Without getting too tied up in the details, adjusting action on an acoustic guitar is typically accomplished by removing some material from the bottom of the saddle, thereby reducing its height. I wonder why that is. Why change your saddle? Shop By. The string’s have no ‘break’ angle over it—that first string sits almost horizontally on the saddle When I build my guitars, I usually locate the high E string's saddle location at twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret plus 1/8" And I locate the low E string's saddle location at twice the 12th fret distance plus 1/4" After I orient the saddle slot to that location I usually will install the saddle and shape it for height/action. There are millions of guitars and nearly as many saddle configurations. The saddle serves the same purpose as the nut, controlling the height of the guitar strings. In my opinion, installing a wider saddle, with the concomitant added mass, to simply be able to extend the vibrating length of the lower strings to accomplish better intonation is a mistake. Sort By. Which way does the bridge saddle go on a classical guitar? tone forum. In the below video, Nicole Alosinac, Master Luthier, walks us through how to install the TUSQ Man Made Ivory Saddle. The Guitar Shop; Talk with your fellow tone freaks on the web's liveliest (and friendliest!) Depending on the guitar and playing style, the action can be adjusted slightly lower or higher from this starting point. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. The proper direction for a Les Paul bridge. The height of the saddle The width of the middle part of the bridge of classical guitars varies between 25 and 30 mm. ; Set up to work in a well-lit area with plenty of room. The bridge area on acoustic guitar may be warped and weakened. $12.73. Trying to set the intonation while the string is out of … Fresh Buffalo Bone Bridge Saddle And Slotted Nut For 6 String Acoustic Guitar LS. ; A working guitar cable; The proper tool(s) for moving your bridge saddles closer or further from the nut — this is usually a small flat-head or Phillips screwdriver. To lower the action on your acoustic guitar, you will need to remove the saddle, sand it down, and replace it. The grooves or raised edges where the strings rest, act as ‘compensation’ to lower or raise the height and break angle of the strings. Tools you will need: A highly accurate tuner, like the Peterson VSS-C StroboStomp Classic Pedal Strobe Tuner with a large display to make it easier to see as you are working. A floating trem setup calls for saddles to be even further back. The knots on the bass side and treble side are a little different when changing classical guitar strings, so let’s take a look at one at a time. Measure from the body-side of the nut to precisely over the 12th Fret. or Best Offer. Let's find out. Note: Always remember to retune the guitar to the open tuning every time you adjust a saddle in either direction. $7.83. if you don't want to re-file all the slots, that's the way it should stay. Guitar … The saddle is a key component of an acoustic guitar's tone, playability, intonation, harmonics and sustain. We designed it for use prior to cutting saddle slots in new bridges, or when filling and recutting existing saddle slots (methods such as placing dowels or pins under the strings can be inaccurate, because string pressure tends to move the dowels forward). Add to Cart. Set Descending Direction. Free shipping. Well, the picture’s ok, but there’s definitely a problem with the guitar. Alas, not all guitarists want their guitars set up this way. The Intonator finds the correct locations for acoustic flattop guitar bridge saddle placement. nashville bridges come on gibson guitars with the screws facing the tailpiece and the saddles all showing the flat side to the neck. Shopping Options Category. Most modern guitars have a drop-in saddle that can be removed when the strings are off. Anytime you shorten or lengthen a string by moving the saddle it will ruin the tuning of that string. The only negative observation is that the side thumb screws utilize clock-wise wound springs and we found that when tightening they tend to spread at the base and can hit the sanding surface. When the 12th fret is pressed the string is stretched causing the pitch to go sharp. Most Les Paul fingerboards range between a 10″ and a 12″ radius. A guitar saddle is designed to transfer the vibrations through the bridge into the top wood of the guitar. The saddles sit in the bridge frame nice and tight without slack to any direction. Your guitar’s bridge saddle is the most significant piece of the puzzle when it comes to raising or lowering action (the distance between your strings and the fingerboard). $60.00. In fact fret buzzing is part of the flamenco "growl." You can see how low the saddle is. Free shipping. A nice touch in the ABM tune-o-matic is the fact that the saddle inserts have been rounded off so they feel comfortable when resting your palm on the bridge. I'm in the process of re-gluing the bridge to my guitar, but when I took the saddle out and looked at it I noticed that its slightly higher on one end and then tapers towards the other end so that if you put it in the bridge it will sit at a slight angle. It’s really important that the saddle is sanded completely flat – that is to say that an even amount of material should be taken off across the base of the saddle. Music Man Solid Steel Guitar Saddle Set . Guitars are technical electromechanical devices but 99percent of guitarists and sales staff are not technically trained. Put the string through the opening at the tuning gear(s) only once to produce a snug rest and stable fit by avoiding second loop of string, then bend the string over 90 degrees where it leaves the opening in the