Introducing the NEW Tourtellotte Violin Style Mandolin Bridge

After almost two years I've changed the design of my bridge. The shorter feet directs the string vibration to the center of the top better than my earlier version (see line drawing below).  I also made the end notches smaller. This leaves room for tuning your bridge. Tuning the bridge will balance the response of your bass and treble strings. I like to tune the bridge when the mandolin is tuned up to pitch. A simple small round file or chain saw file will do the trick.

The bridges are cut from quarter sawn maple then treated with a silica aero gel which seals, waterproofs, and hardens the maple.

Installation Instructions

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Ebony Vs. Maple

The following mp3 sound bits are  made with the same mandolin (Tourtellotte #5) to compare the traditional ebony bridge with the maple bridge. The test was done with a Octava MK219 Studio microphone. I stayed equal distance from the microphone with both bridges and tried to pick and strum with the same pressure.

Ebony	Maple
Open	Open
Open G strum	Open G Strum
A Chop	A Chop
Red Haired Boy	Red Haired Boy

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NEW Bridge Dimensions

 

 

 

 

 

   Original Bridge Dimensions

 

 

 

 

 

Bridges are supplied as a pre-cut "blanks" and fitting is required. For best results installation should be done by an expert. However if you choose to install it yourself the following step by step instructions can be done with minimal tools and materials.