Members davidself1001 Posted January 30, 2017 Members Share Posted January 30, 2017 I need a shim for my bridge saddle. Was thinking of using a filed down toothpick. Is that a reasonable solution for a DIY'er? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 30, 2017 Members Share Posted January 30, 2017 Sure. Other common materials are a piece of thin plastic (cut from a credit card maybe) or a thin piece of other wood veneer (often rosewood or ebony because "thats what the bridge is made of"). Ultimately I try to replace a shimmed saddle with a new one that is full depth but when you remember that every guitar with a UST basically has a "shim" in it it really doesn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bigald18 Posted January 30, 2017 Members Share Posted January 30, 2017 MY OPINION is that while shims are permissible, the best way to go is a new saddle. Personal feelings tell me that the additional layer of whatever material you are using will lose sound in the transference of vibration from saddle to shim to bridge. I never shim, just make a new saddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted January 30, 2017 Members Share Posted January 30, 2017 I always replace if I need to raise the action, but I wouldn't bet my guitar on being able to tell the difference in blind listen.A couple of points:- make sure the shim isn't tight in the slot, but make it as close to the same size so the whole bottom of the saddle is firing into the bridge. - make the shim out of very flat material so it contacts the saddle and the bridge well, with no tiny air pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members davidself1001 Posted January 30, 2017 Author Members Share Posted January 30, 2017 Appreciate all the feedback. The guitar i need to work on is a cheap guitar but i like the way it plays and sounds. The original saddle broke in half while replacing the strings (one of the cheap attributes i assume). I have never had that happen. I had an old saddle from my Alvarez laying around so i used that. However, my 6th string buzzes now so i need to address that. Perhaps a new saddle would be the best solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 Appreciate all the feedback. The guitar i need to work on is a cheap guitar but i like the way it plays and sounds. The original saddle broke in half while replacing the strings (one of the cheap attributes i assume). I have never had that happen. I had an old saddle from my Alvarez laying around so i used that. However, my 6th string buzzes now so i need to address that. Perhaps a new saddle would be the best solution. This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 Put me in the ''new saddle'' camp as well. It's worthwhile to spend a few bucks (or whatever your local currency is) and get one made of bone or TUSQ:https://www.allparts.com/search.asp?keyword=compensated+bone+saddle&search=https://www.allparts.com/search.asp?keyword=compensated+tusq+saddle&search= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 Shims work fine. You won't notice any difference in sound if you do the job properly. I use the thin steel strips that used to be used to hold the rubber squeegees of car windscreen wipers - exactly the right width, easily cut to length and hard and rigid. But strips cut from credit cards, lollipop sticks, etc work OK too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 Depending on the depth of the slot and the fit of the saddle a shim might be OK or might be a potential problem. Fishman recommends that a saddle have at least 50% of its height in the slot (after putting the UST in it which is really just a shim). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 I think if the saddle broke it's more likely to be bone, which is a good thing. That's what I'd use for the new saddle. Tusq is also a good material - more consistent than bone and loud, but I prefer the high end of bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 Depending on the depth of the slot and the fit of the saddle a shim might be OK or might be a potential problem. Fishman recommends that a saddle have at least 50% of its height in the slot (after putting the UST in it which is really just a shim). Yes. Ideally you'd want to superglue the shim to the bottom of the saddle so it would be part of the saddle and count as a portion of its height. It minimizes the saddle leaning in the slot, which can happen if it's not a tight fit. I noticed the saddle in my ''good'' acoustic leaned a bit after I put an undersaddle pickup in it. I'd taken pains to get the bottom level when I lowered it but there's enough ''play'' in the slot to allow it to lean slightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 . . . . I noticed the saddle in my ''good'' acoustic leaned a bit after I put an undersaddle pickup in it. I'd taken pains to get the bottom level when I lowered it but there's enough ''play'' in the slot to allow it to lean slightly. Yes, that can happen. A good fix is to cut a thin strip from something like a pill blister pack and slide it down between the saddle and slot face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted January 31, 2017 Members Share Posted January 31, 2017 I use cooked whole rolled oatmeal. Slap some in the slot and then fit the saddle in. Wipe off the squeeze out and let it dry. Repeat as necessary and then treat with insecticide when done to keep away ants. But, Because the drying time was kinda long on the above method I switched to gluing the saddle bottom to a piece of regular printer paper with fast wicking CA. Then I'd file around the bottom edge to remove the excess paper and repeat until the height was just right. Printer paper is about 2-3 mils thick so you can calculate how many times is necessary to arrive at a near-perfect height. Been doing that since I moved away from the oatmeal method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted February 1, 2017 Members Share Posted February 1, 2017 Yes. Ideally you'd want to superglue the shim to the bottom of the saddle so it would be part of the saddle and count as a portion of its height. It minimizes the saddle leaning in the slot, which can happen if it's not a tight fit. I noticed the saddle in my ''good'' acoustic leaned a bit after I put an undersaddle pickup in it. I'd taken pains to get the bottom level when I lowered it but there's enough ''play'' in the slot to allow it to lean slightly. The reason that I know about the Fishman spec is that I was commissioned to install a Fishman UST in a very nice old Guild 12 string. Problem is, rather than reset the neck some bozo decided to shave the bridge. Then some other bozo finally reset the neck to that shaved bridge. When I measured the depth of the slot I knew there was going to be trouble and it was too late to replace the bridge (should have been done before the reset). I spent an entire weekend farting around with that guitar, called the owner and said I wasn't going to install the UST. We put a nice K&K bridge plate transducer in it and everyone is happy., I lost a ton of money on my time but I've got a very happy customer and a reasonably OK guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted February 1, 2017 Members Share Posted February 1, 2017 Why not just buy another saddle? It's not something that will break the bank, you know. Bob Colosi is the Guru of Guitar Saddles and he doesn't charge much at all. Is $30 or thereabouts too much for you if you want the most and best from your guitar? Seems much ado about nothing (just my .02, of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted February 1, 2017 Members Share Posted February 1, 2017 The UST I installed is a Shadow but IIRC the spec is the same. Unfortunately it's a discontinued model and I don't have the instructions handy. Either way it's clearly a good idea. Presumably it also helps with vibration transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 1, 2017 Members Share Posted February 1, 2017 Good call on the transducer. I'd never intentionally install an under saddle transducer anymore. The internal piezo dots sound way better and less plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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