Vintage Pyramid vs. "Belly" bridge.....DIY acoustic

[* velcro-fly *]

I'm almost done with my first acoustic DIY project - bought all the parts from a guy who has access to Martin 2nds.....pre-bent sides, a bolt on style neck...got a mold and had a great time doing it. Got all the tools through LMI, even routed out the binding and purfling channel....

 

I've got both an ebony "Belly" style bridge, and a Vintage Pyramid style bridge. I like the look of the Pyramid bridge better.

 

Any pros and cons between using either of the bridges?

 

Thanks ~

Steve E

[bjorn-fjord]

I too prefer the look of the pyramid bridge. Pyramid bridges were used primarily on vintage small-bodied guitars like Martin 1, 0, and 00's (although I recently saw a vintage reproduction Martin 000 with a pyramid bridge).

Some folks believe they are superior to the belly type bridges because they have less sound-deadening mass and surface area. Others think this makes them prone to lifting. Personally I think they are the bridge of choice on smaller-bodied guitars provided one is using lighter-gauge strings. I would not use a pyramid on a larger guitar simply because I think it wouldn't look right.

While we're on the topic...

One thing many new guitar makers overlook (because it's often not mentioned in instruction books) is that the bottom of the bridge should be contoured to match the curve of the soundboard. It is generally accepted that a great sounding guitar is one that does not possess a lot of internal tension. That is, all the parts are very carefully made to fit together in such a way that very little force is required during assembly. It is thought that this lack of tension allows the guitar to reverberate more freely. I can't tell you how many builders I have seen that glue a flat-bottomed bridge to a curved soundboard, immediately creating great tension in the top. It makes no sense.

[JasmineTea]

I think it looks better on the 000/00 size. bjorn fjord's post seems to make a lot of sense.

[Andrewrg]

What bf said,100%!