A unique solution to a common bridge problem, this spruce device attaches beneath a guitar bridge. An adjustable spruce "pressure post" rests against the tailblock, providing leverage to flatten the soundboard. This results in increased playability and better action, increased volume and sustain, and improved string balance. The overall result is an amazing improvement in the richness and depth of the sound on your guitar.
If you have a 12-string guitar, you may need to use the Brass Pin Mount version of the Bridge Doctor if there is not sufficient room on the bridge for the mounting screw. This is the case for many 12-string guitars, be sure to inspect your bridge carefully before deciding which Bridge Doctor to use.
Note! You do not have to have a bowed soundboard to use this product! Using it on a normal guitar will provide increased volume and sustain, and provide a richer, more balanced tone overall. Installing this product will also prevent your soundboard from bowing in the future!
Installation
Guitar strings constantly pull up and forward with a force of approximately 250 lbs., ultimately causing the top on your guitar to warp. JLD Guitar Research and Development, Inc. has patented a simple way to remedy bowed tops. The JLD Bridge System installs easily through the soundhole in minutes and requires no modification to the instrument.
The above shows the effects of string tension on a typical guitar. There is a pronounced bow behind the bridge and a dip in front of it. The saddle has been filed down to keep the action playable as the top has come up. Because the bridge pin holes are almost even with the top of the saddle, the strings don't exert much downward force on the top. This guitar is hard to play and has a weak, thin tone.
Above is the same guitar with a JLD Bridge System being installed. The bridge pins have been replaced with a set of pins similar to the one shown at left. The JLD Bridge System has been inserted through the soundhole and is held in place by one of the new bridge pins which has been threaded into the top of the Bridge System. A small locknut keeps the additional pins in place. Strings now pass through holes in the sides of the pins instead of being inserted into the bridge pin holes.
Here, the JLD Bridge System has been adjusted to counteract the pull of the strings and the warpage of the top. The top is permanently flat and a playable action has been restored. The strings exert proper downward pressure on the saddle - enabling them to transmit more vibration to the instrument. The Bridge System is also acting as a soundpost - transferring string vibration to the body woods directly from the bridge. The guitar is completely unmodified and is not only easy to play, it will now have more volume and sustain and a richer tone than it ever had before.
Proven Technology
The JLD Bridge Doctor system has been scientifically proven to improve the sound of your guitar, whether it is a new guitar or an older, more seasoned instrument. The benefits provided by this patented technology are so substantial that Breedlove Guitars and Trinity River Guitars now install a JLD Bridge Doctor on every new guitar that they make!