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Thread: Saddle damage

  1. #1

    Default Saddle damage

    Hey everyone, I am Sorry to make another thread I don’t mean to go on about my recent luthier troubles. I just happened to notice some damage to the saddle itself and was wondering if it’s fixable or if I need to order a new saddle before I take it somewhere else. Thank you all again.

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    It looks like he attempted to make a notch for a string before stopping and starting another one. On the the right side of the picture.

  2. #2
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Usually you can shave the top down a little and start over with the string notches. If the piece is weak or already cut down to thin that might not work, but if the bridge was new when the slots were cut you should be able to get away with just taking a little off the top. You don't really need to remove wood all the way to the bottom of the slots other than for cosmetics.

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Sometimes I will fill a wayward slot with ebony dust and CA glue [super glue], file it down level after it dries, and cut a new slot.
    I haven't had one chip out yet. If well done, the fix will be invisible.
    Unless the saddle has already been ground down significantly, I don't see a need to buy another one.

    If several of the slots are off, it's probably quicker to just take a little off the top and start over as John suggested.

  5. #4

    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Thank you, that is a relief.

  6. #5

    Default Re: Saddle damage

    The slots that are cut don't look like they are spaced uniformly to me (could just be my interpretation of the photo)

  7. #6
    Kelley Mandolins Skip Kelley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Anything wood is usually repairable.

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Well, usually.

    But, I am in the process of replacing the x-brace in a 1920 Martin guitar because it had a cross grain fracture where it intersects the bridge. The guitar was folding up, and there was no other choice. I had to pull the back on this one. The 100 year old hide glue was hard as a rock, and the back joint didn't want to open, even with great care. I'm not sure I want to do another one like this.

    Btw, does anyone know what the top radius should be for a gut string Martin 0?

  9. #8
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    ...Btw, does anyone know what the top radius should be for a gut string Martin 0?
    Most of those things have moved so much under string tension that there is no good way to know. I bet they just carved them by eye, but I made a couple of 0-size guitars (actually, one was an octave mandolin and one was a tenor guitar) in the last couple of years, and I had two old Martins in the shop to use for reference (one Foden Special and one 0-28) I used my usual radius for top braces, and I think that is 25'.
    (Have fun with those bar frets.)

  10. #9
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Thanks, John.

    Yeah, I'm going to replace the first 12 frets, they're too low. I've done a few bar fret jobs over the years. A lot of work, and it seems that no matter how much you file, you always need to file some more.

    I'm going to try Frank Ford's trick of roughing out the fret height with a coarse file with rails glued to it to set the height. It will hopefully save a few hours of labor, and reduce some of the strain on my aging muscles.

  11. #10
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Do you place shims (.040" or so) to either side of the frets and drive them until the hammer hits the shims? That reduces filing a little bit anyway.

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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    The last bar fret job I did was a 1928 2-17. I drove the frets home, had some filing to do, but not too bad. I want the frets seated as here humidity swings make a fret lifting a common thing and seated is easier to correct than not seated. I just happened to have the frets .004" thicker than what was in there and the neck came out perfect for relief. It was a little to much relief before the refret.
    Last edited by pops1; Dec-10-2021 at 12:38pm.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  13. #12
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    Default Re: Saddle damage

    Well, now that I've hijacked the thread . . .

    For me, the bulk of the filing work on bar frets has been tied up in getting a really nice, smooth crown. It seems that no matter how much I file, it could still be smoother.
    It'll be a while before I get to the frets, though. I've got to make and install the x-brace and bridge plate, and do some work on the back before I can put it back together.

    By the way, the reason the old x-brace failed was that someone [probably Martin] replaced the bridge plate long ago, but didn't fill the voids in the bottom of the x-brace where the original plate had been mortised. The brace was scalloped very deeply over the void, so it was very thin at its most critical point. Since it had no strength, it fractured across the grain from string tension. So if any of you have to replace a mortised bridge plate on an old Martin, there will be trouble later on if the mortise is not filled. Also, the bridge plate was too far back. That didn't help.

    Anyway, I've got plenty of work to do to get this thing back together. I didn't know it was going to be a rescue when I took it in. I thought it was just going to need a neck set, 12 new frets, and a set up. I wish I had noticed how weak the top was before I accepted the job and set the neck. Oh well . . . .

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