Mailbag Q: What is a Bridge Doctor?

Answer: it's something you should really never install in a guitar, but here's the link anyhow. I understand the idea, I've actually installed them for people when they want me to (I attempt to talk them out of it), I understand that people want to flatten their tops out, I understand that it's helped some people now and then...

BUT... the sacrifice is that to make them work correctly you have to tweak them all the time like a truss rod. People don't spend the time to do this and usually crank them down to the point that the top is muted a whole bunch or the instrument just sounds hollow and weird.

The better solution for the problem of a curling/bellied top is to either just live with it and work around it (that's mostly what I do) or reinforce the bracing/bridge plate or stop stringing your guitar so heavily...!

A lot of the reasons people install Bridge Doctors can be solved by, you know, actually fixing the other problems on guitars that are just due to natural aging and fatigue. I feel like the product is like buying some sort of tire sealant for leaky rims when what you really need to do is replace the corroding rim.