Ebony?

vanmalmsteen

I think I’m going to set up a slightly higher action with this bad boy. Pretty light, it’s Ebony. No one ever uses Ebony? Why does Ebony get no love? Guess I’m about to find out lol

anybody ever use an Ebony bridge? Seems like it would be darker tone? Responsive?

Vebjørn

My JWC Modele Jazz came with an ebony bridge actually. It's a very loud and good sounding guitar, but I don't know how much of a part the ebony bridge plays in that...

pdg

Go with the sound you like! Some GJ guitars have ebony bridges. There's also the shape and weight that can vary. Ebony's heavier than Indian rosewood and has more acoustic damping. It's the typical wood for archtop guitar bridges.

It would be interesting to compare different bridges on the same guitar. (You'd have to profile the base of each, though.)

Twang

There’s kinda a general opinion that Rosewood sounds better. A lot more tonewoods are accepted these days and guitarists are probably more open to different woods. The bridge on my guitar is Cocobolo which is a Mexican rosewood I think.

Selmers had rosewood bridges but I think some were made with ebony. I’m not sure though, someone else will be able to confirm.

Buco

I think from my recollection but double check on it, ebony is denser will sound darker, perhaps less volume but could be punchier as it would emphasize mids more than rosewood. Definitely good choice overall for a bridge. I have some blanks that have been patiently waiting, I'll make a few in the next month or two I believe.

Bones

Every piece of wood is different but I think generally ebony is denser and stiffer. Weight is a big deal so make sure you hollow out the underside as much as you dare but don't go too crazy because it has to carry the load. I think light as possible while maintaining strength and stiffness is the ticket.

MichaelHorowitz

The very first Maccaferris had ebony bridges. However, they were found to be overly bright and harsh sounding which is why nearly all Gypsy bridges these days are rosewood. Gibson did much the same with their acoustic archtops.

wim

Ebony is a very dense wood, sinks in water. That's kind of the opposite of what you want in a bridge, they should be light (though still firm enough to transmit vibrations, not absorb or damp them).

vanmalmsteen

Tru dat…. It feels heavy:-/

so a Dremel tool to possibly hollow it out a bit more? Looks like on the right side there I could take considerable material off…. I don’t know why I have high hopes for this bridge. It just looks so damn nice, i’m determined to utilize it lol

Lango-Django

There are environmental concerns, too… from Wikipedia:

As a result of unsustainable harvesting, many species yielding ebony are now considered threatened. Most indigenous ebony in Africa in particular has been cut down illegally.

Buco

I asked a question about bridges years ago and the discussion at some point turned to rosewood vs ebony. There were people who said they like ebony a lot and then some who said that it would yield a darker sound of the two. They sounded like well informed people and that they knew their stuff. Then there's Michael's comment who also falls in that category more than most. So 🤷