Saddle Slot

Even if it ain't broke you can still fix it.
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nehsgolfer
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:09 am

Saddle Slot

Post by nehsgolfer »

Has anyone ever filled in a saddle slot and routed a new one in the bridge?? I have a Seagull whose saddle is too far toward the nut. I think the simplest thing would be to remove the bridge and make a new one. Any suggestions??
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Saddle Slot

Post by MaineGeezer »

It may depend on how tall the saddle is. If it's fairly tall, moving it back is going to give you an extremely sharp break angle for the srings going down into the bridge, which may be a problem. If the saddle is really low, you might get away with it, but I don't think it would look very good. The proper way to fix it of course would be to take the bridge off and move the whole thing back.
Don't believe everything you know.
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phavriluk
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Re: Saddle Slot

Post by phavriluk »

Any possibility of routing the saddle slot for a thicker saddle by opening up the rear of the saddle slot? Doesn't do a thing for the break-angle topic, but it does move the saddle effectively to the rear without needing to remove the bridge.
peter havriluk
MaineGeezer
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Re: Saddle Slot

Post by MaineGeezer »

Yes -- how far do you need to shift it? If the current saddle is 3/32" and you made it 1/8", with the strings making contact at the back edge, that would get you some amount of shift.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Ben-Had
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Location: Creedmoor, NC

Re: Saddle Slot

Post by Ben-Had »

With the right tools/jig it is an easy job. I do it all the time in my repair business. If you make a new bridge you have to incorporate things like proper size to cover the old footprint, bridge pin location, filling the old holes, etc.
Tim Benware
phavriluk
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Re: Saddle Slot

Post by phavriluk »

If this is a readily and easily performed job (for someone who's done it before, professionally), perhaps OP would be well served to contact his local friendly luthier and ask that the saddle slot be enlarged for a thicker saddle, and adjust the intonation? I am allergic to learning new skills on something I don't want to do a lot of harm to. The professional might be able to determine the likelihood of success of the saddle enlargement before the work becomes a blind experiment.
peter havriluk
tippie53
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Re: Saddle Slot

Post by tippie53 »

done it many times
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Saddle Slot

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Your options are to move the bridge, replace the bridge and saddle, fill and route a new slot, or make the existing slot wider and fit a wider saddle. Your choice will depend on how far off the saddle sits and how comfortable you are with each option.

How far off is the saddle? If it's just a little bit, just widen that slot, on the bridge pin side only, toward the soundhole, and replace the saddle with a wider saddle. You can shape it so that you gain scale length.

A replacement bridge should be oversized enough to cover the old bridge area, as well as the edge of the finish thats around the old bridge. I just got done making an inlaid bridge for another luthier with a similar problem.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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