Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm ready to position my bridge on my 24.9 scale guitar. I am getting a
bit confused at the various descriptions I'm reading about what the
compensation should be for the saddle, because people seem to express
it in many different ways.

I'm hearing .10" mentioned a lot, but I'm not sure whether that means
.10" at the high E (at center of saddle) — or .10" at the center of the
saddle between the D & G strings. Stew-Mac's fret calculator says .087"
at the high E and .21" at the low E.

I'm using a 3/32" saddle and light gauge strings.

What's the best compensation for 24.9 in my case?

Thanks for any help!

Kathykmatsu38945.1394791667

_________________
Kathy Matsushita
San Jose, CA USA
http://theamateurluthier.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathy.matsushita

Hi Kathy

I make a fair few Short scale instruments and find 2.5mm (0.10) in the center works well, for light guage strings.

My saddle angle is 3 degrees.

RussellR38945.1568055556

HI Kathy
    
   along the hi E string line I want to see 25" to the front of the saddle for lights . This will allow you a little room for intonation across the saddle . I mark the center of my top using masking tape and then I can square it up.
I drill 2 holes one in each E and then pin the bridge so it won't move during clamping. I admit I use my clamping jig but you can use a 3/16 bolt to keep the bridge in posion when clmaping. I think you will pleasd with this location. On a long scale I go to .110 for mediums. This is for a steel string with a low-med action of 2/32/ to 3/32
   You should find the intonation as good as it gets at this location.
Good luck
john hall

Russell & John:

Thanks for the quick replies! TO RUSSELL: Do you mean (by "center of
saddle") the center between the D & G strings?

That's where I get confused — I never know exactly what people mean
when they just say "center of saddle" (unless they qualify it) — some
people mean the center at the high E, while others mean between the
D & G strings. Maybe I get confused because I've been used to measuring
compensation to the center between the D & G strings, as Cumpiano does
it in his book (the .15" measurement), and not to the high E centerpoint.

And if you mean the center between D & G, that would make your
suggestion a bit different from John Hall's, right? If you mean to the high
E, though, you'd both be similar in your suggestions (which would
confuse me less!)....

I hope I'm making myself clear (in my confusion)!!!

Kathykmatsu38945.4169444444

_________________
Kathy Matsushita
San Jose, CA USA
http://theamateurluthier.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathy.matsushita

Kathy,
I like John's process and dimensions. 25" nut to center of saddle at Treble E with .15" Bass E compesation from Treble E along centerline of the saddle. (this is a 3.7 degree angle on the saddle with 2 5/16" string spacing. The same as on StewMac pyramid bridges) I have had very very little saddle compensation required with this set-upMichaelP38945.451724537

I have made around 8 24.9 scale guitars. I have used 0.125 from the end of
the scale length to the center of the bridge slot in the center of the
fretboard.

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Hi Kathy

I'm afraid I mean between the D and G, but the one bit I missed was your saddle width, my saddles are 1/8" which gives me just a bit more adjustment room. My geometry.

According to my Calculations on a 60mm string spacing it makes about 0.9mm difference, I gain 0.4mm front and back with my additional saddle width, although of course the centre point is the same.

Oh and sorry for all the metric, but I get confused in imperial when I get down to small measurements.

I find this configuration gives me sweet inotation with the strings down the approximate centre of the saddle, although I often compensate them individually, and I use tempered tunings for the final fine adjustment

Hope this doesn't add confusion and Johns advice is always sound so I am sure his method will give great results.RussellR38945.5754861111