Bridges

Subcategories

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  Bocote

  Tension and rigidity are distinctive features for guitar bridges woods. Bocote does have thes properties, but it also offers a powerful and warm tone.

  This wood is being more and more appreciated by luthiers due to its good acoustic and singular beauty. It has eye-shaped figures and little circles that gives an exotic touch to your guitar.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Cordia eleagnoides.

  ORIGIN: Mexico

  DESCRIPTION: 950-1200kg/m³ density Reddish orange-coloured brown. It’s a medium hard wood with an even texture. Uniform lines too, broken by little knots similar to eyes figures. It has a yellowish brown colour with dramatic dark brown, almost black,  grains that tend to get darker with time. The grain pattern can be very impressive, also very appreciated for its contrasts. It’s heavy and tough.

  SUGGESTIONS: Easy to work with, good response to gluing. It also has a good polishing, getting good finishing results. It’s highly resistant to insects.

  DRYING: Slow and delicate, specially in branched or counter-mesh pieces.

  USES: Besides being used for fingerboards of different instruments, it’s also used for the sounding board, the headplate and the acoustic and classic guitar bodies.

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  Cocobolo (CITES)

  When making guitar bridges, it’s necessary to use resistant woods to support the tension made in this part of the instrument.

  Cocobolo is a recommended option, basically because it stands tension and wear. It also has some important acoustic properties: sound transmission and string vibration is optimal. Let yourself impress by its timber, quality and beauty with these Cocobolo bridges for acoustic guitar in Maderas Barber.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia retusa.

  COMMERCIAL NAME:Cocobolo, Cocobola, Granadilla

  ORIGIN: Nicaragua

  DESCRIPTION: Red orange wood with black grains with a 990-1250 Kg/m³ density. The whiteness has a light yellow colour, but it can also appear with a cream colour and has a similarity with ivory. Its colours are less intense when the wood has been just cut down or sanded and it gets dark with time. The grain goes from straight to intertwined, it’s uniform and has solid texture. It has a natural bright too.

  SUGGESTIONS: It can show some gluing problems due to its high oil content. It might need a continuous sharpening, but it offers excellent machining properties and works well with a blade. High toxicity. The wood is hard and easy to work with, but tools will may need regular sharpening too.

  DRYING: Slow process with deformation and break risks.

  USES: Apart from being used for different instrument fingerboards, it’s also used for sounding boards and wind instruments.

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  African Ebony

  African Ebony is the most used wood in bridges making for acoustic guitar history. Its rigidity and density, along with its acoustic properties are the main reasons why this wood has been used by luthiers for years all over the world. Its great resistance makes it very suitable for acoustic guitar bridges because it holds well the chords tension.

  Choose African Ebony bridges for your acoustic guitar from Maderas Barber if you’re searching balance between sound quality, beauty and resistance.

  BOTANICAL NAME:Diospyros crassiflora Hiern.

   ORIGIN: Central and West Africa

  DESCRIPTION:1030-1050 kg/m³ density black colored wood. It has a light colour in the sapwood and black in the heartwood. We typically define this kind as the blackest one, but there might be white grains. This grain is thin and straight, but sometimes it can appear as intertwined too.

  SUGGESTIONS: It easily cracks with temperature changes or relative humidity. Resistant to fungus and insects. Saw is easy, but tools need a constant sharpening, while machining and gluing get complicated as it’s a very dense and hard wood. Finishing presents no problems. It can cause eczemas or skin irritation.

  DRYING: Drying speed goes from regular to slow. Better with small pieces, so not much risk of deformation or distortion as with the bigger ones.

  USES: Apart from different fingerboards instruments, it’s also used for wind instruments.

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  Amara Ebony

  Amara Ebony is a very interesting exotic option for acoustic guitar bridges. It has a high density so its used is recommended to hold the strings tension. Is a very unique and beautiful wood thanks to the red, green and black colours of it.

  Discover this Asian wood for acoustic guitar bridges in Maderas Barber.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Diospyros Malabarica

  COMMERCIAL NAMES:

  ORIGIN: Asia

  DESCRIPTION: 1100-1300 kg/m³ density. The sapwood hastones that go from white to reddish brown. Heartwood is dark, with different shades of black and some bright lines and green tones.

  SUGGESTIONS: It’s slightly easier to work with than Makassar Ebony; still its durability requires very powerful equipment and a perfect sharpening.

  DRYING: Drying has to be slow to avoid cracking and deformations.

  USES: It’s mainly used for sounding boards, backs and sides due to its acoustic properties.

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  African Exotic Ebony

  Exotic Ebony is a rising wood. It has very similar properties to its sibling: African Ebony. The main difference is that Exotic Ebony offers a more attractive look. Its pattern is not uniform due to its white grains that intertwine with the wood own black colour.

