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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 1:14 pm 
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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!

Attachment:
DSCN1731 (Medium).JPG


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...


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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 2:37 pm 
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I guess you would call that "direct" energy transfer from the bridge to the soundboard. laughing6-hehe

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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 10:34 pm 
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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....
:)


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PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 9:52 am 
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Quote:
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...


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

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PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 10:31 am 
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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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PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 1:36 pm 
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At least the saddle wasn't sitting on the bridge plate! wow7-eyes

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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 7:29 am 
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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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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 11:21 am 
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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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(Now building just for fun!)


Last edited by Alain Moisan on Sun May 26, 2013 9:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 8:56 pm 
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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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