The bridges produce a fuller, more robust tone that is rich in both treble and bass. This bridge has worked wonders for me,and my Banjo! I playthe Washburn B-9 "canjo". The bridgetook some of the keenness out of the Granada. Tim Purcell is a popular The Prowler bridge made the banjo brighter, louder and gave it better note separation, all the things I was hoping for. Ive wanted one of Barts bridges for a while now, so I was curious to see what he might suggest for me. Every single one I tried was excellent, each with their own unique voices and characteristics. I told mike that it would be nice to have the banjo sound a little bigger, fatter, rounder (although I know since the banjo is maple, it will be a bit more bright, perhaps harsh than mahogany.) In actuality Tim made me three bridges, but the first one was lost in shipment on its way here to Argentina. I must have given him 20 different specs, and he nailed it. I recently replaced it with a 9/16" Snuffy Smith New Generation and am not only super pleased with the banjo's action, but also with the tonal quality now of the instrument. I took it home and played it for an hour and it's like the thing was playing itself. They can make a big difference for a small cost. Thanks Steve! i don't know why but it really created a huge improvement. If you are looking for an archtop bridge, consider the Veerman "Archie". I recieved my two-footed thin mystery wood bridge slotted for nylgut strings and installed it. This is the banjo that I wisely bought after a summer of working in the bush and coming home with a wad of cash in my pocket. I would absolutely recommend Bart and his custom bridges to anybody who is thinking about having one made. It used to be the offending string all the time, but now that all 5 strings are on the same "level" of vibration, the tone and tuning has improved somewhat. The craftsmanship is outstanding!! That's about five hours and twenty minutes of some of the best crafted music you'll find anywhere. I thought of ordering another solid Mystery Wood direct from Bart but decided on the Ebony topped Mystery Wood hoping it might have a more dynamic tone. Rogers skin head. Highly recommended, especially if you need some customization. Frankly, I was skeptical as to how much a mere bridge could affect the performance of this inexpensive but boy, was I wrong! I absolutely love my Dotson bridges and am convinced after trying many popular well named bridges that these Dotson's are the best ! I was totally prepared to do that when Scott suggested we talk to a girl wed seen perform at a high school revue the year before. Attention to detail is all there. I doubt anyone is going to put these on super-high end banjos, but on a beginner or intermediate banjo these are probably a very inexpensive and nice upgrade. It is installed on a Gold Tone BC 350 with a Renaissance head and medium gauge steel strings. This bridge most effectively transmits vibration from the strings all over the neck and through the resonator. The main difference it has from other bridges the way it produces tone, which I've found to feel louder (though my gauge told me no volume gain compared to a kiln dried maple) and be both drier and sustain more. Like everyone else these new Snuffy Smith Bridges are top notch. Tim Purcell (II) Art Department | Actor + Add or change photo on IMDbPro Tim Purcell is known for The Babadook (2014) and Death in Bloom (2015). Leon Ballard from UK built handsome custom banjo with a beautiful tone . He is a joy to work with and encourages the best out of teams. I had built the banjo meaning to use a 3/4" bridge, but when I got it together the action was too low for my liking. After several emails back and forth with David Cunningham, he suggested I get a Walnut bridge with a Katalox"cap", which the strings rest across. Mr. Weitzel communicated via email, explained the different options available, and made the bridge to my specifications. I think the Emerson bridges are the best you can get, and I've tried many, many, many, others (I went through a bit of a 'bridge' phase).This one isn't better than the sweet Power II, it's just different, being brighter. A very balanced and "open" sounding bridge. Not this one. The tone, however, is the most important aspect the bridge offers the prospective buyer, and here it most certainly does not disappoint. I think I've found it! The craftsmanship appears top-notch. Up & down the neck it sounded better than any bridge I've tried prior. I am a luthier /repairman by trade, and try to keep as many great bridges in stock as I can afford to. Excellent craftsmanship. I believe he calls these bridges 'organic' because of the appearance. I'd heard that bridges make a difference so I tried a few. Next week I am recording with the banjo and I'm going to do a few takes with all the Spillways and a couple with the Smith back on just to see how it plays back. The only way to know for sure is to try it out yourself. Cons: The test banjo was mahogany