Ebony~more snap, less warmth?

valdae

I'm curious as to how an ebony bridge would affect the overall sound of a GJ guitar. I would imagine there would be greater snap or projection, though warmth could be lost.

My jury is out on a starter GJ. I'm torn between either the Cordoba O5, or the JJ 300. Still, considering those two as an example, how would an ebony bridge change their overall sound?

sockeye

The JJ has an ebony bridge. I replaced mine with a Dupont bridge (rosewood, different design) and the improvement was profound.

Ebony is very heavy and dense & has a high degree of internal damping. I think rosewood or even dyed maple will always be a better choice, particularly if it's volume you're after.

MichaelHorowitz

I'm pretty sure all the Saga bridges are "ebonized," which means they are probably rosewood with a coat of Ebony over it.

The tonal difference you heard probably had more to do with the construction of the bridge, which is much better on the ones made by Dupont.

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Heretic

I have a JJ 300. It's smashing. The original bridge is made of a very dense dark wood which might in fact be ebony. Saga says it is. It might not be the highest grade ebony, and it might be surface stained for aesthetics. That said, I bought a Dupont bridge and shaped and fitted it.
This greatly increased the volume to the point that it drives my wife out of the house. It frightens the sheep as well. It's a simple project which just takes patience and an obsessive mind. Well worth the trouble.

valdae

Now, this is interesting, I replaced the art deco rosewood bridge on my Gretsch about two years ago, and the difference was significant. It was much louder, with a lot more bark! Of course, GJs and Archtops, though similar, are different animals. Still, thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll go with rosewood.

Josh Hegg

It depends on the guitar. Some guitars sound great with Ebony and some sound better with a different wood choice. It also depends on what the player likes. One thing for sure... with sel/mac guitars you can't say that one wood categorically sounds one way or another across the board. Any ebony bridge will sound one way on one guitar an totally different on another.


Cheers,
Josh

valdae

For considerations of cost, I'm probably going to go with the Cordoba O5. Of course, this guitar is strictly entry level, though I have read good things about it. I can only assume replacement of the tuners and bridge would made a vast improvement on the instrument.

Thanks again for all the input. I want to take the plunge, but I'd like it to be a knowledgeable leap.