bart veerman bridges
wygyg
opinion on the work bart continues to do.
i mount a lot of these.....and they don't work on all banjos.....but,
certain banjos seem to like them.
here is my opinion on that.
deering goodtimes....very nice.....brightens all of them....go with stock
5/8th unless you know how to work the neck.....but, if you do....you can go
with 11/16
deering sierras..........also very nice
deering calicos..........the same
upper deerings..........the same....if you can afford one above the
calico....make sure you pick the right wood....
gibby........................i like them on the rb3 and up.....they are
superior to any bridge that comes stock on them.......but the snuffy's
.....in crowe spaced......work well also.....the snuffy bridge tends to need
compensation on these machines....but the veerman's are better without
compensation.....go figure.
stelling......varies...
wildwood......the snuffy's work better there....broader base for the elite
heads.
crafters of tennessee.....killer....go with teak/ebony
sullivan's.......................killer....go with teak/ebony
gold tones....................works on all models has been my
experience....you might want to tone down the wood on the veerman bridges if
you are a frailer or claw
gold stars....especially gf-85......the veerman is perfect for that
banjo......i can make them sound like granadas....go with non
compensated.....(ask janet davis)
omes............................not much experience there.....so i cannot
comment.
there you go....just my humble opinion on the banjos i see most.
if anyone else has opinions....please jump in here. i would be interested in
your opinions if you build banjos or do a lot of set up work.
roger - seemingly the only damn banjo teacher in central illinois
Bart V
>wildwood......the snuffy's work better there....broader base for the elite
>heads.
Them Wildwoods really shine with the ebony topped mystery wood
combination. For Fyberskin or Elite heads I don't recommend the A
weight bridge, you definitely need to use the heavier B weight model
to bring out all the sound & tone.
>omes............................not much experience there.....so i cannot
>comment
Similar to Odes. My favourite for these is the un-topped (no
ebony or whatever) B weight mystery wood (teak not recommended for
these).
Hope this helps,
Bart.
-
Check my most up to date email address at:
www.haruteq.com/contact.htm
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**may your moments of need be met by moments of compassion**
Mike Stanger
Bart sent me a bunch of his bridges recently for an extended tryout, and
I tried them all on some widely different banjos, some mine, some
belonging to others.
Bart's bridges are fundamentally different from every other bridge on
the market that I've ever messed with. First, he uses no maple. All his
woods are harder and stiffer. Their footprint is narrower, and there is
more wood between the top of the bridge and the hollows of the foot
cutouts. The feet edges are more centered under the bridge, and less
footprint on the outside edges. The bridges ring like a sliver dime when
dropped on a table. He makes 2 and 3-footed bridges; all below have 3
feet- the 2 feet models would work well on an overbright banjo, such as
one with an aluminum or brass rim, or one with a clear head cranked down
super tight. The 2-footed outfits are mellower, overall, than the
3-foots but have the similar qualities. Neither sags at all under heavy
gauge string pressure.
Here's what I found:
New Gold Star GF 85 (2 of them):
5/8 teak, ebony top, B weight, 44mm spacing.
Amazing improvement in tone! More depth, more top end clarity, more
power. Kicked a Snuffy in the butt, and twice as good as the stock
bridge, which was crappy on both. One got the Bart, and the other guy is
crying. If it worked this good on a Gold Star, I'm sure it would be just
as good on a Gibson flathead or clone. The high notes vastly improved;
while the bass notes on the 4th are still big and growly, the high notes
lost the muddiness that most flatheads have, but the flathead tonal
quality was kept intact.
1930 B&D Silver Bell: A very crisp old banjo.
Mystery wood, B weight, mystery top, 5/8, 44mm spacing.
Took the edges off the tone without losing the clarity. Sounds like a
good old Bacon again. This bridge would work great on an Ome with a
silverspun tone ring. This is the best new bridge I've had on this banjo
since I took the original Bacon bridge off.
