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BRIDGE HEIGHT?
From Stardust on 12/4/2013 5:33:02 PM
Anyone here using a 1/2" bridge rather than 5/8" on their GF series Gold Star?
My own GF-300 came with a 5/8" bridge, but when I first installed it, the action seemed pretty high (> 3/16" at the 18th fret), Some say that this measurement is about right (1/8"-5/32" at 12th fret), but it sure seemed high to me.
Anyway, I played it that way for a while, but then I decided to refinish the wood rim, and since the re-assembly two-weeks later, it now seems even worse. Something seems to has shifted slightly, but whatever the case, I may have to shave down the ebony cap on my original 5/8" bridge by 1/16" or so, or possibly opt for a 1/2" bridge.
Any thoughts or experiences to share?
7 Comments |
 | G says:
12/4/2013 8:13:17 PM
Sorry I can't add anything. I haven't touched a thing on the banjo, and I don't think the original owner (who I bought it from) did either. That said, I find the action fairly low, but I really don't have a lot to compare it to. It's low compared to my old Hondo ... probably not a useful metric.
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 | Stardust says:
12/5/2013 11:28:21 AM
G,
Thanks for responding and no worries. Since I wrote this entry here yesterday, I resolved my problem with the excessively high action by properly adjusting the two coordinator rods.
I've learned an awful lot about banjos in recent weeks, and one of the key things I've now learned is how critical the two coordinator rods are in the proper setup of a banjo. I'll probably compose a dedicated thread about this in the open forum under "Banjo Building, Setup & Repair", but safe to say, the slightest adjustment of tension on the two coordinator rods can have a huge impact on the string height (or action). Some folks, including some very experienced luthiers, argue that coordinator rods should never be used to adjust the action, but I am no longer in agreement with that school of thought. There's no way! In fact, its clear to me now that one of the principal purposes of having two separate coordinator rods is to help adjust the proper action on the neck. Its an incredibly simple and useful tool.
Anyway, thanks again, and best regards.
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 | Hankon5 says:
3/23/2014 11:40:24 PM
Co rods are where you want to make sure you have the proper height..but be careful. 1/4 turn max. Some say adjust the string height via the size of the bridge. If lowering the bridge height gives you what you want..make sure you can you still maintain a good picking angle. The main issue is to have the proper BOW on the neck...then stop!!!! There are other ways to adjust the string height once this is done.
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| Hankon5 says:
4/21/2014 10:26:08 PM
I thought you were adjusting the neck rod. I would suggest that you leave the co rods at neutral....Rim may bend a little and cause intonation problems.. Most here leave them at neutral. The Neck rod located on your head stock may be the one you need to adjust while keeping the co rods at neutral. But remember what I said in my other post ...a little turn does a lot. There should be a slight bow in the neck String height action is usually done here. My GF 100 came with a 5/8 but the action was not to my liking. So, I went to a 1/2 inch bridge.......bad choice...to close to the head where I started to head pick! I then adjusted the action at the head stock with about a 1/4 to 3/8 turn, and voila!!! Perfect hight with a 5/8 bridge ...head picking was reduced a lot. I now use a .656 bridge and changed my angle of attack with my picking hand. The result was dramatic..I seldom hit the head unless I really lean on the strings for during a large jam.
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| Hankon5 says:
4/21/2014 10:33:52 PM
BTW ..a 1/8 inch to 3/16 at the 22nd fret is about right where most pickers set the strings. Any lower may cause string to buzz ...or any higher sometimes pull offs and hammer-ons are a bit more difficult to get a good tone. At least that's my experience. I find pull offs to be much easier for me when the string is just above the buzz height. And fretting seems to be a lot easier and tonal qualities a bit clearer, especially when up to speed.
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 | Jonny5 says:
6/1/2014 7:35:22 AM
Mine is somewhere in-between. Seems to be a modified 5/8. feet sanded to make it 9/16 high. It came that way with my 1981 GF-85 which arrived two weeks ago. A sticker inside indicates that John Bolding worked on it back in 07, new head and bridge. I've only played it for about 10 minutes. It's very comfortable to play set this way and sounds terrific. I will get pics up on my home page.
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| Jonny5 says:
7/11/2014 4:43:08 PM
Finally got pictures up. Check my '81 Gold Star' photo album.
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