Bridges
In 1990 I designed a “pinless” bridge, which anchors the strings by sliding their ball ends over steel posts at the rear of the bridge, so that I can brace the top with my hybrid X-and-fan design. The original design has individual saddle posts to encourage greater separation of response between the courses: however, if amplified with an under-the-saddle transducer, a traditional bone saddle is used.
In addition to the freedom it provides me for top bracing, this design has several advantages for the player as well: Changing strings is much easier and faster; the wound strings aren’t abraded by pulling them through a classical-style tieblock; and intonation and string-height adjustments are made much faster and easier by simply lifting the string off its saddle post, making the adjustment, and replacing the string. The string tension remains unchanged throughout the adjustment, and the string even remains in tune.
In addition to the freedom it provides me for top bracing, this design has several advantages for the player as well: Changing strings is much easier and faster; the wound strings aren’t abraded by pulling them through a classical-style tieblock; and intonation and string-height adjustments are made much faster and easier by simply lifting the string off its saddle post, making the adjustment, and replacing the string. The string tension remains unchanged throughout the adjustment, and the string even remains in tune.
