Official Luthiers Forum!

So last night I tried making a saddle (my first one) for a beater guitar a friend gave me. It turned out ok….(the guitar sounded bad when I got it, not it still sounds bad) so my question is how do you make your saddles? What are the does? What are the don’ts? I am a new builder so any info helps! Tutorial anyone?

 

Thanks,

Matt

PS GO SEAHAWKS

*Now it still sounds bad

Even if a saddle is fit and made well, don't expect it to instantly turn a bad guitar in to a good one.
If you have guitar that sounds like a dog, put a new bone saddle and it will just be a dog with a new bone.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Glass or marble plate and a piece of sandpaper work great on the sides.

You need a caliper to know which end to concentrate on.

PetCo has dog bones. Many of us saw our own on the bandsaw or tablesaw, I prefer bandsaw.

I usually take a stick and run the blank on my tabletop belt sander to get smooth, but switch to sandpaper and a glass plate to finish up.

You can usually drag a pencil across the fretboard aimed at the saddle to get some idea of arching. Sometimes you can trace it off the old plastic one. Usually you'll have to drop the treble side more than the bass side. Bass needs more fret clearance.

try frets.com for some good visuals.
Also, up in the Tools and Techniques link at the top of the page you'll find my holder to sand the saddle bottom accurately. Saves your fingertips.

Good luck...Matt, ask questions... always...

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Bruce,

Ditto on the dog bones! Nice and clean and very inexpensive (look for the ones with the thickest outer walls).

I too cut mine on the bandsaw and usually thickness right on the belt sander..........a little work with a fine file as well as some micro mesh if it has to look pretty...    

Hey guys, they have cow bones for dogs.  Don't say they have dog bones.  That would not be nice at all.  I don't think I could use a dog bone in a guitar.  

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

When ever I make a bone (cow) nut or saddle I have to close the shop door to keep Sony, my dog, out.  Seriously - when I start sanding the bone on the belt sander he runs in circles, starts salivating, and acts like he has rabies.........  I think it is the smell of burning bone but it also greatly upsets him for some reason - go figure.....

Any way I do much the same as Bruce and David.

Step one is cutting it the same length as the saddle slot.  BTW bone seems to dull 1/4" band saw blades pretty fast.....

Step two is rounding the ends to match the rounded ends in the saddle slot.  I do this on the belt sander too.

Then I carefully thickness it on the belt sander until it is close and then sand by hand on a surface plate with 220 grit until I have a nice, not tight but snug fit in the slot.  Once the radius is put it, I use a 16" Stew-Mac radius template, and the top roughly shaped I micro-mesh the exposed part, not the part in the slot or it will get loose.

I also sand the bottom of the saddle to 400 grit on the surface plate.

Once I make intonation and action adjustments I micro-mesh the top and it's done.

I have only worked with three materials, unbleached bone - the hardest but prettiest when polished, bleached bone, and black ram's horn - the softest and I actually changed one out for tonal reasons and white bone did sound better to my ears.  Perhaps psychoacoustics again, perhaps not.....

Yes, cow bones FOR dogs!

 

You hunt at twilight and you must stay down wind from the herd.   They will be wandering to the water hole for their last drink of the evening before bedding down.   They concentrate there, but you must be stealthy lest the spook and rampage away.   Stay low to the ground in shadows as you creep up upon them. It is best if you have a brother or sister hunter with you off about 30 yards away.   Then when you get about 20 yards from the beasts, you pounce with all your energy and speed. Leap high and come down on their backs and sink your teeth into their vulnerable necks.   Wrench to the left, then right, and you'll hear a snap and it will be over.   Your family can feed, the carrion eaters will come the next day and pick clean the skeleton, and then you can choose the finest bones to bleach in the sun for the nuts and saddles for your precious shiny guitars...

Wimoweh...the lion sleeps tonight...note well the logo on my guitars.   The lion wakes...

And here's the alternative:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/08/26/massive-walrus-penis.ht ml

Hey Rick, the link doesn't work. Clinton

Try this....

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/08/26/

Rick, you're twisted.

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Horton, MI

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com