Gitane - Burn Your Bridges

kungfumonk007 · November 2011

Just changed my stock gitane bridge for a dupont rosewood. The difference in sound is phenomenal! The guitar tech didn't believe changing the bridge would make much of a difference but it is like playing a new guitar.

Il Trovatore · November 2011

I guess I need to get on it...

HCQ · November 2011

Its great that your new bridge exceeded your expectations in improving your sound. I am just wondering just how the Dupont changed the guitar's harmonic contents and overall volume?

I am thinking of changing a bridge on one of my guitars, prefering ebony wood this time. My confusion is that the Dupont bridge info is vague. I need a bridge that is 131 mm long, 13 mm wide, with a high E height at 18 mm and a low E height at 19 mm. Additionally, my bridge has a rise to 20 mm in its center. That said, anyone have any Dupont bridge info that might help address these requirements?

Thanks,

Heretic · November 2011

kungfumonk007:

Good to hear of your guitar's improvement. Which Gitane guitar did you put the Dupont bridge on? And which number bridge was it? Lots of other people would benefit to know.

kungfumonk007 · November 2011

It's a DG-250. I bought a #3 20.5 MM bridge because I saw someone say that is what they bought. But the guitar tech ended up shaving it down any way so I don't know where it ended up, but it sounds like I should have just got the #2. The bridge fits perfectly within the moustache pieces that were there, it just needed a little trimming, slotting, and voicing by the guitar tech. My guitar guy charged $80 for the whole set-up, so with the $60.00 bridge it is well worth the $140.00 for the improvement in sound I got.

The difference in sound is that it is far less Tinny. It is still bright, but it doesn't have the harsh brittle sound it had before. The volume has increased and there is more fullness/roundness to the tone.

Josh Hegg · November 2011

Just a note... some times the Dupont bridge intonation will be off on some guitars and the "B" string could need compensation. I couldn't even use a stock Dupont bridge on my Dupont guitar without "fixing" it.

Cheers,
Josh

richter4208 · November 2011

did you shave a notch into the bridge like on a compensated acoustic bridge?

Ian Rossiter · November 2011

I put a #3 Dupont on my Gitane. It's a DG-300, so it needed a taller bridge than my 255. The #3 was wayyy too tall for my 255.

Heretic · November 2011

I found that the Dupont #3 bridge fit perfectly on my Gitane DG-300 as well.

Michael Bauer · November 2011

HCQ, I saw some Dupont bridge information somewhere recently. Ask Michael H.; I think he may be the one who had it.

I have never met a Gitane yet that didn't improve significantly with a quality bridge. Josh Hegg made one for one of my Gitanes (the DG-300, I think), and it made a big difference.

Funny about bridge sizes: Selmer 862 uses a Dupont #0 bridge, because a #1 bridge is just rediculous on it...you could drive a truck under it...but the pliage is so tall that I had to put spacers under it, not to raise the action, but to clear the tallest part of the pliage, since I was worried it might be killing some of the sound. I think modern manouche guitars have much steeper neck angles than Selmers did, and much flatter tops than those late Selmers, so taller bridges are needed. A Dupont #3 on the Selmer??? You could parachute off it!