ZEPP Country Music, Inc.

P.O. Box 306
4 East Third St.
Wendell, NC 27591-0306
Local: 919-365-5189 or Call Toll Free within USA: 866-365-5189

5-String Banjo Bridges


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Click here for instructions on correctly placing a banjo bridge

Randy Stockwell's Stockwell Moon Bridges

These are excellent bridges--I have them on all my personal banjos--you can see them on my Ramsey Tu-Ba-Phone and my Fairbanks and Ramsey Electrics! (Check the Ramsey Chanterelle page for more information about these instruments.) Moon Bridges are carefully constructed on a 4-inch radius to provide compensation of intonation, and have the following additional innovative features:

• They have a slight arch on the top of the bridge to compensate for the natural sag that the string pressure causes.
• The bridges are higher on the bass side than the treble side to allow more clearance for the bass strings.
• The tip is made of a special grade of Ebonex .
• The bridge angles forward to maintain correct foot pressure
• The foot is tapered, being heavier on the bass side than the treble side (as is the tip to a lesser degree) to improve frequency response.
• The natural shape makes it nearly impossible to tip over (ever think you've been shot when your bridge goes down?).

These bridges are available in three heights (1/2-, 5/8-, and 11/16-inch) and three thicknesses (Light, Medium, and Heavy), and are available slotted (1.7 inch) or unslotted. The thickness (weight) of the bridge can have significant effect on the tone of the instrument. BUT not only is the tone desired subjective, such that not everyone likes the same thing, the type of banjo and tone ring greatly influence what weight of bridge will sound best to the user. E.g., I like a heavy bridge with rolled brass, Electric (aka Whyte Laydie), or wooden tone rings (on 12" banjos), but I like the Mediums on Tu-Ba-Phones, and Light bridges on arch tops and Goodtime banjos!

You can hear the differences among these weights in these three sound files. They were recorded seconds apart on the same banjo (A Ramsey Fairbanks Electric), played as closely alike as I am humanly capable of doing, i.e., the only thing I tried to change was the bridge:

• Moon Light.
• Moon Medium.
• Moon Heavy.

Please remember that tonal comparisons of these three thickness are only valid on this particular banjo--different tone rings, etc., will greatly affect the tonal differences!

In October, 2003, I received a Lee Ovilla with a Tony Pass "Lost Timbre"12-inch pot with a wooden tone rim; I recorded the instrument with its stock bridge, and the next morning, I installed the purchaser's requested Moon 5/8 heavy bridge, and recorded it again, playing the same tune (Lost Indian), but a little faster (hey, I'd had a good night's sleep). I think anyone can hear how the Moon fills out all the tones, giving real body and substance to the highs as well as the abundant lows of this powerful pot!

We usually have all sizes and thicknesses in stock (slotted and unslotted) and are happy to do custom slotting for $10 per bridge.

Slotted or non-slotted, they are $24 each.

Click here for instructions on correctly placing a banjo bridge

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Snuffy Smith Bridges by (who else?) Snuffy Smith

These high quality bridges that are now OEM for some Gibson banjos. They are fairly heavy bridges, made of select maple and ebony, and deliver really good sound.

They come in three styles:

• Type I, which is a standard, straight bridge
• Type II, which is like a type I, but with a compensation notch for the 3rd string
• Type III, similar to a Type I, but of choice, tight grained maple.

We stock them in 5/8-, 11/16-, and .656-inch (right between 5/8 and 11/16) heights, and most models are available in standard or 1-3/4 inch string spacing (the "J.D. Crowe" spacing).

Types I and II: list $25, our price $20, Type III: list $30, our price$25.