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Hi all,

Just want to show you this.

I'm currently fixing a bridge that is coming off, replacing it with a new, less beefy one.

When I took off the strings and the saddle, I though the previous guy who made the last setup on this guitar made a weird (poor) choice of material when shiming the saddle. It seemed that spuce was used. Although I was not able to pull it away from the bottom of the saddle slot, like it was glued down there. Since anyway I was replacing the bridge, I didn't bother too much.

While removing the bridge, I noticed it wasn't a shim I was seeing at the back of the saddle slot!



The saddle slot goes all the way through the bridge! This was a bridge that was replaced by some luthier in London. The owner said the sound was never the same afterward. No wonder...

_________________
Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I guess you would call that "direct" energy transfer from the bridge to the soundboard.

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kind of an interesting concept, even though it probably was a mistake. why not have the saddle rest right on spruce?
edit: not being a smartass, just wondering....

Would have made sense if there was a hole for a pezeo to pass through and lay under the saddle ..... Im assuming no hole ?

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Since spruce is kind of soft I wonder if that would dampen the energy from the saddle. Or, is it possible that the energy was not being coupled into the bridge well enough to drive the whole area of the bridge on the top? Just hypothesizing.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

At least the saddle wasn't sitting on the bridge plate!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I wonder if it was a replacement ordered from a catalog and when it was shaved down to the proper height the bottom of the slot got cut away. How does the neck angle look?

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

The guy who replaced the neck actually did a neck reset shortly before replacing the bridge, so the neck angle is OK. And regarding the saddle slot, is seemes it was groved away in a not so elegant way. Like the bottom of the slot got chiseled away. The saddle itself is about 1/2" high.

I really don't understand what happened there because some of the things that this luthier did are spotless.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I've got a Takamine in the shop that is factory built that way... and it's not the first I've seen.

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David Radlin
http://www.facebook.com/radlin.guitars