Hellga - Posted - 09/18/2009:  21:09:09

I will preface this by saying these things: #1, I do not play guitar at all. #2, I have been googling this for a while and found nothing helpful at all. #3, The reason I am asking and he is not, is because I am the technologically enabled one...he sucks at using the internet!

I bought my husband a Johnson resonator for his birthday a few years ago, and we're getting ready to replace the cheap crappy cone it came with. We bought one on stewmac, along with a set of coverplate screws and a new maple biscuit bridge. We have put off replacing these items, however, because neither of us has ANY idea how to make the bridge work! The one in the resonator has grooves for the strings. What is the best way to replicate that? Hand saw? Dremel? File?

We really want to get this right the first time and not have to buy another danged bridge. We already went through two cones because they kept getting mangled in the shipping process. I'd really rather not have to wait on any more parts!

Thanks in advance for any help you all are able to give ^_^ We eagerly await any answers we might get!

fibrebundle - Posted - 09/18/2009:  22:08:03

You will need to (a) cut the new saddle to the correct height (b) shape the saddle of the new biscuit bridge along the lines of the old saddle and (c) cut string slots into the saddle. To do part (a), put the cone in and string up your reso. Measure the height of the sixth string above the twelfth fret. If you wish to decrease it by an amount x, you will need to file down the height of the saddle by twice that much. You can use any hacksaw to cut the saddle down to the required height. To carry out (b), mark the outline of the old saddle on a piece of paper, put the paper on the new saddle, and mark it with a pencil on the new saddle. Remember that since you have already cut it down to the required height, you just need to shape the top along the lines of the old saddle top. This shaping can be done with sandpaper. To carry out (c), get hold of 'welding tip cleaners', which are great for cutting string slots, and are cheap. You can get them here:
amazon.com/US-Forge-Welding-Cl...01&sr=8-2

DNickell - Posted - 09/19/2009:  06:34:17

I don't know how much experience your husband has with tools and working on instruments. You might be better off just to look for a local guitar store that does repairs. Having the right tools makes a huge difference; and having some experience with things like getting the action (if its a round neck) and intonation right and getting the slots in the bridge the right depth and width will determine whether the change is an improvement, or just a change.

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How do you know you can't if you never tried?

Slideman1939 - Posted - 09/19/2009:  13:24:13

Slideman suggests: for cutting the string slots in the saddle ( compared to the hacksaw blade mentioned above) there are tiny files available. They are called "Needle Files". They come in a plastic pouch as a 'set' of 4 or 5 (widths and sizes). They are usually quite cheap if you get them at a hobby shop or a Harbor Freight retail store. Don't file too deep. You want a rounded slot for the string to sit in--but not a deep slot lower than the diameter of the string.The usual rule is 50% of the diameter of the string sits in slot and the other 50% of the diameter is above the slot.On the first 2 (unwound) strings, you may only need 4 or 5 strokes of that thin needle file to create a proper slot---that holds the string in place---but does NOT have the string buried down in the wood. The other necessity is to have all the strings the same depth (horizontal) in the saddle. If you have one slot filed too deep, the string sits too deep, and will buzz with the bottom of the slide bar or slide touches it. A check on your slot file work would be to string it up with just the cone and tailpiece ( not with the coverplate re-installed yet). Very lightly with the slide bar at the 12th fret LIGHTLY run your thumbpick across all 6 strings--listening for a clean note and no buzzing---which confirms you have filed all 6 slots to same horizontal depth. If one string buzzes then note which string----because the other five slots will need to lowered with a few strokes of the needle file (down to the slot depth of the string that was filed too deep). It is not as complicated as it sounds and simply involves common sense in not going too wild or deep with the needle file..........a little filing goes a long way....especially on .014 & .016 top strings.