Post
by TomBeltran » Mon Feb 11, 2019 6:38 pm
In my opinion, it is not an original Ramirez bridge. Of course there are variations, as the bridge height range of measurements shows. I cannot recall seeing a 1a bridge of such light, course grained wood for the time period, as you observed. And as you mentioned, the tie-block is not original, and it seems very large; out of proportion to the rest of the bridge.
The side view shows more issues. The space between the tie-block and lip (the ramp) is too high, which is probably a major cause of the break angle issue. Otherwise, the saddle extending 1mm over the top of the lip is, at least based on my experience, on the low end of the typical range.
Also, the part of the lip that is closest to the tie-block is lower than the front of the lip. I imagine this was done because otherwise, the string would hit the wood.
At the extreme end of the bevel (side view), at the edge, the wood is uneven, with the rear being noticeably higher (thicker) than the front.
What you might considers, is to upgrade the bridge in situ. The slot for the saddle could be made a bit deeper. The ramp or space between the tie-block and back of the lip could be made much deeper (below the level of the arms), and the back of the lip could have a straightened slope to give clearance to the string. The string holes could be plugged, and to avoid messing with the tie-block itself, you might consider converting it to a 18 hole bridge so the height of the tie-block is not an issue. The finish on a Ramirez, again in my experience, is very difficult to match, both for gloss and color. I have had some success with french polish and then micro-mesh. But I would simply leave the bridge on, but with the repairs.