Home Of The EMERSON "Power Bridge" For Banjo/Dobro
Emerson "SWEET II" Power Bridge
Welcome to Kelly Emerson's BANJOFEVER.COM Web Site.
Now available is my EMERSON II "SWEET POWER" Banjo Bridge.
Created Using Similar Design Specifications As The Original Power Bridge, These High Powered Bridges Are Made Of Maple And Ebony. It Provides The Same Volume And Clarity Increase As The Original Power Bridge But Delivers More "TONAL SWEETNESS" As Heard In Prewar Banjos!Just ask Alan Dalton, (banjo player for Vassar Clements and Barnthouse & Dalton). Besides playing with Vassar and Barnthouse & Dalton, he also played with Tim O'brien, Larry Rice, Jake Landers and The Tews in Dollywood. Alan strongly endorses this new bridge and writes: Your Emerson II "SWEET POWER BRIDGE" is Killer"! After installing this bridge, we were working on two additional tunes last night and all the guys noticed the huge difference in my banjo. One comment was "Does that thing have a volume knob"? I can describe it as "my banjo (1937 TB-3 Conversion) was asleep for years until the "SWEET POWER BRIDGE" awakened it." It really POPs now! No overtones! Every note is distinct! I even have more confidence in my playing because I know that every note will be THERE! Also, before I had several tuning issues with my banjo. I thought it was because of the neck set, but I know now after the "Power Bridge" was installed, it was not. Thanks, Alan Dalton
Orders may be placed personally by phone to Kelly Emerson at 813-789-8923 or via a credit card purchase on the last page of this site.
TESTIMONIAL: Kelly Emerson is "The Man"! Wow Kelly, You have a great knack at creating GREAT banjo bridges..This New "Sweet Power Bridge" is remarkable..The traditional design of maple and ebony have not only brought the sweetness and Prewar tone but still embodies your basic design which improves volume and sustain. I really think this is the best overall bridge on the market today.. I put one on my 1935 RB 3 and was super impressed with the overall fullness and sweetness this banjo had..I also put one on my Granada and it produced very similar results..I have a gig coming up at the Grand Ol Opry soon and will show it to some of my banjo buddies in Nashville..Thanks! Royce Burt (banjo player for Southern Star Bluegrass,,4 time State of Florida Bluegrass Band Champions)..
ANOTHER TESTIMONIAL:
Kelly,
I received the Emerson ll "Sweet Power" bridges today, and promptly fitted one to my Gibson. Its a '34 model 3 pot with a Gibson Kulesh flathead tone ring. While its always been an excellent sounding banjo, it has the slightly muted tone common to mahogany banjos. With a degree of skeptacism, I installed the Emerson bridge and noticed a degree of volume and tonal change. I removed the bridge, thinned the eboney portion slightly, and reinstalled it. UNBELIEVABLE. This banjo now has more volume and clarity than any other banjos I have owned or played, including an RB 800, and a '29 Granada. My Gibson has retained the tone and body that was there before, but it now possesses what I can only describe as a "bell-like ring" which carries up the entire neck. Few items advertized really live up to their claims. Your bridge surpasses all of what you claim it would do.....and more!! Thank goodness I ordered two!!
Regards, Dave Jack
Union, Ontario, Canada
(Mr.) Kelly Emerson, I have no question, only praise for the 'Sweet II" Power Bridge. Thank you so much again. I read the testimonials and all, and like with the Steve Huber tone ring I thought that my banjo could never have THE sound. I put your bridge on my stock Earl Scruggs 1993/1994 model and it came to life as never before. For the first time it had some pop, punch, and some more volume. A friend of mine, John Harrick, heard the change, and has ordered two bridges himself. Last night he installed my Huber gold tone-ring, and tried my (your) bridge on his banjos. Even his 1934 flathead had some improvement which I found amazing as that 1934, I thought, could never sound better. Your bridge took a "dead" instrument and brought it to life, and then took a great sounding pre-war flathead and made enough of an improvement he will probably order a third for it. I thank you again... Martin Conroy Meriden Ct.
