Should I be concerned?

[Kosmo]

I was very excited today because the 2017 Anderson Crowdster I just purchased off of someone on Reverb arrived at my door! I have wanted a Crowdster for years, but never seemed to have the funds available to order a new one. This one seemed perfect because it was only a year old and very lightly used. It also had the exact specifications I was looking for (including the 3+3 headstock). It arrived in excellent condition and I instantly fell in love with it!

However, when I started looking it over, I noticed that there is a small gap between the bridge and the body. Here is a picture...

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss157/kosmo_vinyl/IMG_0021.jpg (http://s571.photobucket.com/user/kosmo_vinyl/media/IMG_0021.jpg.html)

I was devastated when I saw this because it just doesn't seem normal. Please, someone alleviate my fears and tell me this is normal on Crowdsters.

Otherwise, does anyone have any suggestions what I should do?

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[BFC]

Pics say there's an error and won't display.

[BFC]

Do you have something like imgur? That is what I use to host pics.

[pipedwho]

From that pic, it looks like something isn't quite right, but not necessarily catastrophically so. The bridge on my Crowdster is flush with the wood and the wood is ruler flat around that area. This is definitely a question for Tom and crew. Have you contacted them directly yet?

[Kosmo]

Pipedwho, thank you for your response. I called last week and Tom was on vacation.

I spoke with Eric though, and he seemed to think it was normal for this bridge. He explained that the bridge is not glued down, but is instead fastened down by the two machine screws located on the bridge. When I told him I was able to slide a piece of paper under the bridge about a quarter of an inch, he picked up a brand new Crowdster from the shop and was able to do the same thing. He thought that it may have to do with seasonal (dry) conditions. He recommended that I try to tighten the two screws to see if it would close the gap, but it didn't seem to help (they were already very tight to the body). The guitar still plays good and resonates pretty well.

I hope Eric's right because based on my conversation with him, I went ahead and told the seller that I'm going to keep the guitar.

I'm curious whether other Crowdster owners have experienced this same issue.

[pipedwho]

I just did the 'paper test' around the bridge on my Crowdster and on the left and right sides of the bridge I can slide some 80gsm paper in about 1/4" on either side. The back and front are all the way down, so the paper doesn't slide there. But, it does look like this is normal to whatever tolerance is required to get a good connection and transfer of sound from the bridge to the body.

As mentioned regarding humidity, the guitar is hollow and wood, so like neck relief, there may be some movement or change based on how dry there air is on a seasonal basis.

If someone at TAG has said it's normal, then it is most likely fine. And I'd assume when Tom is back that he'll probably comment here or contact you directly with some more info regarding your guitar specifically. My experience with TAG is that their aftermarket care and support is fantastic.

[tom]

back from vacation.

not a problem. the bridge is pinned in place to keep it in the correct position, then bolted down. we soften the bottom edges of the bridge, and some movement in the top can happen if it gets dry. no way the bridge is going anywhere.

[Kosmo]

Thanks for responding, Tom. It gives me some peace of mind hearing that from you!

By the way, I'm really loving the Crowdster! Mad at myself for not purchasing one a long time ago.

If any of you out there are on the fence, just go ahead and buy one. You won't be sorry.