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How to care for your bridge

At Animato we like to inform our customers about our instruments and how to take care of them. A common issue people have is caring for their bridge.

Bridges are not glued to the instrument meaning they can move around and slide into different positions. There is a lot of pressure from the strings being pushed onto the bridge which holds it in place and when that position is incorrect the bridge can easily break or warp. Warping is a problem that can be prevented if you keep an eye on your bridge. If you have a warped bridge it means that it is no longer straight and will have dramatically curved forward. This problem occurs over time when the instrument is being tuned. The string pressure can move the bridge out of position making the feet no longer flat on the belly of the instrument. Over time if the bridge is not straightened the bridge becomes warped. Every time you tune you should check your bridge. If you can straighten it yourself make sure the side closest to the finger board in a 90 degree angle with the belly. The other side of the bridge does have a natural curve so don't get caught out. If you are a little worried about breaking it, try loosen the tension of the strings first. Be sure to continually check the bridge as you tune up.

During the tuning process the bridge can sometimes fall off the instrument, either because the strings are too loose and no pressure is applied (which can also make your sound post fall out), or the strings are too tight and too much pressure is applied. It may prove difficult finding the correct position again for the bridge. If you find the small grooves that are carved out from the center of the f holes, line the middle of the bridge's feet up with the grooves. This is the approximate position for the bridge. Again, make sure the bridge is straight.

If you are at all concerned about your bridge or anything else on your instrument bring it into our store, we are more than happy to help!