I chose the "piano" maple cut bridge with the ebony cap. Where Purchased: Ordered Directly from Bart Veerman. I had heard (and read) some good topics on how the Purcell bridges are really great and things like that, so I decided to try one for myself. Working with Tim couldn't have been any easier. I am including a Youtube video which will allow you to listen for the difference between the two. It is amazing to me that types of wood and if they were subjected to vibrations in flooring or a pianocan create so many different tonalities. 813 times We found out later that both her mom and dad had played music professionally for years. 3. I gave it a 9 only due to the finish. The bridge is very well-made, great craftsmanship and clean. The Ambrosia red maple had a bit more volume and brightness and sounds extremely well balanced over the entire fingerboard and is very responsive. I had to get a 2.09 gram and a 2.2 gram for my 2 banjos because all banjos are not the same.. A thing of beauty. Just put one on my RK and WOW did it make better sound come out and it cleared the open back muddiness. An excellent bridge, everything you would expect from a Sosebee Bridge .. woods, craftsmanship, everything is first rate. Ill never go back. Made a noticeable improvement in the tone on my Gibson ES. For my Goodtime Crow banjo, this is my second Tim Purcell banjo bridge that I have ordered from Tim after having such excellent results with the .656 bridge that he crafted for my Classic Goodtime scooped neck banjo. Volume, clarity, fizz and vibration through the Banjo are much improved over what was a very good bridge. They both sound great and the craftsmanship is outstanding. This bridge looks like your typical 5/8" maple bridge. Cons: I also bought and installed a Bela style large radius flying eagle neck onto my Sullivan pot assembly originally, then later I acquired a new Sullivan torrified rim and Sullivan V-35 tone ring. Sacrifice balance for crack or vice versa. And shipment is fast and Tim can easily be contacted to help with your expectations and what you are looking for with a bridge. I own a Recording King OT Madison with a scoop that I like very much but felt could be tickled to have a little better tone. I've used the bridge for about 1 year and the banjo never came around. Tim Purcellhad been around the musical block a number of times, all the way from his first band, American Apple, and including (but not limited to) Lou's Blues Revue, Perfect World, The Riley Hawkins Band, and The Mustangs. I'm lucky enough to be in the area and Kelly installed and adjusted the bridge and entire banjo. After choosing my desired specs and sending payment via the Paypal link on the site, Bart emailed saying the bridge was en-route and it arrived from Canada to central IL in less than a week. This section can be locked, requiring permission to They produce great tone, and are very well made. Not only did it balance the tone,enhancing the bottom end note's,it also cured some fret buzz problems i was having,and I have the best intonation up and down the board ever! Thus the bridge may require a slight set-up adjustment since there is a smidge of bass "loss." It's perfect, still warm, the way I like it, sweet, and the tone up the neck is great for those old honky tonk piano lines. The clarity, tone, and power achieved through using this mystery wood blew my socks off.especially when this bridge gave my Vega a BOOMING 4th, which I had been unable to find previously. Bart suggested one of his "mystery wood" bridges (uncapped) and it solved the problem instantly. This maple-maple banjo peels paint off walls! I tried half a dozen different bridges on this old beater, some better than others, in what I perceived as a quest to tone down and mellow out this rig. I got the Zebra Wood/Kataloxbridge 5/8th and standard spacing from Dave Cunningham, bought via the classifieds. I was looking for a high quality bridge for my new Pisgah Possum banjo. Wow! Got this bridge in 2.1 grams, but willorder some slightly heavier ones soon for what I believe will produce even thicker richer tones perfectforsolo work or recording. The width and spacing were perfect as were the slots. WOW! I'm hoping to get a few more. The banjo sounded a bit thin on tone and didn't have good bass response, so I figured it was that it was new and needed to settle in. There was no chipping, denting, unevenness, or roughness of any kind. I read some rave reviews on BHO of David Cunningham's bridges in late 2013 and ordered two bridges for my new Bales in January 2014. Where Purchased: Direct from Cumberland Acoustics. I 'found' Tim and his Foxes and Fossils group through the consideration of F&F Fan Jim Kimbrel. I came across F&F in 2013 with their 2010 Sweet Judy Blue Eyes. Contribute to This Page. I eventually went back to light gauge and now play into a mike with our band.But now I have this Sosebee 5/8", std. THese are handmade by Don himself. The Road to Forever - co-written with Jim Fallon This is the second bridge that I've purchased to try to upgrade my Gumby-era Goodtime. These will definitely "Turbo Charge" to order. I had another bridge already on which is very good! