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Bridge saddles

Brownsound

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
My tech tells me that my R7 had two A saddles which caused the A to buzz when the E was lowered. Gibson tells me all the saddles are the same height...is this so?
 

RickN

New member
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
7,143
Brownsound said:
My tech tells me that my R7 had two A saddles which caused the A to buzz when the E was lowered. Gibson tells me all the saddles are the same height...is this so?
All the saddles are the same. The lands in the body of the bridge are recessed slightly more progressing out from the center each direction to account for the radius of the fretboard.
 
K

Kim R

Guest
Hi Brownsound,

I’ll apologize for seeming (still) to be critical of your tech, but that is entirely incorrect.

Some manufacturers radius the bridge to match the extended radius (cone) of the fretboard. Others rely upon adjustments to the saddle (acoustics) or saddles to accomplish that. The ABR-1 and Nashville bridges are supplied with flat saddles that need to have the lands cut so that they match the radius of the fretboard while compensating for the gradual spread of the strings as they near the tailpiece.

A Les Paul is not properly setup without the saddles being cut to match a radius guide for your fretboard.

Kim
 

Brownsound

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Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
So...apparently one of my saddles lands were cut incorrectly at the factory?
 
K

Kim R

Guest
Brownsound said:
So...apparently one of my saddles lands were cut incorrectly at the factory?

Very likely.

In order of most commonly found (by me): Nut poorly cut, bridge saddles not radiused, frets that need to be adjusted.

None of this is that much of an issue to correct, but it has to be done in the right order if one is going to wind up with the very best set up.
 

Brownsound

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
FlyingNotes said:
Very likely.

In order of most commonly found (by me): Nut poorly cut, bridge saddles not radiused, frets that need to be adjusted.

None of this is that much of an issue to correct, but it has to be done in the right order if one is going to wind up with the very best set up.

Thanks...he did do a fret level and a nut job. It plays excellent. Im happy witht he work so far. He told me to play the guitar a few days and if I didnt like the work..no charge.
 

Bluespower

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
3,487
Flying notes,
do you set up guitars for yourself or as a business? I have one that needs some attention, and I cant seem to get it to feel right .
 

songsj

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Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
504
And don't forget bent saddle screws on brand new guitars, I have one, and I hear this is pretty common on lesters. They can be bent enough that you can't adjust the intonation without replacing the bent screw. You may want to check this Brownsound as a bent saddle screw can make the saddle raise up out of proper position when the intonation screw is turned.
 
K

Kim R

Guest
Bluespower said:
Flying notes,
do you set up guitars for yourself or as a business? I have one that needs some attention, and I cant seem to get it to feel right .

I'll send you some mail, Nick.
 

ashbass

Active member
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
1,918
Brownsound said:
So...apparently one of my saddles lands were cut incorrectly at the factory?
This I seriously doubt. The lands (the slots that the saddle sits in) are not cut at all but are created as part of the mold of the bridge.

You did not have "two A saddles" unless you follow the thought that you actually have six A saddles, because all of the saddles are the same until someone starts filing on them.

Someone somewhere might have tried to adjust the A string saddle and filed/cut it too low so that the height difference designed into the lands/slots of the bridge was negated. More likely, the A or E string saddle screw was bent from being whacked with a hammer at the factory and the bend caused the A saddle to sit too low or the E saddle to sit too high. Either scenario would create the illusion of the A and E saddles being the "same height."

If it plays fine now, no worries.

I recommend that you pick up Dan's books on setting up guitars and making them play great. Even if you never try to do anything that the books describes, you'll at least have a better idea of what you tech is talking about or trying to tell you.
 

Kamiyama Kid

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Messages
15
Totally agree with Ash - Dan's book/s are a must-have. In fact, I have all his books and all his DVDs.

Only problem is I now spend more time rebuilding my guitars than playing them :lol
 

ashbass

Active member
Joined
Jan 13, 2003
Messages
1,918
Kamiyama Kid said:
Only problem is I now spend more time rebuilding my guitars than playing them

Ha! Ain't that the truth. Sometimes I wish I didn't know how to setup and tweak these suckers. Then I could get some time in playing. How is it that "perfect for me" seems to change every other day?
 

Brownsound

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
Just to let you know...you guys are great! Thanks for the help.

My new R7 plays great now. The edge of the E saddle digs into the palm a little while playing some stuff but I could knock the edge off of it. Now I need to break this thing in with a couple hundred hours of play.
 

Indiana Erick

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Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Messages
979
If any of you folks are going to the ASIA Symposium in Maryland this month, Elliot John-Conry and myself will be taking a couple of new Gibson's to the next level, just as we do in Dan's shop.
Taking over where the factory left off.
We will be leveling and dressing the frets in the neck jig, removing stock nuts and replacing them with bone, adjusting the radius and deluxing the saddles as well as the pickups, action and intonation.
For details about admission and seminars check out www.guitarmaker.org
 
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