Saddle Shape

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Dave M
Blackwood
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Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:44 am
Location: Somerset UK

Saddle Shape

Post by Dave M » Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:41 am

While revisiting a steel string I made a while back I found strings 3 and 4 have a sitar sound when struck hard. It is the saddle not the nut. I may have perhaps eased the front edge a bit too much. But I looked very carefully at the back slope and realised that I don't actually know what shape the slope to the back should be. Could it be that the back slope was not steep enough?

Should the slope be steep enough that the string doesn't touch the back half of the bone? I am using a fat G&G type saddle with the compensation done within the saddle so some strings don't have much bone behind them anyway.
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Dave

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TallDad71
Blackwood
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Re: Saddle Shape

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:22 pm

I was taught that the string should roll over the back of the bone and launch off the front at a definite point. Once I have the position of the ledge I file the back off with a file in one motion ending with the file pointing directly to the pin hole.

At the front of the ledge I tend to straight edge quite steeply.
Alan
Peregrine Guitars

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lamanoditrento
Blackwood
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Re: Saddle Shape

Post by lamanoditrento » Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:22 pm

I haven't had a problem with the back edge only the front edge. It doesn't make sense to me either that the back edge would cause issues...
Trent

Dave M
Blackwood
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Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:44 am
Location: Somerset UK

Re: Saddle Shape

Post by Dave M » Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:27 am

Thanks people. And Trent you are quite right. It turns out I had made the saddle too low in the middle section. A replacement has solved the issue.

Cheers Dave
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Dave

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