TESTIMONIALS FOR THE EMERSON II "SWEET POWER" BANJO BRIDGE
1.) Kelly, I got my two bridges today.They are great but they create a dilemma for me, which one to use, they are both outstanding. I have a Deering Calico and a Sullivan Greenbriar.Right now I have your sweet power bridge on each oneI have tried literally dozens of bridges over the decades I have been playing and yours are the first that really make a significant difference in the sound, i.e. yours do what you advertise.Thanks so much. I will be spreading the word as much as I can.By the way, what should I do with a couple of Snuffy Smith bridges that will now just collect dust? Thanks again, Larry Lashbrook.......Tucson , AZ
2.) Kelly....Howard Ruhm here. Janet Davis spoke "with straight tongue" when she wrote the review of your Sweet II Power Banjo Bridge. Everything she said has been corroborated on my own banjo. It is clearly the best bridge in my sizable collection, at least to my musical taste. You've done a great job with this one, Kelly. It has a comfortable liveliness everywhere on the neck. You ought to sell a bzillion of them. Best...Howard
3.) Mr. Emerson, As I promised a few months ago, I will submit a review of your "Sweet II Power" bridge. By the way, about your Sweet II Power bridge, ohmygoshohmygosh, WOW, this thing seriously ROCKS. Man it does all you said it would and then some. VERY SWEET! Thanks again. Good Pickin' and God Bless, Jim Shimel
4.) Kelly,Just a quick note to let you know that the bridges I ordered arrived yesterday. I know you get tired of hearing all the rave reviews on your bridges, but please bear with me as I give you another one! As you know, I ordered the Sweet Power II and the Holly bridge just to try on my Gold Tone arch top banjo. I knew going into it that I did not have a Gibson, Stelling or other high end banjo, but I just wanted to see if I could make a decent sounding intermediate banjo sound better. I also knew that by changing bridges I would NOT be able to turn a Gold Tone into a Granada ’34 and I was also a bit skeptical that a bridge change would make any difference at all. I installed the Sweet Power II bridge first, according to your detailed directions, and all I can say is WOW! It REALLY woke up my banjo! I could not believe the volume and clear tone it has and boy did it “POP”! I was so excited with what I heard, I could not wait to try the Holly bridge out. That bridge REALLY warmed up the tone of the banjo and gave it a whole new dimension! Again, it was not a pre-war flattop, but it really gave my banjo a warm rich tone with that “firecracker in the washtub” thump! I am VERY pleased with your products and I will be sure to recommend them to anyone looking to make a good sounding banjo really GREAT sounding.Sincerely,Bruce Pierce
5.) Just received my second bridge Saturday just in time to fit quickly for a show and about all I can say is WOW!! I fitted the Sweet II bridge on my 1984 Scruggs which is the 295th of the initial run of those honey colored banjo's. Snuffy Smith reworked the neck a few years ago for me and which cured several of the built in flaws of that series but it was still lacking the punch I wanted as well as having a tuning problem I just couldn't isolate. The Sweet II took care of my tuning problems! No other bridge I tried seemed to be able to do that :-) I also gained the tone I have been searching for years to find. Even managed to get good remarks from some of the competition in the area that rarely have good remarks toward anything LOL!!
So it seems your dedication to the bridge market has been remarkable to say the least!! I seem to end up wearing the string slots on all my bridges within 2 years so I will be back for another round in a few years LOL! If you ever decide to branch out and make a bass bridge consider me a customer! I have an old upright that could use the same results!
Thanks again for a great product and wonder customer relations!
Thanks I received it and immediately installed it without even changing the strings and WOW did i notice a difference in sound and raising the bridge that little bit took away the little bit of string contact I was getting.
The best part was when my wife who is not a big banjo fan came in to the shop to see if I had bought a new banjo.
Thanks
John Taylor
2.) Kelly, I own a Gibson RB-3. Last weekend I received your bridge. This bridge is fabulous in every way. My RB-3 rings with more sustain, it's crisp and clear with lots of treble but no loss of bass. I'm finding it hard to put my banjo down! I would not change this bridge in any way. I will order more of the same in the future. Thanks so much. Sincerely, Gordon Severson.
3.) Hi Kelley, The banjo bridge came today. I just put it on. I am just learning the banjo and have an Alvarez 4285 with tone ring etc. It is a pretty decent for beginning however I have done some extensive reading and adjusting on this banjo and had it sounding pretty good .I put your bridge on it and started tuning it and the tuner acted different and finally settled down. It is amazing what a difference a small piece of wood can make, the sustain is unbelieveable. I will still have to tinker with setting the tailpiece etc. but I just can't believe the volume increase already. Thanks Kelley I know a lot of work went into this project. Best of luck in your adventures, Lee Caudill, Madisonville, Ky
