JPF Home Page Forums Creative Arts Forums Visual Arts and Photography Forum Building an electric sitar

If at first you don't succeed

That would be the title of this section.
I was not happy with the bridge. It wasn't creating the characteristic sound I wanted. So I reshaped the pieces. Now they are a bit smaller and fold around the existing saddles.


Though they look better, they still don't have the sound I want. There's just not a solid transfer of string to body, and so I abandoned this version too. I got the best sound when I went to the brass piano pedals, so it was time to rethink. I stripped out ALL of the hardware from the bridge plate started with a chunk of Delrin again with the brass pedal on top of it. Excellent transfer of sound. So I determined which section of pedal would give me the best intonation, leveled the Delrin and cut it to size:


When it was assembled, it was tonally gorgeous. The brass forces the radius to be flat, but I can live with that. It raises the outer strings so it's easier to bend without bottoming out, and the lower pitched strings can be plucked harder without hitting the frets. It was easy to position it too, and I found the best place for intonation. All strings (are almost spot on for correct intonation (the G string is just a hair flat, but bending it will easily compensate). Here's the final bridge in position.


And a full view of the final assembly. Hard to believe that the workshop (to the left) was buried in snow when started this project.


And another closer view - I love this baby! It is very hard to put this one down.


The biggest problem I have now is... NO CASE!!! I suppose I have to make that next.
This has been quite an enjoyable ride. Thanks to everyone for their kind words through this process, and I do hope to figure out some computer-based audio recording software so I can record sound samples. Good thing THAT wasn't a requirement for the finale!!!