How does the postion of the guitar bridge affect the guitar?

Question

is there a specific way that you are supposed to have it? does it affect the tuning? how am i supposed to arrange it to make it sound good?

how do the tension work? what happens if you tighten them too much or not enough?

i know its a lot of question but if you could answer all of them, i would appreciate it.... and give you the 10 points.

Answer 1

I might add that a bridge must be placed with precise measurements from the nut to its center for correct intonation and compatibility with other instruments. Those measurements are defined by the instrument manufacturer.

The bridge could be off its specifications by a half-inch and sound perfectly in tune, but to play with other band instruments the player will quickly learn that he would be the only one out of tune.

The bridge may be located correctly by measurement of the scale of the instrument. The scale is the exact distance between the string nut (at the upper end of the fingerboard) and the bridge saddle (the highest point on the bridge, over which the strings pass).

For example, on my 1964 Chet Atkins Nashville 6120, the correct scale measurement from nut to bridge placement is exactly 24 1/2".

Answer 2

the bridge is placed perpendicular to the strings and larger surface (which are roughly parallel to one another) with the tension of the strings pressing down on the bridge and thus on the larger surface beneath it. That larger, more acoustically responsive surface may be coupled to a sound chamber — an enclosure such as the body of a guitar or violin — that assists in sound amplification.

Answer 3

In order to properly answer your question, one would need to write about 100 pages.  May I suggest that you buy a book on guitar maintenance or guitar set-up?  Perhaps your local library might have something.

Answer 4

I think you mean the saddles on the bridge as most guitars have the bridge fixed in place during manufacturing. Yes it affects the tuning and yes they are supposed to go a specific way. You will need a tuner to fix your intonation. The open sting you are adjusting should be reading the same on your tuner as the fretted note at 12th fret. Each string will have to be intonated individually.(there should be a little s***w for each saddle on the bridge.) Moving the saddle towards the head of the guitar will make the note at 12th fret higher, towards the bottom of the guitar lower (in pitch). If by tension you mean your truss rod (located under a little plate on the neck or sometimes at the bottom of the neck where it meets the body) do not adjust this unless you know what your doing---you could snap your neck!!!