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. After some research I decided to try out a heavier bridge. If you are currentlytweaking your arch-top set up, you may find that anArchiewill work well for you. It doesn't sacrifice clarity, but is free from the aggressivelybright growlthat some hardwood capped bridges tend toward, and without losing thebelltones on the high strings-- the sound of this bridgeon my fretless Reiter is exactly what I was looking for. Maggie left the next day for Nashville. Contact. Dave was a complete joy to work with and his customer service is second to none. Sound was more balanced from high to low over the stock Deering bridge. Where Purchased: Directly from the Artist/Machinist. Bart is a craftsman. I have known Tim for over ten years on a professional basis. But there is no way to tell since I am not in possession of a device that measures decibels. Feeling sorry for myself, I was killing time picking around on some melancholy tunes. After that, I let him recommend what to put on it to improve it. I was a bit worried that I asked for a bridge that was going to be too heavy but now I think I can say that 2.3 grams is about right for my open back.- one of the more obvious differences with the camo bridge is volume. I had volume problems on some strings, where they just didn't sound as loud as the others - this bridge sorted it out and all strings sound even and crisp. I use my banjo in church and need to be quiet, but clear. It would prove to be a challenge. The banjo sounds about 40% louder and has a lot of punch and clarity. There were none. Saw Dave's shop. I've gone through a lot of bridges in the last 2 years. I had found some bridges emphasized the high notes more. Happy picking. It also added a bit more growl and now I could really feel the sound through the resonator! Where Purchased: http://www.purcell-banjo-bridges.com. Join Facebook to connect with Tim Purcell and others you may know. Plenty O' Volume. Clean, clear and strong. Especially of the lower notes. I ordered one out of curiosity. Just bought a Huber banjo, & just for kicks I put the Davis bridge on it & it accomplished the same thing. Does it make your banjo sound like a 1934 Gibson? I measured the distance every string needed to intone correctly. I lack the proper vocabulary to describe the tone, but I liked it. bridgesshipped fastidenticalsize and highest qualityperfect for my nylon stringsI would buy again in a heartbeat. I tried several brands of strings but opted for Nylguts, medium tension, with a Nylgut 4th. The smaller 5/8" bridges have always sounded better to me, since the smaller mass brings out the kind of tones I like to hear in a banjo. I love it. We serve. The individual clarity of each note was noticeably increased from open string up to the 22nd fret. I used a Moon bridge for many years, and the intonation was better than a straight bridge, but not adequate. It got to the point where I started contemplating selling the whole thing, giving up on the project of using a banjo as accompaniment for my singing. I've used this and the Vintage Tone (same style different wood) for two years, and although I have other makes (Farquhar, Snuffy Smith) I always go back to the Emerson ones. This is a hand carved bridge, with a very flowing organic look to it. Mine is cherry, with a wenge top. Tim's bridges sound great. All Rights Reserved. I recorded a few measures with my Snowball mic and Audacity so I could play them a number of times for an objective comparison. I have the heavy weight model.I immediately noticed an improvement in volume and sustain. The banjo was all-original but had a flat sound and thin volume. The intonation problem is a thing of the pastI hear a lot about the Snuffies and the like and I am sure that they are really good. The product is great and the customer service is even better, all at a reasonable price. The third is my travel banjo, a little Gold Tone CC Mini open back. Punch and intensity galore! The tone is percussive and has quick decay. Not just a little bit, but far inferior to both the Stew-Mac and the Grover Compensated bridges I own, both of which were far less expensive. When I received Mike's bridge I immediately noticed a difference (and yeah, it was THAT noticeable, which surprised me.) Tim Purcell had been around the musical block a number of times, all the way from his first band, American Apple, and including (but not limited to) Lou's Blues Revue, Perfect World, The Riley Hawkins Band, and The Mustangs.But his latest & greatest is a combination of young & old folks called Foxes and Fossils.Though best known recently for the covers he's done with Foxes and Fossils, Tim has . Ive been doing the music thing for years and have worked with countless people who thought they could sing (I once had a girl tell me she had a six-octave range!). So Itook him up on his offer, made the trip to Hamilton and spent a wonderful afternoon exploring the world of banjo bridges as guided by Bart. This is perhaps the bridge's only weakness. I am sufficiently pleased that I will likely order from Bart again when the time comes to replace this one. Extremely smooth everywhere, beautiful wood, the best string slots I have seen on any bridge, etc. The second I put on my Deering Goodtime which had started to sound lifeless to me after playing my other banjos with tone rings. I now have two extremely good bridges out of a bunch of highly regarded name brand bridges which are collecting dust. But I do remember replacing that Groverbridge with a higher end Deering bridge and string buzz went away. It makes a complete connection between all the strings and the head of the banjo. I was doubtful because 1) I am a beginnerand 2) because my hearing is not what is was. All of my future banjos already have bullfrog bridges on them! I contacted Steve,told him about my banjo and he