Adjustable bridge for a stringed musical instrument

Abstract

An adjustable bridge assembly for a stringed musical instrument utilizes individual adjustment blocks, one beneath each string, each fitted with a saddle screw having at its upper end a guidance groove supporting the corresponding string. The guidance groove may be shaped to accommodate different sized strings. The blocks, configured with elongated slots near each end engaged by screw fasteners, may be adjustably positioned prior to being fixed in place, thus enabling the bridge support point for each string to be set individually for good intonation and true octaves. The saddle screws, engaged in holes which are threaded into the block at an inclined angle so as to support each string at a well-defined point, allow each string's height above the fingerboard to be set independently for a desired tradeoff between ease of fingering and freedom from string-to-fingerboard buzz at maximum playing amplitude. In a preferred embodiment the blocks are mounted on a metal baseplate which is made to also serve as the tailpiece to which the string ends are anchored in slots which may be configured with dual widths to accept either small or large diameter strings.