Bridge recommendations

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Deering owners club

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652 Members, Created 1/27/2011 -

Administrators: Randyc1959 (owner)

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From RUSTYSTILL on 7/29/2011 11:46:04 PM

I have owned a Deering Calico for about a year and a half now and am still in love as much as the day I brought her home. Every time I pick her up and pluck a chord I think "what a nice banjo". Anyway, I was practicing this evening and noticed a buzz on the 3rd string up around the 14-16th frets and then looked down and saw a sag in the bridge. The head feels pretty tight but I'll try tightening it just a little more. I use GHS PF 160s because the bronze wound 4th string give her a fuller richer tone that I like rather than the higher thinner sound some players like. Any suggestions for bridges I might try that would give me the same sound or better (louder and richer) as the bridge that came from Deering? Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim

8 Comments
	BDCA says: 7/30/2011 5:00:52 AM Tighten the head first and see if that makes the buzz disappear. How is the action and neck relief. Hot humid weather makes the neck absorb moisture and it will expand and the action will drop. When I took my GDL from AZ to the East Coast, the banjo was unplayable after two weeks in the NE humidity. There are lots of bridges out there to play with but first I would work on getting the setup right. Cya! Bob
	BDCA says: 7/30/2011 5:02:41 AM There is also coordinator rod adjustment for MINOR changes in action height. Check your manual or download one from the web site. Cya Bob
	tkocason says: 7/30/2011 7:40:23 AM I agree, the manual should help, I would leave the coordinator rods at neutral though, so you don"t sacrifice tone. I got a Snuffy Smith 11/16 bridge to raise my action, don't have buzzing problems any more and the tone is awesome on my Maple Blossom. There are lot's of good bridges, it's more important, I think, to have it adjusted in the right place.
	RUSTYSTILL says: 7/31/2011 12:00:29 PM Thanks for the info everyone. The bridge is definitely sagging. I tightened the head quite a bit since it was depressed at the bridge location and it stopped the buzzing. Not sure how tight is too tight but I didn't split the head but backed off a bit to where I could just depress the head without getting the buzz. Decided I still need a new bridge so am trying a Snuffy Smith 111 that probably the most positive revies of any on a review page I found. Thanks again. Jim
	calico says: 8/2/2011 2:56:35 PM you might try a bart veerman bridge i use yhese bridges on my calico and sierra , wonderful
	RUSTYSTILL says: 8/2/2011 8:19:15 PM Hi Noel, Thanks for the tip. Actually my choice was down to the Veerman but chose the Snuffy Smith because they had those at Elderlys and I was placing an order the for strings and trying out a Fielding bridge for my Whyte Laydie. Over in the unofficial Martin guitar forum there is a travelling pick pack I just had the opportunity to try which contained about 80 different picks (some of them costing more than the good banjo bridges). It'd be cool if there could be a travelling banjo bridge pack so that one could compare picks like this prior to buying. Thanks for the note and the Veerman is on my wish list. Jim
	tkocason says: 8/4/2011 4:45:57 PM Why you wishing, the Thumb pick that Bart Veerman sells is awesome too.
	bobb62 says: 8/24/2011 6:40:25 PM Kind of pricey, but my wife bought me a Blue Chip thumb pick for my birthday. I love it. Best fitting, most comfortable ever. I had her order the JD Crowe version.
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