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I have used maple, BRW and IRW. I have to say I prefer IRW but after reading several articles on energy transferal I am not sure that maple is not the best choice. What is everyones choice?

paduik (did I spell that right?)

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I have used Maple, EIRW, BRW, MadRW, COCO, and Osage. I have used Osage more than any of the others [with good success] but I have been returning to Maple for most of my later batches. John Greven encouraged me to use Maple as it was Martin and Gibson's choice for many moons. The only reason they used RW is they were trying to find a use for scraps, according to JG. I think Maple is the most neutral choice and you can use other materials if you want to minutely influence the tone. Just remember it only one small part in the sum of the whole equation.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Since they use maple for piano sound boards it makes sense to use the same.
Maple...Maple

I goofed!! Mattia was right...it's Spruce. WalterK38425.636412037

I usually use European Maple. I have also used EIR but I'm not sure that it makes a great difference though. I did put a bone plate (with double sided tape so that it is reversible) on to my 1932 Martin OM-28 to protect the worn plate, rather like Stew Macs brass version, and the sound immediately improved so I might try it on a new build.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

One I've enjoyed is Black Walnut. That and Sycamore Maple and Hard Rock Maple. Tim sent me some Osage Orange so I'm gonna put it in the first guitar ordered by an American Indian, regardless of tribe.

I am not sure that any material will have an audibly noticeable influence on the tone other than in the amount of energy transferred to the top and bracing. I have a friend in New Mexico that used ebony. It seems a bit heavy to me but it worked.

In conjunction with this I most often use ebony bridge and ebony bridge pins. I like the look of ebony pins with MOP or Abalone dots on an ebony bridge, I prefer fossilized Walrus ivory but at $150 a set I can't justify them as a standard feature.

I always use bone pins, they do seem to make a difference and cost only $12 a set, that was my thinking with the bone on the bridge plate, bone nut, bone saddle, bone bridge pins, bone bridge plate?

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=WalterK] Since they use maple for piano sound boards it makes sense to use the same.
Maple...Maple[/QUOTE]

Eh? Last I checked, piano soundboards were made of spruce...

Thanks for the info Colin, I will have to try that. It would make sence to me but only a patch plate a full bridge plate would way to heavy.

Your right Mattia...it's Spruce.
Sometimes I'm not all here!!!
Thanks
Walter

Mario had said something before about using rift sawn maple (right Mario?). Does grain orientation matter all that much in the bridge plate?

I have mostly been using quartersawn BRW and orienting the grain so the bridge pin holes won't follow a single grain line.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

It's sort of hard to see how the plate material can effect the tone, but most of you guys have better hearing than I do.

As far as I can see the main 'job' of the plate is to resist wear by the ball ends of the strings, so any hard and close grained wood ought to do. A ring-porous wood, like EIR might not be so good, since the ball could land in a soft spot. Walnut, IMO, is not hard enough.

Bridge plates split from time to time, and they're a bear to replace when they do, so I like to use a wood that resists splitting. I used Oasage for several years, but that is ring-porous, so from that standpoint it's not as good. These days I'm using persimmon, as it takes about twice as much force to make it split as anything else I've tested. Padauk was the splittiest.

Skew cut is the toughest in general. It also bends more easily across the grain, so it can follow the curve of the top in front of and behind the bridge better (particularly if you taper the edges). This _should_ help keep the plate from peeling up, the other major cause of failure of bridge plates (besides splitting).

So, for me (right now) it's skew cut persimmon.

Honduran rosewood makes a nice bridgeplate...it's the preferred wood for marimba keys, so it ought to have a nice ring. Depending on what your build style/sound signature is, all the rosewoods along with maple make excellent, hard, long wearing bridgeplates.

Hey John How
   I also use Padouk. My reasons have to do with its strength, and low impedence, and relative lightness compared with other woods with that bell like taptone.

Skew cut Honduran rosewood here.

explain skew cut

I've been using Padouk on the last 3 builds because of its hardness and tone...but mainly because John Kinnaird recommended it on the forum about a year ago.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

It's hard to test all these theories, but probably worth consideration. I have no idea if it was the walnut bridge plate that made the last few guitars sound so good. ? I'd sure hate to be warrantying those suckers in fifteen years though. Maybe if I impregnate the surface with Cyanoacrylate, that would help on the wear factor?

Bruce, I wouldn't be afraid of walnut for the sound but for the toughness (or lack thereof).

And fancy graphics for MichaelP:

Quarter sawn: |||||||||||||||

Flat sawn: ==============

Skew Cut: //////////////////

I orient the skew in such a way that the pressure from the string ends "close" the grain lines rather than open them...

Michael,

Yes, I just used a bone patch plate to protect the maple from the ball ends, about 1/2" wide 3" long from some thinned saddle stock. As I said Stew Mac now make a brass version, I prefer the bone.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Bob, so it's really riftsawn?

Okay, I'm gonna go toughen up some walnut by gluing a bone lamination at the string holes.....

There's always the Bruce Petros-style spruce bridgeplate with ebony insert to take care of the strings..

[QUOTE=Bob Steidl] Bruce, I wouldn't be afraid of walnut for the sound but for the toughness (or lack thereof).

And fancy graphics for MichaelP:

Quarter sawn: |||||||||||||||

Flat sawn: ==============

Skew Cut: //////////////////

I orient the skew in such a way that the pressure from the string ends "close" the grain lines rather than open them...[/QUOTE]

This ties back to an other string, This is what my grandfather taught me was a riff cut. This what I thought you ment.