8
bridge will have to be moved closer to the
tailpiece. Otherwise, move it further away
from the tailpiece (see drawing).
Check the same for the fifth string, but
this time try to move only the bass side
of the bridge, as you should not modify
its position for the string that you
adjusted first.
Notes:
Some bridges may be hard to move.
Don’t force anything, you can
damage the top if you press hard on it
.
Better loosen the strings.
Worn strings, deformed from playing or dirty can be impossible to
play in tune—never try to adjust the compensation for old strings,
it’s wasted time.
Some wound strings have defects in the uniformity of their
windings that make them useless. Plain strings have their problems
too: some show a kind of coiling right out of the package that
doesn’t correspond to the curvature that they assumed while in
the package—don’t use these, especially if they are in a low
tension set.
The fixed bridges found in archtop guitars don’t allow a perfect
adjustment for every string, but the discrepancy is usually quite
small.
The saddle in your guitar has been adjusted for string sets that
have a wound third string. If you use a plain third, you may need a
different saddle. Inquire.
