Testing a new banjo bridge

some do's and don'ts when breaking in a new banjo bridge

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that any and every bridge is going to make your banjo sound different than it did before. Just to be sure this sinks in - it will not sound the same as it did, nor will it sound the way you're used to hearing your banjo, period. Even when comparing two bridges of the same make and model - the wood is never identical as mother nature sees to that. Yes, that means that two identical bridges, same make & model, from the same manufacturer (mine included) will even sound different. Having said that, the better quality, or boutique, bridges usually sound very close and performance is consistant from one to the next. The term "uniquely identical" sums it up quite nicely.

Here's the routine I always use, and when from time to time I need a test driver for a new prototype bridge and recommend the test drivers to use. It's proven quite effective and it allow you to come up with a good way of comparing the new sound to give you an informed opinion that's going to be as unbiased as possible:

Day 1

Step 1 - keep everything the way it is: don't change a thing, keep using your original bridge, no adjusting tail pieces, no tightening/loosening heads, no string changes, no touchie your banjo not.

Step 2 - play some tunes, any tunes, for TEN minutes - no more, no less. Some fast stuff, some slow stuff, down the neck, up the neck and listen to your banjo, really listen to the way it sounds. Pay special attention to the melody notes, note separations, decay, sustain, clarity, punch, bass, mid range, treble. It helps to close your eyes while trying to take all this in. Jot down the name of the tunes you played and if possible record yourself playing them. Also make notes as to what strikes you about the sound and if there are any intonation issues, make a note of that as well.

Step 3 - ten minutes up? Stop playing and not until now are you ready to install your new bridge. Make sure you position the bridge in its proper location (details on previous pages of this website) and repeat Step 1 and 2. Ten minutes up again? Stop playing, put your banjo away and write down your first impressions. Remove your new bridge and reinstall your original bridge and you're done for the day.

Day 2

Step 4 - yes, day 2 - that means a minimum of 24 hours later... Repeat Step 1 through 3 playing the same stuff except this time play for a minimum of THIRTY minutes for each one of the steps. At each bridge change write down your impressions.

Step 5 - time's up? OK, put the banjo away again and well, by this time you've been playing for at least an hour and a half anyway so it would have to be time for a coffee or whatever.

While you're having your coffee, or you're whatever, read the comments you've written down and if you made them, listen to your recordings. Now you'll have a fair and unbiased opinion about your banjo's new sound. At this point you know whether your new bridge does the job you expected and/or were hoping it to do. If you're happy with you're new bridge than this is the time to try and tweak it if possible as most bridges behave a little different under different tail piece and/or head tension. This is also a good time to treat your banjo on a new set of strings.

The whole idea has been to keep the variables the same as much as possible in order to arrive at a fair and unbiased opinion. What's the idea about staggering the comparisons over two days anyways? The first ten minutes on Day 1 will give you a fair idea about the new sound - you'll have a real good idea whether you love or hate the new bridge. Don't jump to any final conclusions just yet and, as hard as it'll be, you'll need to totally disregard the first five minute's worth of sound. It might help to face a wall while playing as that will reflect the sound back to your ears and what you hear is pretty much the way your audience would hear you.

You need to realize that your ears, and more specifically your brain, has been accustomed to hearing your banjo sounding the way it does for quite some time. If it sounds any different (and a new bridge of course, is guaranteed to make it sound different) the first thing your brain is going to say: yo, this cannot be your banjo cause it sounds different. Yup, brains are like that - they're hugely powerful but well, kinda simple when it comes to decisions as they're also very much a creature of habit. It is a totally common for people to hear things on day 2 that they hadn't heard on Day 1. Typical comments: "wow, the bass really increased" or "it just came to life," or "yesterday it sounded just aweful" and stuff like that. This is yer typical process of the brain's continuous perception and [r]evaluation cycle and like it or not, this is just a human thing. Some people put it in simpler terms and say that the bridge needs time to settle in. I can live with that term as long as we're not talking the wood fibers are being aligned, or something in the universe caused the bridge to change, or whatever, because I'm pretty cynical about voodoo stuff like that. Whatever theory you subscribe to, not a problem as this routine sure works either way.

After all this, if you've decided your new bridge is the one for you then be prepared for it to start sounding even better over the next few days, or weeks, as your brain is training itself to pick up all the new nuances and properties of the new sound that it's trying to get used to. It's just like a kid getting a new toy to play and discovers all kinds of unexpected new uses for it. Yup, bridge therapy can be awefully exciting, and addictive, indeed. Considering that such a tiny piece of wood can cause so much change to your sound you might not want to deprive yourself...

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