banjo prince - Posted - 08/22/2012:  13:40:37

hi guys ive just recieved my new rk 35 the bridge that it came with was seperate from the banjo and im not sure which way round it should face. there is no aparent wider groove for the forth string for starters and one face is sloping the other sort of 90 degrees to the head any advise please

Kevin B - Posted - 08/22/2012:  13:43:21

Any I have ever used, (mostly Snuffy Smith) you let it lean toward the tailpiece.

mbanza - Posted - 08/22/2012:  13:46:22

If the grooves are all the same, you need to size them to your strings sloping the notches down slightly toward the tailpiece.  The notches need to be round bottomed, a couple thousandths of an inch wider than the string, and only slightly deeper than half the string diameter.

banjo prince - Posted - 08/22/2012:  13:53:24

thanks ill try that

Ken LeVan - Posted - 08/22/2012:  13:57:04

The bridge should be at a right angle - 90˚ from the head at the back, which faces the tailpiece, then slope forward on the front, which faces the neck. The maker of the bridge puts their name on the front side so you know which side is which.

This is traditional bridge design for stringed instruments, going back to the time of Stradivarius.

Here's a picture of one of mine, as an illustration:

banjo prince - Posted - 08/22/2012:  14:17:32

thanks uncle

Emiel - Posted - 08/22/2012:  14:38:51

All bridges that I have, have a wider notch for the 4th string compared to that for the 2nd. But anyway, the sloped side faces the peghead, the straight side (right angle) faces the tailpiece...

beegee - Posted - 08/22/2012:  14:40:27

Emiel - Posted - 08/22/2012:  14:42:24

quote:

---

Originally posted by beegee

---

Nice illustration...

banjo prince - Posted - 08/22/2012:  14:50:39

thanks guys

wuzapicker - Posted - 08/22/2012:  15:53:26

I break a lot of rules with my 1924 Paramount Style C conversion. I cut bridges for that banjo so they tilt backward toward the tailpiece at around 3 degrees as seen in the photos below. This bridge is a 7/8" high Grover I selected for its grain. The Fiberskyn 2 head is tuned to A. String action is 5/64" over the 12th fret with a dead flat fingerboard. With medium strings, this bridge is driven with somewhat higher loading than on my Gibson RB3.

It ain't no master-clone but the banjo's sound can be heard in my rendition of Cripple Creek which I uploaded and posted before as Shooting Creek. The mp3 is attached here for reference.

Incidentally in the interest of full disclosure, the original tension hoop was replaced with an identical one from an Orpheum banjo. Someone cut a deep notch in the original tension hoop to clear the strings for a shallow head mount. The banjo had a battered calf head when I received it. The "Improved" Paramount window latch tailpiece is period but from another banjo. The hot dog armrest is a Paramount type from the late 1920's or 30's and much more comfortable than the period correct armrest. Thus by the estimation of some this banjo's originality has been badly compromised.