Mandolin / Banjo Bridge Placement
My mandolin/banjo came without the bridge attached. Is this normal? What should I do?
Mandolins and banjos frequently ship without their bridges in place. This helps prevent damage to the bridge and the instrument during shipment. You can either set the bridge yourself or have a qualified luthier perform a set-up for you.
To set the bridge yourself, first measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret (the wire itself, not the position on the fingerboard). Measure out this same distance from the 12th fret down the body of the instrument. This is where you will place your bridge (the 12th fret will be halfway between the nut and the bridge). You can fine tune the placement from there.