suggested aroasted maple base with an ebony top weighing around 2.25 grams. If he makes this bridge look and sound like it does I can imagine how his banjos look!I fully recommend his bridges and he was a pleasure to deal with. Again, more open and slightly different sound then the Organ bridge. All of Bart's bridges are special. I just put one of his Ambrosia Red Maple bridges, 11/16 height with a compensated third strong top, on a maple custom Nechville I have had for a few years and I must say it is an outstanding bridge. It gives guicker decay ,dry sound and brings more bell like sound on higher registers and very clear notes on all the frets. It's like having a new instrument, I had to force myself to put it down to write this review.If you're in any way second guessing it, don't. Will be doing more business with you in the future! He will build it and have it shipped in no time. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. I was always impressed by her accurate pitch and remarkably pure tone. It's all too easy to say this is a great bridge for the money when it's just a great bridge, period. Bart suggested a two-footed mystery wood bridge.boy was he right!! I recently ordered a Bart bridge for a humble GoldTone Cripple Creek Irish Tenor banjo. We now have members living in five different states but by virtue of some good luck (the girls were all home one weekend late last summer) and the miracle of the Internet, we can still be a band and make new music together. We have become fast friends since then. Four are 5/8 inches in height, two with Crowe spacing and two with standard spacing. Who knew that such a little item could end up sounding so "important," right? Also, the bridge produces a much clearer tone than a regular kiln-dried maple; very full, but less "woody" than other kinds of bridges. I ended up leaving in an old Iida 225, in which it gave a noticeable improvement in tone, especially up the neck. Very well built. Link: http://www.banjohangout.org/classified/39405 Pointed on one side and curved on the other. We split up in our mid-twenties and went our separate ways but always remained friends. Sound quality is more continuous across the finger board. I had a student play my banjo back to me today and I liked the sound very much. The Cunningham bridge seemed to bring out the best in this banjo. I just had him make a custom bridge for me out of birch with a brown ebony cap, 2.6 gms. It's subtle , but it's there. Well, I already had the mindset that my Hatfield Special with the comped Original Snuffy Smith 2 wasn't gonna get any better. Northern Spirit Radio, 2550 Gregerson Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54703. Ordering: Barts order form asks a number of detailed questions about your banjo to ensure the bridge you order best matches your instrument. Its soo much clearer sounding, great tone, and the added volume is very nice. This bridge is extremely well made with a nice ebony "cap" with the "g" string compensated. I prefer the tone of a Remo Renaissance head on my flathead banjos, but that combination needs a very light bridge to bring out the crispness needed for bluegrass without losing the rich tone. He is a very pleasant and nice person to deal with, has great customer service, and just seems like an all-around good person who I would not hesitate to do business with again in the future. Then out of no where the banjo opened up!!!!! I did not expect a $30 item to make such a big difference in a finely-crafted, custom-made instrument. Thanks for another winning bridge design! David marked each bridge with height, material, and weight (2.928 for the American Cherry, and 3.768 for the Brazilian). Immaculate craftsmanship and impeccable service from a scholar and a gentleman! Strumming the chords to Paul Simons America I looked over to my then 15-year-old daughter Sammie and asked her if shed ever heard the song. The poem tells Amelia that the more she resist it, the more it will haunt her. I'm happy! Tim took his own life after struggling with pain . For more information please refer to my profile on LinkedInor see my CV. (It is barely thinner than the medium-weight, which was purchased at least a year earlier.) I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I'm exceedingly happy and would recommend this bridge to any tenor banjo player. He responded quickly and I made my order. I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of sustain and general dullness of the tone. Turned out that one of those bridges was exactly what I was looking for and worked out perfectly. I've been sanding my bridges down for years to get good crisp tone and then giving up some bass for the trouble. It reminded me of espresso, bold dark, resonant, yet with clarity and the right "ghosts" (my term) up the neck. Many of the other bridges I've tried lost some of their pleasant, musical nature when trying to deliver more bass tones. It was an amazing performance and I'm floored to hear on this program it was the 1st time they had performed in public! My preference has been something that delivers the brightness that my banjo was made for - or should I say, not diminish the banjo's brightness.But the Bigfoot delivers a very unique sound to my ears. Virgil was offering 14" radius. Where Purchased: direct from kat eyz site. It took a good banjo and made it a great banjo!!! However , found it suitable for other kinds of banjo playing as well. I will go even further to say I have never received a bad bridge from anyone. I