setting a bridge

[Diane Kauffmds]

John,

To be clear. For a finger picker, the bridge for a 24.9" scale length guitar would be located 25" from fret 0. But the 25" is located to the back of the saddle slot. Correct?

Is this based on a specific saddle width? It seems to me that saddle with would be a factor.

[tippie53]

using a standard 3/32 saddle
you can go to the middle of the slot that won't hurt anything. and makes it easier
if your using a wider saddle center it

that gives you more intonation adjustment.

figure it this way
the higher you planned action the longer the length so you can move it forward in the slot to lengthen the adjustments

[Diane Kauffmds]

Great! Thank you John. I was wondering about the 3/32" saddle and middle of the slot. Everything makes total sense.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Just think about the string length - The string is touching the face of the nut and the center of the rounded saddle.

[tippie53]

not always it depends on how you shape the saddle . The point is that you understand if your making a guitar for a higher action you want to measure more front in the slot . The higher the action the more you will bend the string sharp .
Also one variable we won't know is how much the top moves and the bridge rotation. I allow a bit of room on both sides to help intonate from both ends. The saddle really comes into effect as you play up the neck, The shorter you get the more the intonation will pronounce itself.

[tippie53]

This is a great thread that we can learn .
The point is that you can influence the intonation and you want to control these variables in your favor. I have seen saddles that were square at the front then radiused off that , and I have used that trick to help to sharpen a string that was a tad too flat.
You can drive yourself nuts chasing intonation issues. So design some adjustment into your build.

[Danl8]

This is a great thread that we can learn...

Sure is.

I started a couple of years ago using John's simple formula 2 times nut-to-12th fret string length + 0.1". That has worked really well and has resulted in no intonation issues, none. This thread reminds me that the twelfth fret would be exactly at the vibrating length half-way point, if the string didn't get stretched to touch the fret (and go sharp). Because of tension, the vibrating length over time will tend to shorten due to the top deforming or the bridge/saddle rolling in, so the remedy is to plan for being able to change the saddle shape to ever so slightly lengthen the string to keep it from going sharp, hence starting at the midway point on the crown of the saddle. I usually have the first string touch the saddle towards the front and hope I don't ever need to sharpen for flat intonation...we'll see if that works out.