Jump to content
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO ALL OUR HARMONY CENTRAL FORUMITES AND GUESTS!! ×

Action lowering - Bridge sanding?


Durden Singer

Recommended Posts

  • Members
Posted

I wanna lower the action on my Martin. The way I'm thinking of doing it is just to sand down the bridge a little. Any tips or warning regarding this? Quick responses would be cool, I'd like to do this sometime in the next couple of hours.

  • Members
Posted

 

I wanna lower the action on my Martin. The way I'm thinking of doing it is just to sand down the bridge a little. Any tips or warning regarding this? Quick responses would be cool, I'd like to do this sometime in the next couple of hours.

 

 

 

I assume you mean to sand down the saddle and not the bridge:eek:

 

I've sanded saddles on several of my guitars without mishap. Usually I'll place a piece of fine sandpaper on a hard flat surface (like the kitchen countertop) and then run the saddle over the sandpaper in a slow deliberate fashion making sure to keep constant equally applied pressure on the whole saddle to avoid an uneven result. A lopsided saddle bottom may not fit back into the bridge perfectly and if contact is uneven so will be sound transfer. Definitely something to avoid! Also do very little sanding before placing the saddle back in the bridge and checking your action. You can always sand a bit more if you feel the need but if you sand too much initially you'll be stuck with action that is too low and the need to shim or buy a new saddle.

  • Members
Posted

Do you mean the saddle or the bridge itself? Sanding the saddle is a relatively easy process whereas planing the top of the bridge (to compensate for a bowing top) is a little more involved.

  • Members
Posted

Cool...I've done it myself on all of my guitars and it's pretty easy.

I actually have to do the same thing with the saddle on my old Yamaha FG331. I had a pro luthier/repairman make me a nice bone nut and saddle for it but I feel the saddle could be lowered just a little and she'll be perfect.

 

Glad it all worked out good for you :)

 

OGP

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...