with gold plating, old wood rim. Give his bridge a try. Well on the second bridge I made things right and Tim sent me another bridge. One thing I was looking for was a brighter tone, especially on the lower strings, and the bridge delivered. When they came in I immediately noticed the beautiful and consistant quality of his workmanship. Once I put it on my banjo all I can say is WOW!!!! We have become fast friends since then. I emailed Tim and explained that I know little about my banjo but knew it was time for a bridge. Mine is cherry, with a wenge top. Tim Purcell. Both 11/16" two-footers with Crowe spacing. Totop it off Tim was easily reached via e-mail, responded quickly, shippedpromptly, and is just a great guy to deal with. I bought this for a Whyte Laydie banjo (old pot with Reiter neck). bridgesshipped fastidenticalsize and highest qualityperfect for my nylon stringsI would buy again in a heartbeat. I used to slant my bridge, and that would choke off the sustain a little bit. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Tim's . Mahogany of course by nature wants to sound somewhat mellow. With the Bullfrog in place, customizing its placement was much easier than with the Grover. The compensation is amazing. It's hard for me to believe I forgot to say something about ituntil now. Recommended! An excellent bridge, everything you would expect from a Sosebee Bridge .. woods, craftsmanship, everything is first rate. I have a Snuffy Smith on my Goldstar and was satisfied with it but have read good things about Sosebee's bridges so I thought I would give one a try. I've tried Nechville, Sosebee, Katzeye and a couple unmarked Grover type, but none really grabbed me so I thought I give one of Steve's a try. The simple fact is that bridges will sound good/bad on any banjo. Ba-Ba Dook-Dook-DOOK!The Babadook's chant. A good friend of mine from Springfield, IL had met this fellow and turned me on to his work-in a word awesome! Clear, great bass, clear highs and loud. Great volume, balance and tone anywhere on the neck. Rounding out the first incarnation of F and F was my Mustangs bandmate and close friend Scott King. His extensive business experience brought new insight to the project we worked on, and his input was focused, strategic and important to delivering a much improved product. I was right. He enjoyed flying radio controlled aircrafts, fast cars and spreading joy with his unmistakable laughter.Tim Purcell is survived by his wife Sherry, son Jeremy, daughter Janine, son-in-law Austin Police Officer Jasiel Hernandez, five grandchildren, his mother Rita, three brothers Mike, Bill, and Brian.Service information has been communicated internally with APD, and the family.Please keep The Purcell family, and anyone who has been impacted by this unfathomable loss in your prayers.2 Timothy 1:7Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Purcell family. So thats kind of where we are right now. I bought it thinking it would cure my problems, I was right. The original bridge is maple/ebony but is definitely open to some improvement. the 1st and 5th strings are spaced perfectly in the middle over the arch between the feet, while the 2nd-4th strings are noticeably (a couple thousandths) off center toward the 5th string. Wonderful sound. I've used a lot of bridges over the years and Bart's products are a huge step forward. It was clear the bridge had been given special attention by the maker.Second, the design was excellent. "@Wrexham_AFC Was loving O'Connell's performance before the goal - what a debut. The Spillway Dam Bridge is a brilliant design that is masterfully crafted.Don's customer service is first rate too. Tim thank you for you patience and care. This bridge is amazing, totally transformed my Gold Tone OB250+ into a different banjo. Like most banjo players I am always searching for the best sound I can get, and as we all know..the best banjo in the world is a dud with the wrong bridge. We've detected your location as Mumbai. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. Very clear and distinct notes at both high and low ends.This Dam Spillway was the model that was one piece no ebony or other wood across the top. He is SO KNOWLEDGEABLE about banjos as he's been making banjos and bridges and such for over 20 years. It's too soon to describe the difference well but i can say that Bart's Teak/Ebony bridge did add more projection and a bitmore clang (that's the scientific term, I believe) in the midrange. There was no chipping, denting, unevenness, or roughness of any kind. Recommended. I also elected to try the wider (Crowe) spacing, which so far feels great. I purchased five bridges one for each of my banjo's Gibson Scruggs, Gibson Style 5, DeeringCalico, Deering Deluxe, DubosqCustom made. I'm happy! He graciously agreed. No bridge is perfect for all banjos, but this one seems to have done what I had hoped for and is a keeper. Quality - The bridge appears to be durable. You really got to try this bridge. That video led the way. An the price is beyond reasonable. Web: http://www.dcbanjoworks.com/. But Don's Bigfoot does not create a sense of muffled to me, just sweet, full, and mellow. Fantastic Bridges.I ordered a regular and a radius to try and was blown away!At first glance these bridges seem bulky with big feet but the composition of the old wood brings out a woody tone without sacrificing the bright tones at all.I would'nt thin them if I were you.I put the radius on a Huber Lancaster and the straight one on a Stelling Red Fox.We made sure the necks were tight and the other ends of the coordinater rods were only finger tight (super secret setup fact #007) and wa la .The Stelling really opened up.The Huber got a little woodier which it needed.Buy one ,experiment with your setup for a week or so and you'll see! On my banjoI heard wonderful harmonics (complex) that really was a joy to hear on the first 3 strings. When I am playing bluegrass, for the prototypical dry, loud, powerful, dynamic "Earl" sound his #6 "Mystery wood/ebony topped" bridge is incredible. I like what this bridge does for that. Edit page. With no promotion other than word of mouth and folks sharing with their friends, our site is rapidly approaching 50 million views. I had Bart build me a 9/16 teak bridge for my Deering Classic Goodtime Special. Very nice tone. I personally don't hear any difference in volume but I wasn't looking for that in the first place. It warms the treble so much that it gets just a little clang-y, losing some of the Scruggsy, bell-like sweetness I like to hear in a Gibson banjo. No more tinny resonation, far less muddiness (even to my ears) and what service! I installed this bridge on a 70s vintage StewMac "Eagle" kit with an integral cast aluminum pot and archtop tone ring. I am looking for trades to share my library of Bridges, but no further experimentation on the Veerman, Dunno WHY these bridges work as they do, but I've tried them on ALL my open-back banjos (3 Chuck Lee tubaphones, a Vega Whyte Laydie, a Lo Gordon custom). It completely opened up the tone of my banjo. Tim sent me this 5/8 "piano wood" bridge, with ebony top. I can now add northern spirit radio to that list for adding to that. After the installation, there was almost no tonal difference, but during the next three days and 13+/- hours of picking, the sound became more opulent and complex, but still very dry with strong note separation. Amelia is about to kill Samuel, but he manages to trap her and tie her down. I have played fretted stringed instruments of all types, including banjos, for about 35 years. They beefed up the tone & volume and look TOTALLY PreWar !!! I will go even further to say I have never received a bad bridge from anyone. The tone and volume both improved significantly. the banjo came equipped with a Grover compensated that sounded just okay. After the Army, my career continued to build in the telecommunications industry both in Europe and Australia/NZ, and was growing in the ever evolving ICT arena where I have been lucky enough to have worked with some of the largest ICT companies in the industry. In other words, it is not going to remidy that lack of power in your open strings, or give you that 40DBs of volume you have been missing. This third-party data is then indexed through methods similar to those used by Google or Bing to create a listing. The entire spectrum of tone is drier than kiln wood yet more sustaining. Don't be affraid to pick it hard for the first few days, either. As a Scruggs picker looking for the "keening tones" of old, I needed a bridge that gave me that.Zimmerman has one of the answers, for sure. Highly recommended. 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 have tried them on several of my banjos and they have sounded really good on each one. After breaking in the strings for a while, I replaced the old Gover with the new Kat Eyz. He was very good at speaking at length with me in my search. Where Purchased: Directly from Randall Wyatt through Randy Odell. Shipping was a flat,affordable rate. view. I've purchased two bridges from Don. I ordered the spice bridge with the purple heart pegged top- medium weight as he suggested. I have to say that the workmanship is the best that I have ever seen. Very balanced with just the right amount of sustain and good pop. It is hand signed by Bart and is marked on the bottom of the feet for proper orientation. This bridge gave my banjo the growl I had been searching for. On my banjo it helped bring out some of the mids' that I thought were there but hadn't quite been able to bring out. I also found that when his bridge is set right, the worst string would be about two cents off on intonation. There was some settling after a few days and I shimmed with a piece of paper under a leg to get the tone back. I bought the three pack. Clucks also come out more pronounced. It was a pleasure to recently meet and work with Tim. No matter what happened he always remained calm and positive, often revealing fresh prospective on things and events. Ways to honor James Purcell's life and legacy. Thanks so much Gregg!! I cant say that I am getting the sound that I hoped to get from the banjo, largely because I cant quite put my finger on what sound I thought possible or most desirable, and that might be a function of both the limits of my instrument and operator error. What I can say is that the bridge is a great piece of work, tightly cut, symmetrical, nicely sanded, notched precisely. I play clawhammer so it wasn't the right bridge for me but it might be really good for bluegrass. I installed the new bridge as soon as it came in. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself! After reading some reviews about the Purcell Banjo Bridges, I decided to email Tim and asked what banjo bridge would be best for my setup and playing style. I have a very old Vega Folklore long neck, the cheap one with the wooden tone rim. It's hard for me to believe I forgot to say something about ituntil now. I'd always had a bit of trouble with intonation up the neck as well, so I'd been using one of those stock compensated bridges by one of the big manufacturers and it helped a bit but still wasn't great. The banjo came with a 5/8 and though very playable, the action was a bit high for my style. Sacrifice bass for treble, or vice versa. I'd write more, but I've got a banjo to play, so stop wasting time reading these reviews, go to Bart's site and get a bridge, you'll be happy you did. Also, this bridge just looks badass. Highly recommended, if you want a clearer cleaner tone, this bridge is the one for you. Not any more. The quality was outstanding! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! There was a real noticeable difference in volume, decay, and strength. Not only that, but it makes playing the 5th string easier for clawhammer style because the 5th string is raised 1/8 inch. Tim's bridges are very high on my list. If I was perhaps more experienced I would be able to tell if this has made much of a difference but the truth is that so far I havent noticed a difference that I could attribute to the bridge being compensated. HIghly recommend you give him a try. Banjo now has a nice dry pop and is extremely well balanced from string to string. I got a cheap Asian pot-metal banjo in 2005, then a plain Jane Sullivan Festival in late 2006, then a really nice mahogany Bales in 2013. It will show you "the sound", and that is the best statement I can make for this bridge. When I was done I somehow convinced Sammie to come down and fool around with those intricate Garfunkel harmonies. I like the Snuffy Smith ll and lll bridges and also Curtis's bridges. To my ear it is the best bridge I have had on the banjo & I have tried several. I like its looks, the workmanship and the sound. The craftsmanship is over the top professional, very nice work. I've tried four other more expensive "name- brand" maker bridges on it, all of which I've used for years, and this one had the best tone. Randall made me a 15/16" bridge! I was a bit skeptical as to wether another bridge would actually make much difference but what a difference it did make!Brilliant. The bridge was packed in a bubble wrap envelope including a small insert with some basic bridge info, installation instructions, and specs. When the bridge arrived I was pleasantly surprised by its looks: it is almost black with a light topping, the careful finishing shows fine craftsmanship. 211 likes. It's subtle but very noticeable improvement over the previous bridge (Purcell piano wood, a very fine bridge as well!) Excellent bridge. The 11/16 went on my 03 golden era and instantly opened it up, and improved the tone all over the neck. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!! You won't be disappointed. My banjo had a harsh ring to the fifth string and a overall sound I couldn't get right. The best suit is custom made by a master tailor, thebest banjo bridge you can get is made by the master bridge maker, Bart Veerman. This translates into a lot of volume if you really dig in, should you ever need to peel the paint off your walls. I am very impressed with the product and with Dave. My wife thinks so, too, so it must be true! 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. Wowwhat a fantastic bridge! There were none. In the event I find myself in the market for a bridge in the future, DCB can be assured of my business. spacing, tone monster "beech" bridge! I had replaced a Sullivan roasted maple that sounded great, but the a/k brought it up a notch! well where to start purchased 2 of these bridges from doc ,why i wanted a warmer sound on both my RK70 and deering calico ,i explained this to doc and he did the business and they produce the warmer sound i required,and the beauty of this is i can swap and change bridges to my hearts content and get the sound i want at that given moment, thank you doc for all your help and advice it really has been greatly appreciated. I own better bridges, but I have also paid far more for lesser bridges than these. !.go figure! This is a great bridge. I have no hesitation in recommending TIm. Mister Babadook (simply known as the Babadook) is the titular main antagonist of the 2014 Australian horror/thriller film of the same name. It appears to have been a secondary result of sanding or filing the bridge for fit and finish. His bridges are pricey.and worth every penny! The engineering and craftsmanship of his products are absolutelythe best. Good guy.great product! Davids zebra wood bridge with the Crowe spacing delivered. The bridges David crafted for me were the best I have ever used (See this review:http://www.banjohangout.org/reviews/search.asp?m=s&v=7955&redir=true). I would definitely purchase from him again. I put it on a 70s GTR flathead (thick multi ply rim and likely a poor fitting pot metal tone ring). ), My banjo specs: Short scale, walnut neck, 12-inch thin maple rim (Keller drum shell), Dobson tone ring, thin goatskin head, Chris Sands heavy strings. I thought it sounded better with a little heavier strings than I was used to. I like little details such as that. The tone has more clarity, pop and warmth with a quick note decay. What a job Parkinson is doing under huge pressure every week." Remember that with any bridge, set-up factors in, and the head tension may need to be raised or in this case slightly lowered for optimum performance--don't judge a bridge by the sound, try different set-ups! I was curious about the sound characteristics of "roasted" maple bridges after reading some of the posts back in August. The bridge was received so quickly that I believe it was manufactured and mailed the same day that payment was sent. Go to his website and you'll see an array of bridges constructed from a myriad of woods with a description of each like the notes on a bottle of wine, many with sound samples. See also. For 25 bucks you can't go wrong! This is my second bridge from Bart. I decided to try a standard Scorpion. Mostly I play below the 7th fret and that has let me set up the banjo to be fairly plunky but pretty decent from the 7th fret down and I thought I was pretty happy with the whole deal.When I opened the package last night my first impression was geez this is a work of art not a bridge and I sort of just stared at it for a half hour trying to figure out how anyone could possibly make something with that many curves and tapers and still get perfect symmetry. It's all too easy to say this is a great bridge for the money when it's just a great bridge, period. I have tried the Veerman mystery, Enigma, and archies and they are all some of the best bridges ive played with, for tone, clarity, projection, and note separation. Tim is such a nice guy he sent me the second bridge even though I accidentally stiffed him on the shipping charge. as usual perfect processing by tim! I'm using it on an Ome right now that is unique in that it has the spun brass ring usually found in the Ome jazz style banjos. ', 'Ron Coleman Outlaw five string banjo neck in curly maple', 'What's w/ all of the aviation near misses lately ? The wood is Afromosia and the top is katalox.I was very surprised when I put it on and tuned up,there was no waiting time for it to break in,sounded great right away! What Clarity and Power! It's vertically laminated, which is a totally new fancy feature that was previously unknown to me (and may explain why it sounds so much better than any of the other bridges I've tried out).It is absolutely beautiful. I've found that with these bridges it actually takes less hand/finger effort to play. Very happy with the quality and well worth the price. I am glad I did not follow his advice. It arrived a few days later so I put it on, tweaked the head a bit and left it overnight to settle. Workmanship is flawless, but I went back to Snuffy Smith. He sent me one of his first McCormick spice factory wood bridges in the KatEyz style, with ebony top wood, at 2.3 grams. Now if I could just get my pull offs as fast and clean as Dan MenzoneMikem. The girl has real pipes. Does it make your banjo sound like a 1934 Gibson? Either way don't wait order one!!!! For my purposes, the original worked the best for my Goodtime and the Barn Wood version worked the best for my RK. I wasn't sure what to expect out of Locust, but what I got was something new almost haunting in G minor tuning. 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. To torment and harm anyone who refuses to believe in him. It came with a old two foot Grover bridge that someone hand cut to accept the thicker Nylgut strings. Would recommend to anyone looking to try a new bridge at a very reasonable price. I so looked forward to getting together with Maggie and Sam. I worked with Tim at Catalyst on multiple projects and always felt strong support from his side whether on resolving different issues, or finding new ways to do my own work more effective, or communicating with the clients.