vintage stella guitar bridges

[jjang1993]

anybody know where i can buy a replacement? would an archtop guitar bridge work fine?

[MBWendel]

I'm not sure. However, there are a few places that make reproductions of the Stella/Larson/Scmidt ladder-braced guitars. I would try Todd Cambio at Fraulini guitars - he's a nice guy. Dell 'Arte is another. I know there are more, as well.

 

Good luck.

[jjang1993]

hmm by any chance does anybody know what these stella guitars are made outta?

will using an archtop bridge get me any more volume acoustically?

 

which strings give more volume 80/20 bronze or phosphor?

[Freeman Keller]

If it is a true vintage Stella (prewar), I don't know a lot but they were very lightly ladder braced guitars, most of which have not survived the years. I do have plans for an old Stella 12 string and could look up the details on that bridge for you. And archtop bridge will not work without substantial modification because it is arched for the top (duh). You could try sanding one down flat and see if it will be the correct height or have one made.

 

I know that some of the repro Stellas have used pin bridges, but I wouldn't recommend that on a ladder braced guitar - the X bracing on our modern ones is designed to counter act the rocking of the fixed bridge and I think you need the trapeeze to anchor the strings.

 

Here is a link to another forum that has some people that know old gits like this a lot better than I do.

 

http://www.guitarseminars.com/cgi-bin//forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&number=1&SUBMIT=Go

[jjang1993]

yeah my guitar has a tailpiece with a piece of wood as a bridge. it has no pins.

 

i was told that oscar schmit stella guitars were made with better woods and after WWII i think the stella company was given to harmony guitars to make cheaper built plywood guitars. the back on my guitar looks like a darker wood.

 

i was also told harmony stellas had a stars under the logo, and an inlay at the 9th fret, unlike the OS stellas with the inlay at the 10th.

 

my stella has not star, but theres an inlay at the 9th fret.

 

can anybody tell of this is a pre or post war stella?

[Freeman Keller]

Here is a link to a vintage Stella 12 string on evil-bay (note the opening bid!). The bridge on this one is definitely NOT an archtop type of floating bridge - in fact this looks very much like an old martin pyramid bridge without the pin holes. One big difference between this and an archtop (besides the arch) is that it is guled on.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/c-1935-Stella-12-String-Acoustic-Guitar-Rare-Jumbo_W0QQitemZ140091300046QQihZ004QQcategoryZ2385QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem