinion, it's always two-for-the-price-of-one.