bridge caps - or not

[Ron Torrella]

On Wed, 28 Dec 1994 CRANE@TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU wrote:

> Has anyone done much renotching of 'capless' bridges during repinning?
> I have not yet had the opportunity to do this but I suspect that it
> might be something of a challenge (to put it lightly).

I'd think that with a good, sharp chisel or three there wouldn't be much
difference between notching a capped and capless bridge.  Assuming, of
course, that the laminates at the edges of the cap haven't started
deteriorating.

> Also, I wonder if there is a greater or lesser tendancy for strings to
> sink down into the top of a capless bridge necessitating renotching in
> the first place.  I am, of course, assuming the capless bridge is built
> of verticle laminations as opposed to some other arrangement.  It is my
> understanding that, as capless bridges go, this is the arrangement of
> choice considering some rather serious drawbacks inherent in the other
> possible designs.  Thoughts, anyone?

My guess is that there would be less of a tendency for strings to sink
into the top of a capless bridge--perhaps to the detriment of energy
transmission.  (An anology, _sil vous plait_.)

Drop a marble onto a marble surface.  Drop another marble onto a wood
surface.  Which marble remains in contact with its host surface longer?

Ron Torrella                  "Dese are de conditions dat prevail."
School of Music                           --Jimmy Durante
University of Illinois