1928 Vega Whyte Laydie #2:
Mystery wood, C weight, mystery top, 5/8, 42mm spacing
This banjo had a rather tinny tone, even with a loose setup. I never
liked it much, and the owner, who liked it better than I, didn't like it
as much as his Regent, even though he plays it more. Bart recommends
this bridge for a Fyberskin head, but I found it a little too heavy on
my banjo that has one... went back to the original on mine. On the Vega,
it worked wonders, though- fattened the tone considerably and gave it
great plunk and lots of cluck without killing the tone off. This banjo
has a semi-tight Weatherking top frosted on it and a Presto tailpiece.
The owner wants one a little shorter, and the order is on the way. This
bridge was the coolest looking one of the bunch, and the heaviest.
New Samick made Lark in the Morning house brand banjo:
5/8", A weight, mystery wood, ebony top, 44mm spacing.
This banjo is a typical Korean job with a clear head. Decently made, but
sorta thuddy, dull tone, typical of most of the Samicks, Epiphones,
Fenders, Greg Bennetts, Johnsons, Morgan Monroes and other Samick house
brand banjos. The bridge really livlied it up and gave it the edge it
needed. The owner listened to the difference as I swapped the bridges,
and his eyes got real big!
1977 Ode D Model:
B weight, untopped mystery wood, 42 mm spacing.
Ol' Bucket O' Junk, my D, has always been looking for the right bridge.
This banjo was very beat up when I bought it, and the neck attachments
are still tenuous at best... still lookin' for the right parts! I have
used a Gibson, Snuffy, Grover,Prucha, and a no-name and others on it,
all without really getting what I knew this banjo could deliver. I tried
at least 5 of Bart's bridges on it in all his weights- A, B, and C- and
couldn't find one that did the trick, either. Then I found I overlooked
one. Whoo... This plain looking bridge had the right stuff! Now the Ode
has a big bottom, crystal clear highs, twice the volume, and the sound
is explosive when I lean on it. It was like dropping a big block V-8
into a Vanagon!
To be objective, I took it over to a banjo playing buddy who played the
Ode the night before I swapped bridges. It blew him away, too. This
banjo was changed and improved the most of the lot. All were dramatic,
but his one chewed the scenery and hollered at the balcony.
On some of the banjos I tried, I found that I liked the original bridges
better. But I have to say that on my problem kids, Bart's bridges made
them all sweethearts. They have a different tone than anything you have
ever heard, so you have to give them a little time so your ears can get
used to the change. You may find you don't have to pick the strings as
hard to get the big tone, so you may have to lighten up your picking
hand, too. But, for the money, you can't go wrong, even as a tonal
experiment. Buy one and be prepared- they are all very powerful. The one
thing that was constant in all was a big increase in volume. And they
are all cool looking, too.
regards,
Stanger
M Hendrickson
Model D. How do I identify it to Bart when I order? Mine is open
backed, do you think that would make a difference in bridge selection?
I have a compensated SS on it now.
Mike Stanger wrote:
> Hi, all...
> Bart sent me a bunch of his bridges recently for an extended tryout, and
> I tried them all on some widely different banjos, some mine, some
> belonging to others.
>
> 1977 Ode D Model:
> B weight, untopped mystery wood, 42 mm spacing.
>
> Ol' Bucket O' Junk, my D, has always been looking for the right bridge.
> This banjo was very beat up when I bought it, and the neck attachments
> are still tenuous at best... still lookin' for the right parts! I have
> used a Gibson, Snuffy, Grover,Prucha, and a no-name and others on it,
> all without really getting what I knew this banjo could deliver. I tried
> at least 5 of Bart's bridges on it in all his weights- A, B, and C- and
> couldn't find one that did the trick, either. Then I found I overlooked
> one. Whoo... This plain looking bridge had the right stuff! Now the Ode
> has a big bottom, crystal clear highs, twice the volume, and the sound
> is explosive when I lean on it. It was like dropping a big block V-8
> into a Vanagon!