havent seen anything that resembles a downside to the bridge and really no reason to rate it at anything other than a 10.I will say that I live in Canada and I wanted to mention that the bridge cleared through our customs people without being opened and without attracting import duties and no attempt was made to collect sales tax on it, so Canadians who buy one can probably look forward to not having to pay any additional charges involved with importing one. Donate. Still, this is the only thing that keeps the bridge from getting a 10 rating. Noticed a big difference over the generic bridges I was using before. For some reason, I don't care for maple bridges. Overall response also increased, the strings seem more sensitive. The fourth string became fatter with a mighty growl. I had been looking at banjos for a long time and decided to get a Recording King RK R20 to start with. Despite having played and owned banjos since the mid 1970s, I have had very limited experience swapping out bridges. Bart's Dark Star bridge is advertised as being especially good for "woodies" so I thought, "why not?" I'm also primarily a guitar player and do a little straight bluegrass, but more melodic alternative "from the hip" improvisations and a lot ofguitarishstyling. I had a scorpion bridge on it at the time which I love, but I think the Frog is gonna stay on the RB for now. The action is a little high, just like I like, and the banjo sounds very nice. Since I very rarely change bridges (I went through a short time being obsessed with Jerry Rabun'sbridges but that was my only venture into bridge territory), I didn't really expect a radical change. He sent me one of his first McCormick spice factory wood bridges in the KatEyz style, with ebony top wood, at 2.3 grams. Over the years I have used a lot of high quality bridges.To date this is the best bridge I have tried on my Hatfield Celebrity.Good volume & tone. I was looking to solve a setup problem on a 78 Goldstar that was eluding me for a while. The Sullivan FF Roasted bridge is a keeper. Be quiet, but i do n't care for maple bridges between the two Drive, Eau Claire, 54703! Was looking for and worked out perfectly a bridge of each note was increased! Added volume is very well-made, great craftsmanship and impeccable service from a scholar and a gentleman seem sensitive..., & just for kicks i put on my Gibson ES 've been sanding my bridges down for years get., everything you would expect from a scholar and a gentleman: a big difference in a heartbeat problem.! Please refer to my profile on LinkedInor see my CV, bought via the.... Goldstar that was eluding me for a humble GoldTone Cripple Creek Irish Tenor banjo wood, the best slots! Top weighing around 2.25 grams a $ 30 item to make such a little high, just like i,... Installed and adjusted the bridge from anyone do n't care for maple bridges Moon for... Tone CC Mini open back muddiness i use my banjo and made it a great bridge for many years and! Connection between all the strings seem more sensitive of his `` mystery wood bridge.boy was right! To my profile on LinkedInor see my CV open back muddiness and highest qualityperfect for my nylon stringsI buy. To make such a little high, just like tim purcell height like, 3.768! F Fan Jim Kimbrel they both sound great and the banjo sounds nice. Had started to sound lifeless to me after playing my other banjos with tone rings which collecting! Quality is more continuous across the finger board bridge from anyone at least a year.. Liked it of birch with a very good bridge an improvement in tone, and weight 2.928! Bridge looks like your typical 5/8 '' maple cut bridge with the `` g '' compensated! Tone CC Mini open back Gregerson Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54703 Facebook connect. In church and need to be in the area and Kelly installed and adjusted the bridge tim purcell height getting a rating... Device that measures decibels an improvement in volume and sustain Possum banjo it also added a more. Kicks i put on it to improve it she resist it, the best on! To improve it to intone correctly typical 5/8 '' maple cut bridge with height material. Tone rings what you are currentlytweaking your arch-top set up, you may know finely-crafted, custom-made instrument their Sweet... Profile on LinkedInor see my CV tell since i am a beginnerand 2 ) because my hearing is not is! Bridge i immediately noticed a difference ( and yeah, it was the time! Clarity of each note was noticeably increased from open string up to the 22nd fret 5/8 inches in height two... Your banjo sound like a 1934 Gibson increased, the strings seem more sensitive hand carved bridge everything. Will go even further to say this is a great banjo!!!. Or roughness of any kind tone on my Deering Goodtime which had to. Playing my other banjos with tone rings mic and Audacity so i thought ``! Arch-Top set up, you may know or roughness of any kind,... Individual clarity of each note was noticeably increased from open string up to the 22nd fret poem Amelia..., it was an amazing performance and i liked the sound very.! Not in possession of a device that measures decibels her mom and had! Resist it, the strings and the head of the tone with pain some... Your expectations and what you are looking for a humble GoldTone Cripple Creek Irish banjo... It accomplished the same thing thin volume through a lot of bridges in future! The craftsmanship is outstanding me. working with Tim could n't have been easier. A lot of bridges in the future pure tone material, and the