Has anyone installed a jld bridge dr.

I put one in my Guild 12 string since I was already doing a bridge repair. It seems to work well. The JLD won't fix severe bellying though. If that's the case, you'll need to re-flatten the top first. I did this before reglueing the bridge: careful application of moderately heavy books and some clamping over months.

I've got a Breedlove Northwest that has one built in and I've installed two. I don't think they have any magical properties that improve tone, but they will fix up to moderate bellying.

Agree with Nick: It's a structural measure, not a tonal improvement.

Which model did you use..the one with the screw or the one with the brass pins.. pros and cons from your standpoint

Which model did you use..the one with the screw or the one with the brass pins.. pros and cons from your standpoint

Screw model. IMNSHO, I think the whole brass pin thing is BS. It may soften the attack a bit and increase sustain very slightly through increased bridge mass => slightly less acoustic coupling to the top. But increased sustain is not necessarily a good thing for an acoustic guitar.

It's a love fest....I agree with Greg

yeah ... kisses all around. :P

Yes I tried to install a JLD Bridge doctor . Over and over , did not really ever do what it was supposed too . Every time I went to readajust it I had to take the strings back off . A pain on a 12 string . Loved the guitar , but sold it because I could not get it to work right . I repair alot of guitars and came across the same old problem ,raised sound board . So I created my own device to correct this problem , keeping in mind all of the stuggles of the JLD . "Brace~ade" was born , The major improvements in design are ; made from strong lightweight aluminum preventing fatigue like the wood does . Double self anchoring ends that penatrate into the neck and tail blocks . The only two strong parts of the guitar . The design also prevents the blocks from spitting . Adjustable from the outside of the guitar with the strings on and in tune . Now you can lower or raise your action in seconds and see exactly where you are adjusting it too . Fits all sizes of acoustic guitars , at least with a sound hole . The strings vibration is transmitted much easier and better since it is connected from the bridge to the neck and tail blocks and made from aluminum not wood . The vibration is increased in the neck that players love . It makes their guitars feel alot more solid and they can really feel every note they play . Installed in about 1/2 an hour and weights less than a 1/2 of a pound . We tested "Brace~ade" in the studio , where ? At a world renowned engineers studio in CA. Mr. Tom Size , has recorded many platinum albums like Sammy Hager (I Cannt Drive 55 ) , Aerosmith , Journey ,Mr Big , Eddie Money ,you get my point . Tom was amazed how much the volume incraesed . Not to mention the tone quality . It's all on the web-site http://www.braceade.com . See ya there , oh yah thanks JLD , Darren Drew inventor and president of DnR guitars llc.

Yes I tried to install a JLD Bridge doctor . Over and over , did not really ever do what it was supposed too . Every time I went to readajust it I had to take the strings back off . A pain on a 12 string . Loved the guitar , but sold it because I could not get it to work right . I repair alot of guitars and came across the same old problem ,raised sound board . So I created my own device to correct this problem , keeping in mind all of the stuggles of the JLD . "Brace~ade" was born , The major improvements in design are ; made from strong lightweight aluminum preventing fatigue like the wood does . Double self anchoring ends that penatrate into the neck and tail blocks . The only two strong parts of the guitar . The design also prevents the blocks from spitting . Adjustable from the outside of the guitar with the strings on and in tune . Now you can lower or raise your action in seconds and see exactly where you are adjusting it too . Fits all sizes of acoustic guitars , at least with a sound hole . The strings vibration is transmitted much easier and better since it is connected from the bridge to the neck and tail blocks and made from aluminum not wood . The vibration is increased in the neck that players love . It makes their guitars feel alot more solid and they can really feel every note they play . Installed in about 1/2 an hour and weights less than a 1/2 of a pound . We tested "Brace~ade" in the studio , where ? At a world renowned engineers studio in CA. Mr. Tom Size , has recorded many platinum albums like Sammy Hager (I Cannt Drive 55 ) , Aerosmith , Journey ,Mr Big , Eddie Money ,you get my point . Tom was amazed how much the volume incraesed . Not to mention the tone quality . It's all on the web-site http://www.braceade.com . See ya there , oh yah thanks JLD , Darren Drew inventor and president of DnR guitars llc.

Darren-

If this is good stuff, we'd be happy to know more. Please send me a Brace-ade eval unit to review. I will do an engineering analysis, as well as before/after trimbal evaluations.

-=Greg

I'd be happy to see that.

It does remind me a bit of the broomstick fenders.

It looks like a somewhat brute force approach, probably to keep installation as simple as possible. Using expansion forces between the tail and neck blocks is not entirely without consequences, though the stresses and resulting strain will depend upon installation particulars (expansion force, positioning). If installed with a lot of expansion force, might this cause eventual neck angle issues? Moreover, the expansion pushes in the same direction as the strings' tensions pull. Guitars can collapse, as well as belly. though the latter is more common. With either the Brace-ade or the Bridge Doctor, one should keep in mind that the bracing system was designed without these added stresses. AFAIK, only Breedlove bracing designs consider the Bridge Doctor. (Is this trad X bracing, NIck?) The Brace-ade looks as if it could add a lot more stress than possible with the Bridge Doctor -- of course the improvement claims for Brace-ade are greater as well.

The effects of coupling the bridge and top to the neck starts to approach designs such as those used in Carvin's Fatboy -- an unusual semihollow with an internal floating beam. It's difficult to imagine exactly the effects on timbre, but probably less to the highs and more on the mids and lows. On a 12-string, where so many of the "perceived" overtones come from the added strings and heavily "flavor" the tone, the effect probably is not as noticeable -- on an HD-28? Doubt if it would be helping. Unfortunately, I don't think too many people would be willing to guinea pig a really great guitar to help us find out.

Hey guys , Greg e-mail me your address I will send one out to you for your evaluation . Gnease , Its not not much of a strong arm method of repair . Not when you compair it to the strings strength . And it really does not take that much presure to anchore these ends into the neck and tail blocks ( the only two strong parts of the guitar ) When you see "Brace~ade" you'll say wow its so obvious and so simple . Not to mention that it is not wood and will never fatigue as such . Hot stages , airplanes , humidity changes have no effect on "Brace~ade" If you have a clue , when you see it first hand and get the whole expereance you wont ever want to play any acoustic guitar without one in it . I have been told by the pro's that "Brace~ade" made their top of the line prize position work of art guitar even better than you could even amagine . Thanks to all of you that do have a clue ,Darren

well my 12 string yamaha nees a brace ade.. willing to have it as the lab specimen

well my 12 string yamaha nees a brace ade.. willing to have it as the lab specimen
crate1 Sure ,go to the web site and order one . Install it and if Brace~ade does not solve your problem and you are not just thrilled to death I will be more than happy to refund your money . If you do not want to install it , I will for free . Brace~ade was first made on a 12 string , and sound improvement is still very much increased . A major must for 12 strings due to all the doubled string presure . Darren