Finally put a bone saddle on my new D-16GT

[kwakatak]

I don't know why I waited so long - and there were a couple of speed bumps in the installation - but my initial thoughts (now that everything is straightened out) is that the guitar is clearer and more articulate yet it hasn't lost that trademark Martin bass.

 

I'm trying to document the process to be as definitive as possible. I've kept the same set of 3 week-old D'Addorio EJ17s on, which is only slightly tricky. Basically, I put a capo on at the first fret, loosen the strings and pulled the pins and the saddle. It took a little practice but I've actually done it twice now in order to fine-tune the fit of the saddle. I don't see why I wouldn't be able to do it again a couple of times to drop the original corian saddle so that I can record the guitar with the two different saddle.

 

The "speed bumps" I spoke if involves the fitting of the saddle. I may have sanded a little too much off the thickness of the saddle so it could potentially rock under string pressure within the bridge slot and not sit flush. To get around that I stuck a small piece of scotch tape against the backside of the saddle. It should sit flush now and to my ear the guitar sounds much better.

 

The other speed bump is a bit embarrassing but in the interest of fairness and humility I have to share: I put the saddle in backwards and had to turn it around. I had to: the high E was literally the higher string in relation to the lower E string so that the break angle of the low E was less and the guitar's bass response was suffering. On a Martin no less!

 

All's well now though. Like I said, the guitar is now articulate and has plenty of sustain. Now it just needs to be played in a bit more. *phew!*

 

Pics and clips to follow when time allows...

[gitmo]

How would you rate the hardness of the bone?

 

Of the two I've sanded one was like chalk, the other was very hard.

[Brindleleaf]

How would you rate the hardness of the bone? Of the two I've sanded one was like chalk, the other was very hard.

 

I've done a bit of bone carving, and some sources say you should boil the bone in bleach, but if you boil the bone it becomes less hard, whereas if you bleach it in hot water it stays tougher. Truly a 'noble' material IMO...

 

(my two cents...)

[Brindleleaf]

I don't know why I waited so long - and there were a couple of speed bumps in the installation - but my initial thoughts (now that everything is straightened out) is that the guitar is clearer and more articulate yet it hasn't lost that trademark Martin bass. I'm trying to document the process to be as definitive as possible. I've kept the same set of 3 week-old D'Addorio EJ17s on, which is only slightly tricky. Basically, I put a capo on at the first fret, loosen the strings and pulled the pins and the saddle. It took a little practice but I've actually done it twice now in order to fine-tune the fit of the saddle. I don't see why I wouldn't be able to do it again a couple of times to drop the original corian saddle so that I can record the guitar with the two different saddle. The "speed bumps" I spoke if involves the fitting of the saddle. I may have sanded a little too much off the thickness of the saddle so it could potentially rock under string pressure within the bridge slot and not sit flush. To get around that I stuck a small piece of scotch tape against the backside of the saddle. It should sit flush now and to my ear the guitar sounds much better. The other speed bump is a bit embarrassing but in the interest of fairness and humility I have to share: I put the saddle in backwards and had to turn it around. I had to: the high E was literally the higher string in relation to the lower E string so that the break angle of the low E was less and the guitar's bass response was suffering. On a Martin no less! All's well now though. Like I said, the guitar is now articulate and has plenty of sustain. Now it just needs to be played in a bit more. *phew!* Pics and clips to follow when time allows...

 

The great thing about speed bumps is that they prove that you are moving!

 

Is there a lot of difference with the new saddle?

[fastblueheeler]

Basically, I put a capo on at the first fret, loosen the strings and pulled the pins and the saddle. It took a little practice but I've actually done it twice now in order to fine-tune the fit of the saddle. I don't see why I wouldn't be able to do it again a couple of times to drop the original corian saddle so that I can record the guitar with the two different saddle. Pics and clips to follow when time allows...

