RC Circuits

Draw your diode bridge in your circuit and you will be able to see what happens.

Shortening one diode may lead to the destruction of the other diode in the same leg and create a short circuit in the supply.

I hope you will have a fuse to avoid worse like burning out the transformer. If you don't like 4 diodes, you can use a transformer with a center tap and 2 diodes.

Your rectifier won't deliver a rectified DC voltage.

It is normally AC to DC. Unless you look at it from the DC side.( From DC to AC a rectifier bridge doesn't do the job.)

The scenario I described is when the other diode breaks down and .

I.e. a powerful enough diode.

Sometimes the junction just blows to pieces and then you have a ripple.

If you short one diode you will create AC ripple on the DC. If the relative voltages are high enough you will damage the regulator circuit and subsequent devices.

If you do it on a radio or audio amplifier it will give you a pronounced hum.

here are some sites

Rectumfrier theory

More rectumfier theory

Once you have perused these sites you will be better informed.

What you need to do is try it, using a low power transformer with a resistor in the secondary, and a scope to took at the waveforms. If you havn't got access to a scope then it's hardly worth messing with electronics. It's like trying to service a car with no spanners.
You can get full wave rectification with just two diodes if you have a transformer with two secondary windings.
There will be tons of stuff on t'web if you look up rectification.

OH and BTW, why does the thread title say RC circuits when we're discussing diodes?
Del