Bridge:

Short Moustache Bridge
Paganini Berlioz guitar

The function of the bridge is to secure the strings in place at their end point, and to set string spacing and height. The bridge commonly has a piece of fret wire, or bone embedded in the wooden bridge to support the string. Sometimes the bridge bone is loose and removable; other times it is permanently inserted so that it is impossible to change the action (string height) without major surgery to the bridge, inserting non-period elements. Usually an action problem is not an issue with the bridge: it indicates that the neck needs to be reset by a professional luthier, or that the frets are too large (e.g. modern high-profile tall frets), or the nut needs to be raised, though occasionally string wear can lower...