Hi all - another new guy here with SE bridge issues.
I got one of the last Bernies for Christmas. It intonates perfectly but the acoustic sound has never been clean & clear - kind of dull, some strings fizzy or buzzy & inconsistent from string to string.
I finally took a hard look at the bridge & studs & found the following:
There is fairly minimal / negligible play in the fit of the bridge to the studs. I attempted the thin washer-as-a-shim fix but there's just not enough space.
There is a good amount of play in the fit of the studs to the wells, definitely more than at the bridge-to-studs junction. Teflon tape could cure it but would also dampen vibration...
The real shocker for me was how poorly the string contact points were finished. The little E & B slots were all but absent. The top E & A were kind of rounded & irregular - these two strings tend to buzz.
None of the points were finished / shaped like those of a USA bridge, & none look like each other.
Seeing I hadn't much to lose, I (crudely) took a small triangular file & some 600-grit paper to the contact areas, There is now more volume, sustain & harmonics. It is not perfect, as I've got some "sitar" on the G & still some buzzing, but it is a vast improvement overall. Someone with proper files & patience could probably fix the bridge, but I bought a second-hand USA bridge / studs (for half the cost of an aftermarket) & will swap them out.
On a side note, my tuning was iffy so I replaced the nut with a USA model & that took care of that.
2 scents - bo