A GT CC-OT was my first banjo, and I still have it. Good banjo. The guitar tuners aren't pretty, but they hold tune just fine. I put a Don New (Stringbean45) bridge on it. I think it has Crowe spacing. My only suggestion is that if you're looking for mellow, go for a heavier bridge.

Thanks.

My suspicion is that's the major difference between the two I'm considering.

Crowe spacing is only about 1/16" wider than regular bridge spacing, so I doubt that anyone's fingers can tell the difference. My old Janet Davis setup video stated that the Crowe spacing helped reduce overtones, which might be a better reason to use it. I think all my banjos have the have Crowe spacing. There are bridges with even wider spacing that may be better for large hands, but your neck and fingerboard will have to accommodate them.

What makes a bluegrass bridge a bluegrass bridge? Nothing.
Old time banjo players from a century ago didn't have any specific bridge that they used. They made do with what was available. Early bluegrass banjo players did the same. What makes one bridge better than another for a certain style depends on the listener's ear.
Now, after that rant;
A heavier bridge would likely give you a more mellow tone but, make the final judgement with your ears. Not all things work the way they are supposed to.

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Originally posted by Culloden

What makes a bluegrass bridge a bluegrass bridge? Nothing.
 

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I get that... I didn't mean it in the general sense, I was more looking to see if anybody had insight into what the difference is between the Sampson bridge that he calls "Standard," and the one that he calls "Bluegrass" (aside from the obvious visual things like that the standard is slightly asymmetrical and the bluegrass has a wider footprint).  And, hopefully, insight into how they might compare tonally, or from a playability standpoint.  

I make bluegrass bridges with a maple base (Sullivan roasted) and an ebony top.A weight of 2.24 grams is the most commonly purchased.
My clawhammer customers like my sycamore base with a rosewood top at a weight of 2.7 grams on the average.
Any wood,string spacing and weight are available for custom orders.

I'm a big fan of Tim Purcell's Black Locust bridges; they sound great on my open backs. I went from Crowe Spaced back to standard myself, but all my banjos have a wider nut(1-3/8) for my beefy fingers.

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Originally posted by jacot23

I'm a big fan of Tim Purcell's Black Locust bridges; they sound great on my open backs. I went from Crowe Spaced back to standard myself, but all my banjos have a wider nut(1-3/8) for my beefy fingers.

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DItto on the Purcell Black Locust bridges!

I have a Gold Tone CC-OT. It was my first and only banjo for about 9 years and when I finally “upgraded” I tweaked the Gold Tone and still use it with nylgut strings.

While mine had steel strings, it was stock most of the time. Eventually, I bought a heavy moon bridge and I thought that was an improvement.

When I was getting ready to convert the banjo over to nylgut, I contacted Don New about making me a minstrel bridge. I also had him make me one of his “spillway dam” bridges. I tried the spillway dam bridge on the Gold Tone and liked it there as well.

Between the spillway and moon bridge, on my particular banjo, it would be splitting hairs to tell them apart. I have other banjos that I think the moon bridge sounds better on and others that the spillway sounds better on.

Are you looking for 11/16 as in the links?

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Originally posted by Warfrat73

Nevertheless, I'm probably going to put a new bridge on it pretty much right away. Based on the recordings I've heard, I will want to mellow it out a bit, get a little more thump and a bit less top end and overtones.

I'm leaning towards a Sampson walnut bridge. But, I'd prefer the wider Crowe spacing to help accommodate my full-figured fingers.

I'm a bit torn between, then, between the standard walnut Sampson (elderly.com/products/sampson-s...806035008) and the bluegrass model with Crowe spacing (elderly.com/products/sampson-b...728639552).

 

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I've used a Rick Sampson walnut bridge quite a bit on my Ome. That Ome, with a maple neck and a brass flange, is vey bright, and the Sampson bridge does mellow it out. I reviewed his bridges for Banjo NewsLetter years ago, and have been a fan ever since. For general purposes, the walnut is my favorite. I also have a Brazilian rosewood bridge that's too mellow and dark for general purposes, though I sometimes use it for less traditional material.

I think the Sampson bridges I have all use the Crowe spacing. In my experience, it might take a day or so to get used to it if you've been using regular spacing, but it's no big deal, really.

Here's the Ome with the walnut bridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdEtwGWA658 .

Here it is with the rosewood bridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLAdJi_CM54 .

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Originally posted by lightgauge

Are you looking for 11/16 as in the links?

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I was leaning towards it, but planning on waiting until it actually arrives to decide.  My understanding is that it comes with a 5/8" and I thought I might want something a touch taller.

Thanks for the input everybody.

I have never thrown away a well-made banjo bridge. When I replace a bridge, I save it to a box of bridges, after I have tried anything I have on the banjo. I prefer certain new bridges, but I still try whatever I have if it helps the set-up.
Some types I DON'T use are the ones with plastic or bone inserts in the "saddle" and "stair-step" compensated bridges.

Well, that CC-OT just showed up, and I was surprised to pull it out of the case and find that it has planetary tuners on it as opposed to the guitar style ones listed, so that's a nice little value added bit.

First impressions are positive. It doesn't have that cheap toy like feeling that you find in other inexpensive instruments. And the neck feels much better to me than the couple of Goodtimes that I've played around with.

As beegee says, always try every bridge in your box. You never know which one will be lightning in a bottle for one particular banjo. They can surprise you.

I currently own exactly two bridges, the ones that came on the two banjos that I own, thus my need for guidance.

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Originally posted by Warfrat73

I currently own exactly two bridges, the ones that came on the two banjos that I own, thus my need for guidance.

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I owned two bridges for almost 40 years.  Now?  I don't even want to talk about it...

But I now believe it is true that the choice of bridge has more influence on your banjo tone than any other single factor.

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Originally posted by Eric A

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Originally posted by Warfrat73

I currently own exactly two bridges, the ones that came on the two banjos that I own, thus my need for guidance.

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I owned two bridges for almost 40 years.  Now?  I don't even want to talk about it...

But I now believe it is true that the choice of bridge has more influence on your banjo tone than any other single factor.

 

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 I agree 100 % that the right bridge for your banjo is a HUGE factor in getting great tone dialed in from your banjo, it's also the least expensive way to really enhance the tone. 

I've always said that the perfect bridge for your banjo is out there somewhere & it's up to the owner find it. As it has been stated before, a bridge that lights up your banjo could be a dud on another banjo. It just depends on set up, type of banjo,picking style, etc.  And it's always nice to have extra bridges to try, for sure. 

The hunt is always fun, trying to find that PERFECT bridge for your banjo ! 

Brian

When I found the "perfect" bridge I measured it,weighed it,saw how the grain was oriented,the type(s) of wood and the tension of the head.
Now I can make an identically sounding bridge armed with this information.