  On the other hand, bridges have to hold a great tension due to the chords, and exotic ebony has this necessary resistance for this part of the instrument. Get your Exotic Ebony bridges for acoustic guitar if you’re looking for security and beauty.

  BOTANICAL NAME:Diospyros crassiflora Hiern.

  COMMERCIAL NAMES:

  ORIGIN: Central and West Africa

  DESCRIPTION:1030-1050 kg/m³ density black colored wood. It has a light colour in the sapwood and black in the heartwood. This type has a bigger range od colours, but they are intertwined sometimes. The grain is thin.

  SUGGESTIONS: It easily cracks with temperature changes or relative humidity. Resistant to fungus and insects. Saw is easy, but tools need a constant sharpening, while machining and gluing get complicated as it’s a very dense and hard wood. Finishing presents no problems. It can cause eczemas or skin irritation.

  DRYING: Drying speed goes from regular to slow. Better with small pieces, so there is not much risk of deformation or distortion as with the bigger ones.

  USES: Apart from different fingerboards instruments, it’s also used for wind instruments.

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  Macassar Ebony

  Macassar Ebony is one the rising woods nowadays, it’s suitable for guitar bridges due to its hardness and excellent sound qualities. It also has an amazing exotic Asian style pattern that makes it a magnificent wood.

  Maderas Barber bets on different and unique quality, so we believe Macassar Ebony bridges will not let you down.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Diospyros Celebica

  ORIGIN: Asia

  DESCRIPTION:1000-1300kg/m³ density. The grain is thin and it also can be straight or intertwined. The sapwood colour changes from white to pale grey, the heartwood colour is black and depending on the specimen it can have light grains or a contrast between almost white areas and the black wood, or a uniform black colour.

  SUGGESTIONS: It’s very important to watch the place humidity where it’s stored to not cause wood imperfections. It is also recommended to work the wood with very sharp tools.

  DRYING: Drying speed is slow, there’re high risks of deformations or cracking during and after the drying process.

  USES: Similar to the Amara Ebony, it’s usually used for the sounding board, but it can also be

  used for fingerboards.

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  Green Ebony

  All Ebony types are hard and dense, Green Ebony is no exception. Perfect for guitar bridges for its good sound transmission and wear resistance. Therefore, its olive green colour makes it into a very exotic and claimed wood.

  Choosing Green Ebony is choosing a good acoustic wood with quality and resistance. Fall in love with its sound properties and look.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Diospyros Durionoides

  COMMERCIAL NAMES: Green Ebony

  ORIGIN: Central America

  DESCRIPTION:1000-1300kg/m³ density. The sapwood colour is white and the heartwood is black/dark brown with different shades of colours, but main one is olive green.

  SUGGESTIONS: It can cause dermatitis, it’s recommended to keep it in a suitable temperature to prevent any crack.

  DRYING: A special feature of this wood is that, even if it’s broken before it dries, it is possible that the crack closes again without any trace.

  USES: Mainly for backs and sides, but also for fingerboards, bridges and headplates thanks to its properties.

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  Mexican Granadillo

  Mexican Granadillo has become one the best alternatives to Rosewood. The main reasons are: density and the capacity to support string tension.

  It reflects sound clearly, so luthiers are claiming it for making their instruments. Besides, this wood offers beauty and spectacular tones for bridges.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia granadillo

  ORIGIN: Central America

  DESCRIPTION:800-1000kg/m³ density

  SUGGESTIONS: It’s recommended to keep it in places with no abrupt temperature changes and also to be used with very sharpen blades.

  DRYING: Drying speed is slow.

  USES: Mexican Granadillo is very valued by luthiers due to its acoustic properties. Crafts, knife handles, castanets and marimba keys.

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  American Walnut

  Even if American Walnut has never been a very required wood in the musical industry, this is totally changing thanks to luthiers who have found its good sound properties.

  Among its prominent features are its excellent high-pitched and middle tones, and also a stunning and elegant grain. It’s also a very abundant and sustainable wood, easy to work with too, so it’s very valuable.

  Lastly, vibration transmissions and wear are important for bridges making and American Wlanut covers this necessities thanks to its stability and resistance once it’s dryed. Increase your possibilities with American Walnut acoustic guitars from Maderas Barber.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Juglans nigra

  COMMERCIAL NAMES:

  ORIGIN: United States and Canada

  DESCRIPTION:550-660 kg/m³ density. The sapwood colour goes from white to yellowish brown and the heartwood can be reddish brown or chocolate colored. Sometimes it has violet tones.

  SUGGESTIONS: It’s recommended to use a face mask when working with it because its dust is really irritating and can cause sneezes and nosebleed.

  DRYING: Drying has to be done slowly to avoid any imperfection.

  USES: It’s also used for fine furniture and floors, apart from musical instruments.

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  Indian Rosewood

  Indian Rosewood gives an excellent balance between resistance and sound quality, so it’s probably one of the most used woods for guitar bridges. It has a slow growth, which gives a uniform structure and hardness, needed for this part of the instrument.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia latifolia.

  COMMERCIAL NAMES:Palo Santo de India, Palisandro de India, Palisandro rosa índico.

  ORIGIN: India

  DESCRIPTION: 870-900kg/m³ density wood with brown, pink or violet tonalities. Its whiteness colour is light yellowish white and the heartwood colour goes from violet dark pink to purple brown, it gets darker when drying. It has dark violet grains. Grain is also waved and thick.

  SUGGESTIONS: Saw and machining are complicated due to its waved grain and the presence of scale deposits.

  DRYING: Drying time is slow, nearly without breaking risks, but maybe some cuts. The colour of the wood improves with time.

  USES: It has many of them, apart form being used for Fingerboards, it’s also used for sounding boxes, Bridges, Headplates and some pieces of Hurdy-Gurdy.

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  Madagascar Rosewood (CITES)

  The most similar to Palo Santo de Río, a very restricted and protected wood for its overuse. Madagascar Rosewood offers a clear sound. Its rigidity and capacity to support tension make it into a great option for acoustic guitar bridge making.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia baronii

  ORIGIN: Madagascar

  DESCRIPTION: Brown in colour wood with dark netting and a 920 kg/m³ density. The whiteness colour of this wood is yellow and the heartwood goes from yellowish brown to dark orange or reddish brown colour. Dark grain are common so it can create a spider-webbing figure. This grain is also usually straight with a thin-medium texture.

  SUGGESTIONS: Working with this wood is usually easy, but you have to be careful with gluing and finishing due to its oily nature.

  DRYING: Drying time is slow. The process can be interrupted for its oily property, so be careful.

  USES: Besides being used for fingerboards, it’s also used for sounding boards.

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  Kingwood

  Kingwood is a very requested Wood for guitar bridges. This is because some of its features are hardness and tension resistance, which are essential for this part of the guitar.

  Besides, it has a clear sound thanks to its acoustic properties too, while its appearance gives this exotic touch to any instrument.

  Maderas Barber has Kingwood bridges of a great quality, so find out more about it!

  BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia cearensis.

  COMMERCIAL NAMES:

  ORIGIN: Brasil

  DESCRIPTION: 1020 kg/m³density brown/violet colored wood. The sapwood is light yellow and the heartwood goes from reddish brown to dark violet. Grain is usually straight, but occasionally intertwined. It has a fine and uniform texture and a good natural bright.

  SUGGESTIONS: Working (and gluing) with this wood might be difficult because of a high density. Finishing is great and it also has a good response to brushing.

  DRYING: Slow drying speed. You need to be careful with the oiled wood, it can interrupt the process.

  USES: Fingerboards, sounding boards and guitar bridges.

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  Santos Rosewood

  Pau Ferro is more and more claimed every day by luthiers and big instrument makers, it’s a good alternative to Rosewoods and Bubinga. It’s used for many parts of the instrument because of its multiple qualities. Pau Ferro bridges are an excellent option for bridges too (good tension resistance and sound transmission).

  Its good price-quality relationships makes it very used for guitar bridges. Don’t miss the beautiful mesh and high quality of Maderas Barber’s Pau Ferro bridges.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Machaerium scleroxylon

  ORIGIN: Brasil

  DESCRIPTION: 940 kg/m³ density wood of different tonalities. The whiteness has a light yellow colour and the heartwood can change a lot, going from reddish orange to violet brown. Dark contrasted grain, usually straight, but sometimes it can be irregular or intertwined too. It has a thin texture and a high natural bright.

  SUGGESTIONS: Machining has an average difficulty. It tends to blunt the tools. Good natural finish. High toxicity caused by the wood dust.

  DRYING: Slow drying speed. It hardly presents deformation risks, but maybe a new crack or aggravating the existent ones.

  USES: Apart from being used for fingerboards, it’s also used for sounding boards, bridges, headplates, tops and wind instruments.

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  Purple Heart

  BOTANIC NAME: Peltogyne pubelcens.

  COMMON NAMES: Purpleheart, Amaranth.

  ORIGIN: Central America.

  DESCRIPTION: Density 880 kg/m3. When freshly cut the heartwood of Purpleheart is a  dull greyish/purplish brown. Upon exposure, the wood becomes a deeper eggplant purple. With further age and exposure to UV light, the wood becomes a dark brown with a hint of purple.

  RECOMMENDATIONS: If the wood is heated with dull tools, or if cutter speeds are too high, Purpleheart will exude a gummy resin that can clog tools and complicate the machining process. Depending on the grain orientation, can be difficult to plane without tear out. Purpleheart also has a moderate dulling effect on cutters.

