Several years ago, an interesting and innovative product caught my eye; Bridge Bone Beads. This innovative product seemed like a God-send of sorts. It gave classical guitarists the “convenience and safety of a 18-hole bridge design”, regardless of their instrument’s natural bridge design.
Several months ago, I decided to take the plunge and order a set. After some hours of testing, I have formed a strong opinion about Bridge Bone Beads.
Before I divulge further, I should specify that the product used for this review is the Bridge Bone Beads II, or the ‘white one’. The classical guitars used for this review are an Asturias Standard (cedar) and a Michael Menkevich LaDonna (spruce). D’Addario EXP 46 and EJ45C strings were used.
I ordered a set from StringsByMail and was pleased to discover that a set of Rosette Tie-Guards had been supplied with the beads.
The instructions are easy to follow, and as promised, the strings are easy to tie to the beads, thus reducing the time taken for restringing. The strings are so easy to tie to the beads, that after installing one set, you probably won’t need to refer to the instructions for subsequent installations.
The beads are quite pleasant looking, though I did have some trouble getting accustomed to how it looked on my instruments. They seem to be of good quality, and in terms of material and workmanship, I believe that it is acceptably-priced at USD$20 (plus shipping). In short, I did not feel ‘ripped-off’.
When tied as recommended, the strings stay in place. During my hours of testing, there was no slippage on the beads, even on the composite trebles. Despite my aggressive right-hand attack, the strings stayed firmly on the beads. I did not notice any slippage at all, let alone complete failure.
I should mention that I provided minimal string allowance, thereby increasing the likelihood of catastrophic failure. Despite giving the beads less ‘grip’ they stayed in place quite admirably.
After installing the strings, it becomes apparent very quickly that the beads can potentially save your instrument from a fair amount of string-related damage. Slippages and string dings should be reduced or eliminated entirely. Damage to the tie-block should also be eliminated, though I wonder if indentations would be permanently left at the area where the beads touch the tie-block.
Only time will tell.
As promised, the beads also provide a steeper ‘break angle’. The results are quite pronounced, especially when you compare a string using the beads with one tied in the conventional manner.
If there was a change in playability, it was too miniscule for me to notice. But was there a change in tone? Yes, but not in a good way.
On my Asturias Standard, the beads caused sympathetic vibrations on other strings. This meant that when I plucked a string, another string I did not pluck would ‘ring’. This was incredibly frustrating, especially when playing a simple melodic line.
On both instruments, sustain was also reduced slightly, and it’s easy to understand why. Most luthiers do not take the beads into account when designing and constructing their classical guitars. As a result, the beads will always be an exclusive part of the instrument.
The result is the vibrations of the strings ending at the beads, not the tie block (and in turn the top of the instrument). The result is a ‘readier’ sound with reduced sustain – not a quality I’m particularly fond of. The creation of sympathetic vibrations on my Asturias Standard was also quite unacceptable.
Should you choose to purchase and install these beads, they should be able to fit in most hard cases. When installed the beads press against the bridge. They are never in contact with the guitar’s soundboard and are usually flush with the upper portion of the bridge and saddle.
Conclusion
The Bridge Bone Beads fulfill all its promises. Unfortunately, the undesirable tonal modifications caused by the beads left me unsatisfied. If the beads had produced no change in tone to my classical guitars, I would continue using them. But the reduced sustain and sympathetic vibrations have forced me to stop using them.
The Bridge Bone Beads have been regulated to the ‘novelty’ section of my classical guitar cabinet where it will comfortably rest for the foreseeable future.
I can understand the appeal of the beads but I find the trade-offs unacceptable. Should I ever posses an instrument that is tonally unaffected by the beads, I would not hesitate to use the beads on it permanently.
In closing the Bridge Bone Beads delivers on its promises and I find it to be a great product. Unfortunately, it did not work well on my instruments. If they work well on your instruments, they could potentially be one of the most functional accessories you will ever buy for your classical guitar. But if you’re not willing to take the risk, even for USD$20, then you may want to give the Bridge Bone Beads a miss.
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I was very interested in your article on using the bone beads. I have a Yamaha Classical Guitar which had a very rich and full and mellow tone on all strings. After reading about the bone beads I decided to give them a try. The result was that the rich mellow tone I so much liked was gone, especially in the treble strings. When I next change my stings I will do it without the beads. I like the idea, and they look good, but the trade off in tone is just not worth it (in my opinion).
Yeah I agree with you.
It's a very interesting concept and a great idea.
But it seems to take vibration away from the bridge of the guitar and transfers them to the beads, which ends up being the final point of vibration for the strings.
The Bridge Bone Beads people claim them using the product makes the guitar sound better. But from my expeirence, that's purely marketing talk.
Most of the vibrations in the strings are absorbed by the bone beads and there is
less contact between the strings and the bridge because they are not tied to it but just passes through the holes. I like the new concept of the bone beads though
because it protects the wood block from scratches and dents caused by the tightening of the strings and it looks good too on the bridge. I solved the tone problem by tying eight threads of 0.25mm nylon looped and twisted around each string and tied around the bone beads at the back so that the vibrations of the strings can be absorbed again by the bridge woodblock. It worked well for me.
Hi Ledif,
What an interesting idea! Can you send me a photo? I’d love to share it with my readers? You can e-mail me at dedrick@dedrickkoh.com
Nearly 2 years later, I’m thinking about revisiting my review of the Bridge Bone Beads. I’ve had some interesting results with them on my Wataru Tsuji Grand Suprema and Yamaha SLG-120N. Switching to EXP 46 strings have also yielded different results.
My Tsuji, Menkevich and Yammie Silent Guitar seem to work well the the Bridge Bone Beads. I may produce a video update of this review.
That’s what I thought so too. If the bridge beads were that great, all the famous classical and flamenco guitarists would be using it too. But they aren’t. 🙂