Adjustable bridge

Shabbadoo · #1 May 13th, 2004

I've been playing guitar for almost 2 years now, but only on accoustics, and I just bought a new electric guitar. This guitar has screws that can be turned to adjust the position of the bridge for each string.
If anybody can explain this to me, how does adjusting this effect the sound/tuning of the guitar? Is it even something that I should mess around with at all?

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes, the D string has a slight rattle when it's being played. Could this from the string rattling on another fret further down the fretboard from the one I'm playing? If so, will adjust the bridge bring the string a bit further off the fretboard to help prevent this rattling?

Thanks.

acudoc1 · #2 May 13th, 2004

Shabbadoo

If you are talking about screws that allow you to make the bridge go up and down, that adjustment is for lowering or lifting the "action" (height of string off the fretboard) of your guitar.

If you are talking about 6 screws (one on each of the strings) at the bridge, those are for setting your intonation (the ability of your tone to be equal at the 12th fret as the tone is at the nut) of your guitar. Due to circumstances stringed intruments may not sound the same at the 12th fret as at the nut. These screws lengthen or shorten the strings frequency wave or length so that the adjustment can be made to make the 12th fret and nut have the same tone. ** Important ** don't mess with intonation unless you know what you are doing. Have your local luthier do the work for you. It only costs about $30.00

Shabbadoo · #3 May 14th, 2004

Thanks for the clarification...
my guitar has both the screws that adjust the height of the strings and the 6 screws that adjust the distance of the bridge to the nut.
To reduce any of the rattling noise, can I adjust the bridge up to prevent the string from vibrating against the frets or is this something that should be left alone as well?

6strngs_2hmbkrs · #4 February 24th, 2005

ok... the screws that you are talking about, the one per string, are your saddles... you adjust them for intonation... the key is to match the 12th fret harmonic to the 12th fret, I don't trust my own ears enough to do it myself... but I've never had anyone do it for me... so for all I know my guitar could be way off on intonation... as for the rattling... umm... how hard are you playing the string? I find that if I pick any of my strings extremely hard, they rattle too... but at a moderate to light pick/strum I have no problems... but the fact that only one string is rattling says to me that that is not your problem... umm... sorry I really have no idea... if you are taking your guitar in for intonation, have the tech look at that problem while you are there.

Darkhodge · #5 August 28th, 2005

If it's just your D string that rattles then yeah I would say you can adjust the saddle height for the D string to corect the problem. If you raise it a significant amount and the rattling persists then it could be due to a problem elsewhere.

Hodge