Bridge Designer 2016 Cheapest Bridge Download
Angeles Bartholomew
I wasted half a day playing with West Point Bridge Designer 2011, a free game released as part of a contest each year by West Point. I have been unable to get to the contest web page for more details that what is incorporated into the game software. So far as I can tell, the contest is for middle school and high school students to design a bridge that meets load limitation requirements for the lowest possible cost. The cost model is simple, but tricky, as it includes costs for both the weight of the different sorts of steels and the number of different dimensions of tubes that are needed, as well as the number of connectors. The costs of excavation, fill, and abutments are also estimated.
Each year West Point releases a new version of the software with a new bridge-design challenge, and with various upgrades to the software. Older versions of the software ran only on Windows, but the 2011 version runs on Mac OS X as well, and there is some talk in the documentation that they might support Linux in future (if there is demand).
I'm fairly new to the banjo and I'm enjoying every minute of learning and playing.
As a practical person, I'd also like to learn more about the instrument itself and how parts of it work and make it sound how it does.
Just this week, I wanted to replace the 5/8" (compensated) bridge on my banjo.
I looked on the internet and was quite surprised at how the prices vary, from 5 ($6) up to 30+ ($36+)
All were made of ebony-topped hard rock maple.
My first question is... Does the extra cost sound better, if so, why???
Secondly, I read something recently where a guy said he sands his new bridges down to adjust the sound. If you do this, why? does it work? and what part of it are you sanding?
Any information regarding this would be appreciated, thank you.
Lots of people here use bridges made by specialist makers mainly in the USA and swear by them and that's what you'll get recommendations for. We don't have such easy access. We can get the more expensive Snuffy Smith bridges sometimes or at the moment Scorpion bridges from Eagle Music as well as Deering bridges. Or Grover bridges or cheaper Leader bridges and I really don't know if there's much difference between these two. Or if these are better than stock bridges. I did have a Grover on a resonator banjo but I don't think it was much different from the stock bridge.
There's no doubt the bridge is a key element to the sound and weight/thickness is important. Sanding down a bridge making it thinner and lighter certainly gives a brighter sound. I have open backs and use a heavier bridge with a thicker top and use cheap bridges I bought from Andy Banjo when it was open. One day I might get a thicker Snuffy Smith for comparison but I'm happy with the sound I get. I did see one comparison video of a stock bridge and a Snuffy Smith and I'd say the difference was marginal.
The key thing is to find a bridge you're happy with. and I think banjos are about experimentation. I was lucky to find a 5 bridge so I didn't feel the need to buy a 30 Snuffy Smith. My first question would be - what banjo do you have?
Graham.
When I bought my first banjo, I started experiencing pain in my fretting arm and shoulder, this was due to arthritis of the left shoulder. The pain became so bad, that I had to stop learning/playing. My banjo teacher showed me a travel banjo and this helped.
So last autumn I had a Bluegrass resonator banjo made for me in the UK. This has a shorter neck and has helped with the pain...
You say, "The key thing is to find a bridge you're happy with"...I'm starting to realize how difficult it is to get parts in the UK.
I'd still like to know the difference between a 5... or a 35 bridge? because you certainly cannot see a difference in them.
I think you're going to have to take the plunge to find out. The phrases I see are closed grain and slow growth while sometimes the wood is from old reclaimed sources sometimes submerged wood. Besides the Scorpion bridge you can get Kat Eyz bridges through a marketplace seller on Amazon and both are highly regarded - the Kat Eyz maker took over making the Snuffy Smith line. Some UK banjo makers will make bridges to your specification.
I ask myself why no one puts up well recorded videos with different bridges or really is it just weight that is key. Is it more emperor's new clothes or emperor in his underwear or is it emperor in full regalia.
Sometimes only your dog can hear the difference in bridges. There are makers out there who make bridges that are really thick, shaped in unusual ways, but the idea is to enhance the tone. The biggest differences to these old ears is more in the type of wood used. Walnut and mahogany are mellower than maple. Tight grained maple is brighter than wide grained. The surprise for me was beech. They produce a clear sound that lets the notes ring. I did a side by side comparison on bridges with banjo maker Lo Gordon, several years ago. It should be in the archives somewhere these days. We were using Rickard bridges I had gotten from Bill.
I have always wondered why a reputable builder of >$1,000 instruments supposedly ruins it all by putting a $3 bridge on it instead of one of those magic $30 bridges. That being said, I ordered a Prucha bridge because handling and shipping for my new tailpiece was already twice the price of the bridge and I thought why not. I am curious as to whether there is any notable effect. I know banjo players that I respect a lot that swear that bridges have a big impact on sound, I just haven't heard it myself.
I probably have 25 bridges in my box, from all different makers. Even at $30, bridges are a cheap experiment in tone modification, so just dive in head first.
My experience is that getting good tone is about matching the right bridge to your banjo, rather than a single brand/design being the "best bridge". What bridge sounds best on your banjo depends on the head you use, head tension, string break angle, rim thickness, tone ring, and numerous other factors. "Best" is also subjective, and it's entirely dependent on the tone you want, whether that's a bright attack with sharp decay or a more warm plunky sound. I've had great luck with bridges from Bart Veerman, Joel Hooks, Scorpion, Snuffy Smith, Purcell, Sosobee, and Sullivan. I've also had great luck by grabbing a handful of $5 grover bridges, and swapping them out until I found the one that sounded good. Remember that bridges are just a chunk of wood meant to hold your strings up and transfer vibration to the head, there is no "secret magic" to be found. You can just carve your own, if you want.
One thing I will say is that (in my opinion), all-maple bridges without an ebony cap universally sound better than ebony capped bridges. My understanding is that the ebony cap was developed to protect bridges from steel strings, rather than improve tone. So generally, I try to run all maple bridges and just accept that I'll need to replace them eventually.
Other people with much more knowledge will likely chime in with specifics about how density, weight, grain, and material all effect tone.
Hi Fred
I think the short answer is the difference is in the quality of materials used, and the quality of craftsmanship employed in the building of a bridge. I imagine that inexpensive bridges are churned out on CNC machines using unexceptional woods. In my experience, artisan bridge builders are highly selective in the woods they choose, and construct the bridge with amazing attention to detail.
Like most experienced players, I've acquired a range of bridges over the years, at all prices. I've even had a 'Kat Eyz' bridge built to my own specifications.
I've found that there's no one bridge that's best on all banjos. In fact, an expensive bridge on one banjo may sound great, on another (quite similar) banjo it might sound just OK. Equally, I've found that on one banjo an inexpensive mass-produced bridge sounded best when compared with a range of 'artisan' bridges. It just depends on the individual banjo.
To get an idea of the care some bridge builders take, check out Silvio Ferretti's comments about his 'Scorpion' bridges here eaglemusicshop.com/5-string-si...e?pv=5459 or see the 'Kat Eyz' site here kateyzbb.com/about
With bridges, as with all things banjo-related, the best one is the one that sounds best to you. Sadly, the only way to find out is to try a few, and that can be expensive especially here in the UK. Perhaps you could consider contacting any players in your area and asking if they have bridges you could try.
While that may help you choose a builder, it's true that two apparently identical bridges from the same builder may sound different.
If you type in 'bridge comparison' into the forum search here, you'll be shown 1500 posts on this subject. Just about every aspect of banjo bridges is covered, hight, weight, material, thickness, design, string spacing, slot cutting etc.
dca57bae1f