G.E. Smith Bridge

[57'nholdin]

Hi All,
I'm a new member and a lefty as well! I have a question for the gurus on TDPRI:

Is there any difference in using a G.E. Smith style bridge for right or left-handed guitars?

Do I have to do anything other than adjust the barrel height to make it work for lefty?

I would appreciate some advice from some of our resident builders, since this is all new to me.


Thanks,
57'nholdin

[mellecaster]

None whatsoever....you should be good to go !....course I've never done it, so it's just my theory ?.......

[robt57]

I think you'd need buy one more middle saddle to get the intonation to work lefty, and move one of end ones to the middle. Using 2 middles on the outsides to get it to intonate.

Or get a different set of saddles alternately.

Wilky G.E. on Ebay here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=014

[straightface]

The bridge itself can be used by a righty or lefty. You'll need lefty compensated saddles. There is an ebay seller called Bridgeworks that I just bought a GE Smith style bridge from to be used on a lefty guitar. I've also bought standard tele bridges and comp saddles in the past from him. Excellent seller. He may have more of the bridges available.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

[57'nholdin]

Hi straightface,

Thanks for the info. I couldn't find Bridgeworks on e-bay. Could you please post a link to his store.

[straightface]

Here you go. Looks like he has one of those bridges too.

http://stores.ebay.com/Bridge-Works_...Q3amesstQQtZkm

[57'nholdin]

Thanks straightface.

By the way I think the P90 Esquire looks wicked!

[robt57]

Such a deal?

Let me see if I got this right. eBay seller 'kelstrin1' takes a an $8.99 Fender bridge plate and cuts it shorter ala G.E. Smith, polishes the edge where the plating is now missing on the leading edge and sells them for $40.00.

How long is the plating guaranteed not to peel back off the plate??

Is the Fender G.E. Smith ridge plated after it is cut? Or made shorter then plated ?? Anyone know.

[57'nholdin]

robt57,

I don't really care about the Bridge plate itself. I can get one of those from Wilky or on e-bay for about $15.00. Which is what I plan to do.
However, kelstrin1 sell compensated brass saddles for $24.00 and he will cut them for a lefty. So, IMHO, anytime I see anyone actually doing something good and reasonably priced for a lefty I think it's cool.
Thanks everyone.

[straightface]

I didn't know if $40 was a good price or not when I bought it. It was the only one I could find at the time so I bought it. I had heard that they were going for a lot more than that. I've done business with the guy before and he was always good to buy from. After seeing that ebay post, maybe it wasn't such a good deal after all...live and learn.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by 57'nholdin

robt57,

I don't really care about the Bridge plate itself. I can get one of those from Wilky or on e-bay for about $15.00. Which is what I plan to do.
However, kelstrin1 sell compensated brass saddles for $24.00 and he will cut them for a lefty. So, IMHO, anytime I see anyone actually doing something good and reasonably priced for a lefty I think it's cool.
Thanks everyone.

I take it lefty stuff hard to come by? I have only made right handed stuff.

When you say cut them? what do you mean cut them? If compensated barrel type wouldn't you just have to flip the saddle 180^ and reverse the height adjustment screws into the opposite side to reverse the angle for lefty? And then unlike I said up there, you'd not need two 'righty' center ones and one 'righty' end saddle in that case.
You can just flip and reverse the height screws on the saddles.