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I have made it pretty far through this build but I am stumped... I guess the major shaping is pretty easy... I am building a J-35 copy and am to the point where I am making the bridge. I have never made a thru-saddle bridge. I have the specs from by plans of 1"x6" and 3/8" high... I will be using my handy SaddleMatic to measure the saddle slot angle... What I need to know is should I rout the slot to be 1/8" from the bottom of the bridge and then shape the wings? The plans make it look like the wings are only 1/8" thick, but that sounds too thin to me. If that is the correct measurement, it seems like the beginning and ending point of the saddle slot isn't all that important because it will blend in once the wings are shaped.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks!!!

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Don't confront me with my failures--I have not forgotten them.

If I'm understanding correctly you're right. The orginal J35's had the saddle slot cut with a saw, and the slot basically ended at the wings. Old Martins were the same way, but the bridge was shaped differently. I can take you a picture of my old Martins bridge if that will help.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Cool! I'm still unsure about the 1/8" thick wings, but a photo of your Martin bridge would be great. I know that newer Martins, the Vintage Series for example, have a "drop in long saddle" that is actually a drop-in that looks like a thru saddle.

Any other help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

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Don't confront me with my failures--I have not forgotten them.

Nice tips Todd. Was this something originally done by Gibson and Martin at one time to cut production time and cost? What is the advantage of the thru saddle? Some rave about it. I personally don't like the idea of glued in saddles. Is there something I'm missing?