Check my new video out! I'm comparing 7 popular bridges:
1. Dotson - 2.23g
2. Grover style - 2.46g
3. New Generation Snuffy Smith - 2.28g
4. Prowler - 2.35g
5. Purcell - 2.2g
6. Scorpion - 2.3g
7. Wadsworth True-5 - 2.2g
Edited by - 5stringrules on 01/05/2023 15:48:52
Fun video. While there are subtle differences, I thought that they all sounded good. Number 7 was the exception and was a no for me. It seemed a bit muddy in comparison.
I am one who is not into tinkering so much, and have never really gotten into experimenting with bridges, but this video is fascinating. Assuming that all other factors are the same (mic placement, etc) then the differences are really noticeable.
Each on their own, without any point of reference, sound like a banjo to me. Compared to each other like this, subtle things do jump out. But none I hear that would make me lean heavily one way or another.
Doug, I didn't realize you had a radiussed fingerboard! What banjo are you using for these demos?
Anyway, interesting video, worth watching for sure.
Doug, very nice bridge presentation, is there a big gram weight difference between the bridges or are they all the same weight ? To my ears, they all are in the ball park for what I'm looking for in a bridge except for number 7.
I want clarity, good note separation & a strong forth string bottom end. I like number 3, 4 & 6 in that order.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Brian
quote:
Originally posted by banjoyI am one who is not into tinkering so much, and have never really gotten into experimenting with bridges, but this video is fascinating. Assuming that all other factors are the same (mic placement, etc) then the differences are really noticeable.
Each on their own, without any point of reference, sound like a banjo to me. Compared to each other like this, subtle things do jump out. But none I hear that would make me lean heavily one way or another.
Doug, I didn't realize you had a radiussed fingerboard! What banjo are you using for these demos?
Anyway, interesting video, worth watching for sure.
Hey Frank, hope all is well with you. It's a Davis neck attached to my only banjo pot, a Yates rim & ring and mahogany resonator.
quote:
Originally posted by LouZee PickerDoug, very nice bridge presentation, is there a big gram weight difference between the bridges or are they all the same weight ? To my ears, they all are in the ball park for what I'm looking for in a bridge except for number 7.
I want clarity, good note separation & a strong forth string bottom end. I like number 3, 4 & 6 in that order.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Brian
Hey Brian, all the gram weights are between 2.3g-2.8g. I find myself putting on the Grover clone a lot. But to my ears on the recording, I like the Prowler and the Scorpion the best.
In no particular order, I like the Dotson, Purcell, and Wadsworth the best. Good combo of dryness, sustain, and depth. But there isn't a dud among them, all the bridges sounded very nice.
The Dotson and Wadsworth are strikingly similar tonally, IMO.
Edited by - HuberTone on 01/05/2023 07:36:08
They all sound the same to me. 
quote:
Originally posted by OwenThey all sound the same to me.
That's what I thought. The differences were very subtle, only the last one had something a bit different.
Good video though because people talk alot about bridges but rarely are there any recordings. It would be good to get a cheap basic bridge in there as well.
I think like the Snuffy, the Prowler and the Scorpion best, but not necessarily in that order. All of them sounded real good though.
Unusual to find any 7 bridges that sound so much alike, even from the same maker.
Thanks for sharing.
2 and 3 sounded different a tad. All the others the same for me. No preference here.
Very cool video -- thanks for taking the time to reliably demonstrate this! I listened on my phone initially, and just now on studio monitors... the relatively nuanced differences do become more apparent with more revealing speakers.
FWIW there seemed to be a more pronounced resonant ringyness to the 1rst string in clip #7 -- made me wonder if the string wasn't ideally seated in the notch... or the action was slightly lower resulting in the string slightly bottoming out on a fret?
THe Dodson sounded best to my ears, warm and balanced. A few others were similar, Some of the others showed more treble and twanginess, like the last 3, one made the banjo sound kinda stuffed up, like it had a cold or something. None sounded bad.
Nice review, wish I had better audio on the PC to hear it.
On that note I have a 656 Silvio bridge thats replaces a Kateye.
Major improvement , that Kateeye was a good bridge but the Silvio Crowe 656
makes Harmonics jump of the string, it sounded like I changed strings after I put it on
and got it intonated..best purchase Ive ever made,
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