>
> To be objective, I took it over to a banjo playing buddy who played the
> Ode the night before I swapped bridges. It blew him away, too. This
> banjo was changed and improved the most of the lot. All were dramatic,
> but his one chewed the scenery and hollered at the balcony.
>er
M Hendrickson
Model D. How do I identify it to Bart when I order? Mine is open
backed, do you think that would make a difference in bridge selection?
I have a compensated SS on it now.
Mike Stanger wrote:
> Hi, all...
> Bart sent me a bunch of his bridges recently for an extended tryout, and
> I tried them all on some widely different banjos, some mine, some
> belonging to others.
>
> 1977 Ode D Model:
> B weight, untopped mystery wood, 42 mm spacing.
>
> Ol' Bucket O' Junk, my D, has always been looking for the right bridge.
> This banjo was very beat up when I bought it, and the neck attachments
> are still tenuous at best... still lookin' for the right parts! I have
> used a Gibson, Snuffy, Grover,Prucha, and a no-name and others on it,
> all without really getting what I knew this banjo could deliver. I tried
> at least 5 of Bart's bridges on it in all his weights- A, B, and C- and
> couldn't find one that did the trick, either. Then I found I overlooked
> one. Whoo... This plain looking bridge had the right stuff! Now the Ode
> has a big bottom, crystal clear highs, twice the volume, and the sound
> is explosive when I lean on it. It was like dropping a big block V-8
> into a Vanagon!
>
> To be objective, I took it over to a banjo playing buddy who played the
> Ode the night before I swapped bridges. It blew him away, too. This
> banjo was changed and improved the most of the lot. All were dramatic,
> but his one chewed the scenery and hollered at the balcony.
>er
Mike Stanger
M Hendrickson <mhendrick...@cox.net> wrote:
> Hi Mike - From your report, I gotta get one of those bridges for my Ode
> Model D. How do I identify it to Bart when I order? Mine is open
> backed, do you think that would make a difference in bridge selection?
> I have a compensated SS on it now.
>
Hi, Marsh...
Just give Bart the description I wrote on the critique. It's very good
to write or talk to him- he can easily slot the b ridge to different
widths, or make one shortly taller or lower, or just a tiny bit heavier
or lighter. Like I mentioned, the bridge looks plain and unpossesing,
but the tone is living technicolor.
Bart has built lots of bridges for openbacks- he may give you some good
comments, and another bridge may actually be better. He's really good to
work with.
regards,
Stanger
barts address: haruteq.com
M Hendrickson
've tried a few others, but keep going back to the stock Stelling.
wygyg
i love those.
the stock stelling bridge has more than the average mass and stays in place
nicely on the head. it is made of fairly soft material though, compared to
the veerman bridges which are made of very hard materials.
i would guess teak or mystery wood will be his suggestions. you should
contact bart directly.....very nice man. you can also order them from janet
davis ( www.janetdavismusic.com ), who is his largest dealership here in the
u.s.
for most players in the three finger style, it would be teak and ebony.
he does make a large number of bridges....for different purposes. this
includes a number for frailers and claw hammer folks.
his email addy is: bartv...@haruteq.com
roger (seemly the only damn banjo teacher in central illinois)
"M Hendrickson" <mhendrick...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:jMqAf.1560$oG.1214@dukeread09...
M Hendrickson
based on Mike's critique, and he just got a Stelling himself, so will
send me a few of the ones he liked best on his Bellflower to try on my
Red Fox.
I'll let you know show they work out,
Victor M. Font Jr.
teh Stelling Vintage birch. I also tried a 2.5g KatEyz Submerged maple with
pegged ebony top and a Vinatage Z-Elite in Birch. I haven't tried a Veerman
yet.
"M Hendrickson" <mhendrick...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:jMqAf.1560$oG.1214@dukeread09...
M Hendrickson
you know how they work.
M Hendrickson
you know how they work.
Victor M. Font Jr. wrote: