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Lap steel bridge - compensated or not?

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:43 am
by andrew
I have seen a lot of debate on the web over whether a bridge on a lap steel needs to be compensated or not. There are those that say that since you are not fretting the strings that this is not necessary. Others argue that a compensated bridge is needed to compensate for the stiffness of the strings. My gibson skylark has a round bar for a bridge that is set at a slight angle. My supro has no compensation. What do others think, and if compensation is needed how can it be calculated?
thanks, Andrew

Re: Lap steel bridge - compensated or not?

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:16 pm
by azureskys
I think your supro will give you the answer you need. Russ

Re: Lap steel bridge - compensated or not?

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:48 am
by andrew
Thanks Russ, though to be honest I'm not sure I can tell the difference between the gibson or the supro in terms of intonation - maybe down to my playing ability (I'm still pretty much a beginner at this). Did you mean to imply that compensation is not necessary or the inverse?

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

thanks, Andrew

Re: Lap steel bridge - compensated or not?

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:34 pm
by gary
No need to compensate a lap steel. (IMHO)