I purchased a Snuffy Smith bridge from the BB General Store for my antique beginners banjo & the tone improved significantly.
But I was wondering, “What about putting a Snuffy Smith on a Huber or Deering Sierra or a Stelling?”
I would expect a better quality banjo to have a better bridge, but is a after-market bridge even better?
Snuffy Smith vs Deering Bridge
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My Gibson came with a Huber bridge, and it’s definitely way better than a stock bridge on a beginner banjo. I switched to a Silvio Feretti Scorpion bridge, and I do like the tone of it better. As far as I can tell, the Huber might be considered an aftermarket option as well.
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I couldn’t comment on an improvement in tone, but I got the Snuffy with JD Crowe spacing and love it. I find my picking is more accurate with it. I originally got it at Jake’s recommendation and couldn’t be happier.
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I tried a Snuffy Smith with the JD Crowe spacing, but went back to standard spacing.
I’m afraid a big chunk of the answer to my question involves personal taste, and what sounds best to my ear. And that’s always confusing!
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I’ve tried several different bridges on my old 3 and have settled on a Dotson standard spacing (11/16). I have a Dotson Crowe spacing but haven’t tried it yet. Richie got the maple from a bedroom suite from the 40’s.
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Scorpion 5/8 are awesome
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It’s not an “always” kind of thing.
different banjos (and setups) sound better with different bridges.
the trick is to find the combination that you like the most.
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Aye! There’s the rub!
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