same direction as the string end to reduce string slip. Piezo 6 String Guitar Saddle Set . If your guitar had, say, 6 plain "e" strings of the exact same diameter and composition all tuned to the same pitch, then it would be appropriate to have a bridge saddle that is perfectly straight and perfectly perpendicular to the direction of the strings. First, determine the scale of your guitar. On my Warmoth Les Paul guitars there is plenty of room for intonation play on all strings using the Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge and Warmoth's 24.75" conversion necks. (they're designed so that the screws are still out of the way.) See Current Price on Amazon! The 12th fret of the guitar is halfway between the saddle and nut of the guitar. Obviously, a lower saddle will mean a lower acton. Securing strings to the bridge is simply tying a knot to keep the strings locked in place. In the most ideal bridge, I think the saddle should protrude (as it does above) about 3/16" above the wood. Compensated saddles improve the playability by … This change in location is called bridge saddle compensation. Once you have the saddle out of the guitar it’s time to sand the base of it to lower it down. Note: If these saddles are in a straight line, the guitar is probably not set up properly! You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. Step Four: Set the approximate positions of the string saddles on the bridge. If so, usually the high side goes to the bass or low E side. The rationale for intonation compensation is the subject of another talk, but I want to say one thing about the contact characteristics between the strings and the saddle. To avoid a weak saddle to bridge connection the total length of the middle section has to be at least 20 mm more (than the distance between the E-strings), so a length of ~ 75 mm is advised. I use saddles that are 3/16″ or more wide because it makes a saddle wide enough to offer adequate intonation compensation on a steel string guitar. Flamenco guitar styles are not nearly as buzz-averse as classical styles. If you know how to raise and lower the bridge on a bass guitar, you can make slight adjustments to the action of your bass. As low as $210.00. Bridge Saddle Radius. The bridge saddle location of the guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele and of most fretted instruments is moved a bit back from its nominal location. The width of the bridge for the EB-guitars is 15 mm for the saddle block and 10 mm for the tie block, resulting in a total width of 25 mm. Secure classical guitar strings to the bridge. On Les Paul guitars that have the standard bridge and tailpiece (meaning not a wraparound bridge), there are two main types of bridge used. The top of the saddle (the strip of bone or hard plastic where the strings join the body of the guitar) is curved in two directions. This is an acoustic guitar bridge and there’s something wrong with this picture. Strats have springs on the saddle screws preventing them from going all the way back. More info. If you double this measurement, you have the scale of your guitar. For a flamenco guitar I look for almost no relief in the neck, a low saddle setting (less than 3 mm) and shape the saddle so the bass and treble almost the same height. How and Why to Adjust the Saddles of Your Bass Guitar; How and Why to Adjust the Saddles of Your Bass Guitar. To lower the action on an acoustic guitar you don't have to adjust the bridge in any way, you only have to adjust the saddle. The saddle may sit "captive" in a groove as it does in the bridge above, or it may be inlaid in a channel cut all the way through at the ends, as in this Martin guitar from the 1950s: Either way, the saddle … 2 watching. All are welcome, from seasoned pros to absolute beginners. The saddles on the bridge can be lowered or raised by turning the screws at the top with an Allen wrench. Re: Tune-o-matic style bridges saddle direction question Wow, it's amazing to me there are so many intonation issues with Les Pauls. I assume you mean that the saddle fell out. The main reason anyone flips around the orientation of a Les Paul bridge is for extra intonation adjustment. A bridge is a device that supports the strings on a stringed musical instrument and transmits the vibration of those strings to another structural component of the instrument—typically a soundboard, such as the top of a guitar or violin—which transfers the sound to the surrounding air. The task is lowering the action on your acoustic guitar — something that may players want to do. The saddle is basically a long, skinny nut, usually made of bone or a synthetic material, that is inlayed at the bridge. If you do not see your instrument listed above, I will likely need to: 1 - have your saddle sent in to be copied I receive many send-ins every day, and this is the best way to ensure your replacement saddle is correct! 6pcs Bridge Pins + Saddle + Bridge Saddle Bone / Bone Acoustic Guitar White. The saddle is a key component of an acoustic guitar's tone, playability, intonation, harmonics and sustain. The bridge is the part of your guitar that keeps the classical guitar strings secured on the body of the guitar. I would say most Strat bridges need to be at least 3/16 further back. Simply listening makes it clear that saddle angles on conventional commercial guitars tend to be able to play in tune only when the action is fairly low and the strings are light. The bridge saddle radius should match or be slightly flatter than the radius of the fretboard. (10) 10 product ratings - Bone Guitar Bridge Set Saddle and Nut for 12 String Acoustic Guitar Musical. This quick and simple upgrade will have an amazing affect on your instruments tone, harmonic content, and playability. But is that the correct thing to do?