Although the bridge that came with my Recording King RK35 is quite decent, I wonder if any RK owners have had good results with other bridges.
I have a RKR36 and have found several other bridges that work well with it, and there are some that would if I tried them. Had an SS installed on it when I purchased it, found a Scorpion to do well also. I am of the opinion though that you are just going to have to try different bridges to see what works and what you think. Hard to know what any particular bridge is going to do on a banjo until it is actually on it. YMMV.
Bobby
Use a lighter bridge to brighten things up, a heavier bridge to calm things down and compensated bridge to sound good.
I would imagine that RK-35 owners here have tried and had good results with all the bridges you might have heard of.
I can't imagine a Snuffy, Scorpion, Dotson, Sullivan, Purcell, Kat Eyz, Davis or any bridge I'm forgetting (but of some appropriate weight and height) not sounding good on an RK-35.
Of course the "good results" that someone else got with a certain bridge on their RK-35 might not sound good to you. So I have to repeat what Bobby said: You're just going to have to try different bridges to discover what you like.
And let's not forget the impact on sound of head tension and tailpiece type and adjustment. Not to mention your own picking hand.
Have fun.
Edited by - Old Hickory on 10/27/2025 14:51:01
You can't go wrong with a "Sullivan Roasted Maple", they are $10 and are great on most banjos!!
Try an Aztec bridge. They are made by BHO member Brian Munday (LouZee Picker) and are exceptional bridges. Tell him what kind of sound you are looking for and he will tailor a bridge for you. Haven't found a bad one yet and I've tried just about every bridge under the sun.
@LouZee Picker
Edited by - banjoez on 11/03/2025 16:36:52
Most of us who play banjo have arrived at our favorite bridge by trial and error, maybe by buying a half-dozen differing bridges and trying them all in a fairly short time, or playing various ones over a longer period, effectively doing an extended series of a/b tests, and continuing to use the preferred bridge. Either way works. Ii
I put a Purcell on my friends banjo when he was ready for a tune up. Blew me away how good it was.