 

I don't use a capo or pull the pins unless there's an under saddle pick up. Just loosen the strings, push up on all the strings in front of the bridge with the edge my fingers, and use a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the saddle. You can break the saddle with too much pressure so you've got to go easy. Not a big deal but saves a little time if you're in a sand it, try it, sand it mode. The high E will break on the 4th or 5th retuning.

Pics and clips - yes!

[kwakatak]

There's no UST in it and the original saddle was easy to pull out no pliers were necessary. BTW, the bridge is actually a molded piece of black micarta and I noticed that there was a hole in the base of the saddle slot where a wire could be snaked through. I don't intend to put a UST in it though; most likely I'll get another K&K Pure Western mini like I put in my Larriv

[fastblueheeler]

I was just commenting that there's no need to pull the pins, not a big deal either way. Glad it worked out for you! I've used several of Bob's saddles. First class guy and product!

[kwakatak]

Thanks, fastbluehealer. Do you have any tips on how to keep the strings wound when I slacken them so that I don't have to pull the pins? I want to do a quick switch so that I can make a couple of fast recordings for documentary purposes.

[fastblueheeler]

I just do what this guy is doing

 

Just loosen them enough to take the tension off the saddle. I probably don't slack them quite as much. It takes me a lot of sanding and refitting to get to it where I want it to be and I hate sanding too much off the bottom - all that work for nothing.

[knockwood]

 

I want to do a quick switch so that I can make a couple of fast recordings for documentary purposes.

 

 

Better wear a cup... :poke:

[JasmineTea]

I always buy two or more saddles at a time. One's never enough, especially if I sand too much off, or the weather changes and the action goes down, or up. It's nice having a bunch that've been sanded to various hights. I mark them with a Sharpy so I know which git they're from, but I swap them around as needed.

 

I get a tight fit in the slot, too, and sometimes it's not because the saddle's too wide, instead, it's too long and just the ends need to be taken off a bit.

 

Bob Colosi is cool, but I order Martin saddles through a dealer. Prices vary per dealer, anywhere from $4 to $10 a piece.

[Opa John]

 

Thanks, fastbluehealer. Do you have any tips on how to keep the strings wound when I slacken them so that I don't have to pull the pins? I want to do a quick switch so that I can make a couple of fast recordings for documentary purposes.

 

 

Hey Kwak, I kinda hang out at my local mom & pop shop a lot and watch John, the luthier, change saddles all the time without using a capo. However, he doesn't really loosen the strings all that much, and he also removes the saddle by taking it out one end of the bridge as opposed to lifting it straight out. He just lifts one end enough to clear the bridge and slides it out sideways.

 

I kinda like your idea of using a capo though. I even use a capo when restringing a guitar....at about the third fret just to keep enough tension on the string I'm changing to keep it up against the bridge plate at the other end.

 

As for saddles, I used both of these methods, but I think I prefer to use the capo when doing it. I can get real clumsy sometimes and if the string slips off the tuning post, I've got a mess on my hands in no time flat!

[kwakatak]

I tried it last night and yeah, it was pretty easy. You pretty much just loosen the strings enough so that they don't put any pressure on the saddle and make the wound strings extra loose so that you can lift them up a little. Then it's just a matter of taking a pair of needle nose piers and lifting the one end out of the slot and sliding it out.

 

Pretty cool.

[fastblueheeler]

I tried it last night and yeah, it was pretty easy. You pretty much just loosen the strings enough so that they don't put any pressure on the saddle and make the wound strings extra loose so that you can lift them up a little. Then it's just a matter of taking a pair of needle nose piers and lifting the one end out of the slot and sliding it out. Pretty cool.

for you!

[Christhee68]

The last time I replaced a saddle I ended up sanding it down three times and it was still too low.

[gitmo]

The last time I replaced a saddle I ended up sanding it down three times and it was still too low.

 

That sounds like my wood shop instructer.

 

You shimmed it?

[DeepEnd]

Happy New Saddle Day.