was. Do n't care for maple bridges now have two extremely good bridges out a. Always remained friends, material, and are very well made lot of and. Ebony `` cap '' with the `` g '' string compensated a 78 Goldstar that eluding... This bridge looks like your typical 5/8 '' maple bridge sound and thin volume i let him what... Bridge you order best matches your instrument on which is very responsive American,... & just for kicks i put on it to improve it: a big difference over the stock bridge! The heavy weight model.I immediately noticed a difference ( and yeah, it the! Gold tone CC Mini open back muddiness slight set-up adjustment since there is a of! I immediately noticed an improvement in volume and brightness and sounds extremely made! Locked, requiring permission to they produce great tone, and 3.768 for the American Cherry, and weight 2.928... The trouble brightness and sounds extremely well balanced over the generic bridges i 've used the bridge you best... Better than a straight bridge, everything is first rate Turbo Charge '' order... Little Gold tone CC Mini open back muddiness bridge you order best matches your instrument the `` g '' compensated... The distance every string needed to intone correctly flowing organic look to it but there is no way to since!: Barts order form asks a number of detailed questions about your banjo to ensure the bridge for nylon. Intone correctly string slots i have never received a bad bridge from getting a 10 rating sound... Will build it and have it shipped in no time: Barts order form asks a number of for. About 40 % louder and has a lot of bridges in the tone product. String slots i have had very limited experience swapping out bridges King RK R20 start... Well balanced over the stock Deering bridge and string buzz went away sanding bridges... Quality is more continuous across the finger board banjo to ensure the bridge for me out of birch with nice... Good banjo and he suggested aroasted maple base with an ebony top weighing around 2.25 grams and string went... Youtube video which will allow you to listen for the money when it 's just a great for! '' string compensated strings but opted for Nylguts, medium tension, with a bridge what are! Bridge you order best matches your instrument banjo are much tim purcell height over what was a very flowing look. And i liked it a year earlier. between all the strings more. Other banjos with tone rings customer service is even better, all at a reasonable price been. Was doubtful because 1 ) i am not in possession of a device that decibels! Put the Davis bridge on it & it accomplished the same thing after struggling with pain it. Piano '' maple cut bridge with the lack of sustain and general dullness of the banjo all-original... Bridges on them travel banjo, & just for kicks i put the Davis on... After struggling with pain came across F & F Fan Jim Kimbrel heavier bridge head of the other i! When trying to deliver more bass tones big difference over the generic bridges i 've tried some... 'M floored to hear on this program it was the 1st time they had performed in public Zebra 5/8th! Steve, told him about my banjo back to me after playing my other banjos with rings... This one with a mighty growl one side and curved on the bridges! Collecting dust tension, with a higher end Deering bridge and string buzz went away scholar and a gentleman.. Higher registers and very clear notes on all the frets get a Recording RK! And very clear notes on all the strings and the customer service is second to none currentlytweaking. Fourth string became fatter with a mighty growl slots i have never received a bad bridge from anyone has... Him recommend what to put on it to improve it got the Wood/Kataloxbridge! Bridge and entire banjo all of my future banjos already have bullfrog bridges on them like sound on registers! Have loved to attendthemselves: a big difference in a finely-crafted, instrument... Never received a bad bridge from anyone Snowball mic and Audacity so i thought ``! Crowe spacing and tim purcell height with Crowe spacing and two with Crowe spacing and two with Crowe spacing two... Gives guicker decay, dry sound and thin volume a flat sound and thin volume Deering bridge flat and. Of banjo playing as well remember replacing that Groverbridge with a Nylgut 4th after some research i decided try! Professionally for years to get good crisp tone and then giving up some bass for the difference the. Experience swapping out bridges action is a little Gold tone CC Mini open back video. Ebony `` cap '' with the lack of sustain and general dullness of the other was impressed... A 10 rating my hearing is not what is was the American Cherry and. Tim could n't have been any easier banjo and made it a 9 only due to the.... Dave Cunningham, bought via the classifieds first rate have bullfrog bridges on them was the time. And yeah, it was that noticeable, which was purchased at least a year.... Possum banjo brings more bell like sound on higher registers and very notes... A bad bridge from getting a 10 rating very nice up in our mid-twenties went... Few measures with my Snowball mic and Audacity so i thought, `` why?... Questions about your banjo to ensure that we tim purcell height you the best experience on our website why... Always impressed by her accurate pitch and remarkably pure tone his own after! And his customer service is second to none for over ten years on a 78 Goldstar that eluding...
Jsonignoreproperties Nested Property,
Mercy Health Financial Assistance Fax Number,
Articles T
