Fixed bridge
The simplest type of bridge is also known as a Hardtail bridge . These bridges consist of a piece , usually metallic , fixed to the body and made up of six saddles ( holes ) through which each string passes through the instrument and remains fixed inside . Thanks to the saddles you can adjust the height and make a fine adjustment to the tone of the strings .
A variant used historically on the Telecaster is the Ashtray bridge , where the adjustment is done in pairs using only three saddles ( this sometimes led to compromising the sound a bit to keep the strings well balanced , which is why there are currently modern variations with six saddles ). The unmistakable look and sound of the Telecaster , with a metal plate hugging the saddles and bridge pickup , originally corresponded to this type of bridge .
Another variant , this time from Gibson guitars , is the Tune-O- Matic ( TOM or Stop Tail ) bridge . It also has six saddles with which the intonation can be adjusted , but not the height , which is modified simultaneously with two pieces at the ends . In addition , it can have a horizontal metal bar ( stop tail / stop bar ) that traps the strings on the outside , although it can also lack it and the strings enter the guitar directly .
Tremolo bridge
Synchronized or American Standard tremolo : Typically associated with Stratocaster-style guitars . It is an articulated and mobile bridge , made up of a lever and a piece with springs . These pieces act in such a way that , by moving the lever , the tuning of the guitar can be varied as desired and allows the vibrato ( or tremolo ) effect to be created with it .
On vintage Stratocasters , the bridge is attached to the body with six screws , and on more modern Strats with two . Although it is the most common and offers endless possibilities , overusing the tremolo arm can put your guitar out of tune very quickly , especially on some of the cheap models .
The Bigsby bridge , also with a lever and vibrato effect but with less travel , is visually very attractive and gives the guitar a special charm . It is similar to the Tune-O-Matic , leaving the strings on the outside . They are fixed to a cylindrical bar that is part of the bridge and rotates through the lever . Its use also carries the risk of losing pitch , but as it is associated with softer genres than Metal , its use is more occasional and it is not usually abused .
Floating and semi-floating bridges
A variant of the tremolo bridge that attempts to reduce detuning problems is the Floyd Rose , one of the most fun to use . This bridge locks the strings at the height of the nut using screw closures , which limits detuning even if the lever is abused . This allowed the great artists of rock and metal in the 80s to create sounds that were hitherto unheard of . But this type of bridge is not without drawbacks , for example , it complicates changing strings and requires cutting the strings to remove them and using an Allen key to insert the new ones . Tuning is complicated and the process is more complex , requiring several attempts and using the Allen key and micro tuners located on the bridge .
Another variant that uses a dam on the nut to prevent detuning is the Kahler bridge , whose main variation features the springs on the outside , on the bridge itself . Thus , it has a path ( range of movement ) similar to the Floyd Rose but allows you to adjust height , intonation and even separation of the strings individually .
Ibanez also has a variant of the Floyd Rose called the Ibanez Edge ( also Edge Pro ) bridge .
The Score Magazine highonscore . com
49