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I have a new Breedlove Pro Series guitar that has too high an action, it also has a factory installed LR Baggs Dual Source pick-up. Breedlove's specs on action at the 14th fret is 3/32 at the bass and 1/16 at the treble. This guitar is 7/64 bass and 5/64 treble.

The relief seems fine, at .006 at the 6th fret.

Being new to luthiery, I just finished my first and it is currently being sprayed with laquer, I thought I could handle making a saddle adjustment on this Breedlove. I just am wondering if the Baggs causes any issues with removing the saddle, or can I just go ahead and pop it out.

I heard that a rule of thumb for action adjustment at the saddle is for every 1/32 removed at the saddle, action will be lowered by 1/16 at the 12th. Is this correct? If so I plan on taking 1/32 off which should get an action that I like.

To proceed, I was going to draw a line on both side of the saddle 1/32 up from the bottom, and sand up to the line on a granite table that is true. Am I barking up the right tree? I did'nt want to start this untill I posted here and got some of your expert advice and assistance. Thanks

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Kurt Thomas

"There's a first time for everything even if you do it by mistake."

Those Breedlove specs are pretty darn low - definitely not for a flat
picker. It's doable for fingerstyle and light chord strumming, but even
then you may want to stay at least slightly above 1/16" on the treble and
more in the ballpark of 3/32" on the bass. Even then, those
measurements only mean anything if the frets are very level, and the nut
height is good.

I think you got the numbers backward on the change in saddle height to
string height relations ship. Even then, relief and nut height are the big
variables that effect the "remove 2x the amount at the saddle that you
want to drop at the 12th fret" rule. Usually a 1/16" In reality you will often
get slightly more than 1/32" change at the 12th for every 1/16" changed
at the saddle.

Just start by taking off a little at a time. It's better to remove and replace
the saddle several times and check it, taking of only a bit at a time rather
than try to hit your final height on the first pass and end up going too
low.

And no, the Baggs ribbon transducer doesn't pose any issues with saddle
removal. Just make sure the bottom is sanded flat, and the granite block
is the best way to do that.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.