  DRYING: Drying speed varies from normal to slow. Risk of deformation

  USES: Musical instruments, furniture. It has excellent strength properties, and can be used in applications where strength is important.

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  Sycamore

  Sycamore is a very admired wood for its acoustic, bright sound, and for having a perfect density and rigidity ratio. This wood is also very easy to work and to glue which are important qualities to make bridges.

   

  Another determining factor to choose Sycamore for your instrument is that it is a sustainable wood, abundant and easily accessible.

   

  Get the Sycamore bridges for acoustic guitar from Maderas Barber and discover this wood with a great definition and beautiful timbre.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Acer pseudoplatanus

  COMMERCIAL NAMES: Arce, Plátano falso.

  ORIGIN: Central Europe and Middle Asia

  DESCRIPTION: 640 Kg/ m³ density. The wood colour is white or light yellow. The whiteness wood has no difference from the heartwood. The grain can be straight or waved. The porous is thin.

  SUGGESTIONS: The mechanism can present some problems due to the intertwined fibre, it’s better to adjust the angle by 15º. It’s also recommended to dry it in low temperatures chambers.

  DRYING: It dries good in the air, but it can suffer from colour variations and stains. A fast dry is important for wood to preserve its white tonality.

  USES: Fingerboards, sounding boards and guitar sides.

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  Wenge

  Wenge is very common for making electric guitar and bass necks, but also for bridges as an alternative to other more expensive wood such as Rosewood or Ebony.

  Despite of the need of a bigger treatment in bridges, Wenge has a good gluing and perfectly supports the string tension. It’s solid and stable so is not easy to wear away.

  Maderas Barber has a big stock of acoustic guitar Wenge bridges.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Milettia leurentii

  COMMERCIAL NAMES: Awong, Panga-Panga

  ORIGIN: Central Africa

  DESCRIPTION: 830 Kg/m³ density. The whiteness wood colour is cloudy or light yellow and the heartwood goes from dark brownish to violet black with thin grains. The fibre is straight and the porous are thick.

  SUGGESTIONS: It’s highly recommended to use a big powerfulequipment for serrating, utils are quickly blunt. Gluing is tricky due to the presence of resin cells.

  DRYING: Drying time is slow, there is a risk for deformations.

  USES: Musical instruments, furniture, woodworking.

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  Ziricote

  Ziricote is a spectacular wood, very appreciated by its appearance and beauty, which surface imitates landscapes and figures in a unique way. However, beauty is not the only quality.

  This wood also has great acoustic properties. Ziricote’s tone is between Indian Rosewood and Makassar Ebony, clearer than the first one and more harmonic than the second. Its density and hardness are exceptional for acoustic guitar bridges.

  BOTANICAL NAME: Cordia dodecandra

  COMMERCIAL NAMES: Ziricote

  ORIGIN: Central America

  DESCRIPTION: 805 kg/m³ density. Heartwood goes from dark brown to light brown, a green or purple tone appears sometimes, with dark intertwined borders of the black growth rings. Ziricote has a very singular look, it’s one of the most beautiful woods in the world, its draw seems like a landscape and some places call it “spider’s web”. The whiteness has a pale yellow colour, it’s sometimes integrated to the design for an aesthetic effect or in order to reduce wastes too.

  SUGGESTIONS: Ziricote is easy to work with based on its density. It bends easily, in most of cases, it also sticks without problems (Natural wood oils rarely interfere in the glue process).

  DRYING: Drying time is slow, that’s why you have to be careful during the process because deformations and breaks can be appeared.

  USES: Furnitures, sheet, heads, musical instruments (electric and acoustic guitars).

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  Ovangkol

  Ovangkol has been used for years with the purpose of reaching a beauty appearance and a traditional and powerful acoustic. This wood also offers high notes and good harmonics.

  Ovangkol is easy to work with, cheap and extremely beautiful. In a few words, this wood is a sustainable alternative if we compare it with other species more popular.

  BOTANIC NAME: Guibouthia ehie.

  COMMON NAMES: Ovangkol

  ORIGIN:  Central Africa.

  DESCRIPTION:   Density 780-825 Kg/m3. Varying shades of yellowish to reddish brown with darker brown, grey, or black stripes. Moderately wide sapwood is a pale yellow, clearly demarcated from heartwood. Sometimes seen with a curly or mottled grain pattern. Grain is straight to slightly interlocked. Medium to coarse texture, with moderate natural luster.

  RECOMMENDATIONS: Overall a fairly easy wood to work, though Ovangkol contains silica and can therefore dull cutters prematurely. Also, if the grain is interlocked, or if there is other figure present in the wood, planning and other machining operations may be troublesome and cause tear out. Turns, glues and finishes well.

  DRYING: Slow to normal drying process. Risk of deformation.

  USES:  Musical instruments. Floors and furniture.