Banjo bridges are wooden devices that stand upright on the head of your banjo and secure strings at their proper height and spacing, without overtightening their tension. Before attaching one, however, you should loosen enough tension that it allows the bridge to slip easily under strings while staying erect on its base.
Adjustment
Many banjos require some adjustments before being ready to play, typically caused by tight strings buckling under string tension. Even the highest quality instruments often need minor tweaking before they’re playable. First check whether your strings are too tight, forcing it out of shape; next use a tuner or have someone who plays one show you how. If tuning yourself is new for you it might be wiser to consult someone experienced before trying it yourself.
Setting the bridge properly involves setting it at 12″-13″ from the nut (that ivory-looking thing where strings connect at peg head). Next, with your banjo in playing position and fretting the third string at its 12th fret – if this registers as bluegrass tuning on an electronic tuner then fret it at this fret; otherwise scoot your bridge back towards tail piece until G appears on tuner.
Deering offers bridges ranging in height from 5/8″ to 11/16″. A higher bridge will raise tension on strings across the top of your head and may improve tone; however, using taller bridges may require adjustments to achieve optimal use.
Last, one must consider that due to their larger diameter, lower strings typically need to be lengthened slightly for comfort and optimal playback. Therefore, millions of acoustic guitars feature slanted saddles to stretch the low strings further out.
Once the bridge is in its correct location, use a tuner to fine-tune and ensure all strings intonate properly up and down the neck. Next, on banjos with standard flatheads, adjust the truss rod nut under an access cover on the peghead to keep neck bow in check; tightening this will tighten neck tension and decrease bow, while loosening will increase bow.
Maintenance
A bridge does more than transfer vibrations from your strings to the banjo head; it also acts as a filter. Different bridges composed of different materials transmit sound differently and can alter your banjo’s tone, balance, and power – part of its appeal!
Adjusting the bridge height can also affect the “action” of your banjo, making it easier to press down on its strings and get them to resonate properly. Different banjo models may benefit from low action settings while others require higher action levels.
Sometimes when changing or replacing strings or putting back on, bits of the crowning material such as ebony can chip off from changing strings or attaching back onto the bridge. Provided it does not affect growth rings or create any potential issues, simply apply wood glue on the spot to secure its position and you should be good to go!
Bridges can become grubby over time, so it is wise to give them an occasional once-over with fine sand paper of either 320 or 400 grit. This will remove both dirt and some of the oil that has built up from playing your banjo. Steel wool of grade 0000 should also work just as effectively.
One of the more widespread misconceptions about banjo bridges is that finished ones won’t transmit as much sound. We conducted our own tests several years ago using both a Deering 5/8″ bridge finished in luthier’s oil and an unfinished plain maple bridge with highly accurate electronic scales – both measured exactly equal!
Every banjo player has his or her own distinct musical tastes and preferences when it comes to bridge selection, so if a particular bridge type produces the sound you desire then that should be used. Certain bridges come in flat or curved varieties which may make a difference to tone of your banjo; other builders use other kinds of wood such as birch, teak and rosewood which all transmit vibrations differently depending on which player chooses them.
Replacement
A banjo’s bridge is one of the few components that can be customized to change its tone, often to add different tones or address an issue with string action (the height of strings off of head). A new bridge can drastically transform both its sound and playability – these types of items can be found from several manufacturers in retail outlets or custom builders who specialize in them, as well as online sources.
Many types of wood are used for banjo bridges, each providing its own distinct sound. To find your ideal bridge material, it is a good idea to experiment with various options – starting with hard maple can be great but don’t overlook other wood types like birch, ebony and teak! Incorporating thickness, density and type can have a dramatic impact on how it sounds; lighter but less-dense maple will produce brighter tones while darker more dense wood types produce deeper soundscapes.
Consideration should also be given to the number of grain lines per inch on a piece of wood, since more lines indicate denser woods. A soft, less dense maple will have 10 or fewer lines per inch and sound great while harder woods such as Paduak or Zebrawood may contain far more grain lines per inch, though these don’t yield as satisfying tones.
Some traditional banjo players believe that a bridge needs time to “season,” which likely isn’t true but offers some nice advice.
Some may mistakenly believe that taller bridges are louder. This is not always the case, and should ultimately depend on your type of banjo, playing style and personal preferences – however most have settled on using 5/8 inch tall bridges for four and five string banjos to add some bass while simultaneously helping ensure they intonate correctly up and down the neck.
Choosing a Bridge
A banjo’s bridge is essential to its sound, intonation, and sustained sustain. For optimal results it should be constructed of high quality woods such as ebony. Furthermore, its design should allow maximum string vibration without hindering its tone production and adjustment should take place via tuner for easier results.
Tuners can assist with initial setup, but for fine-tuning it is best to use calipers. Calipers allow you to measure the distance between strings and fret boards in order to determine if a bridge is too far forward or back. Measurement should take place at each 12th fret. If an open string and its 12th fret harmonic do not match its note on the fret board then some adjustment needs to be made back, while too far forward requires adjustment forward.
There are various kinds of bridges on the market today. Some feature compensated third string notches to correct for natural slanting of this string in relation to other strings, while some feature wider bridge spacing to suit players who prefer larger fingerboards. There are even moon bridges which create a tilt to bring closer intonation for third string than first string intonation.
Changes to a bridge’s shape can also have an impactful impact on its sound. Sanding thinner bridges reduces their contact with the banjo head and may produce brighter, snappier tones; many plectrum and tenor banjo players have done this to their bridges.
There are a number of factors that can wreak havoc with a banjo’s intonation, from string changes and weather fluctuations to bridge adjustments and fret positioning issues. To keep your banjo in tune at all times, ensure its bridge and frets are appropriately set up by regularly checking its intonation and fret positioning.