Acoustic Guitar Construction

It works what else can I say.

Initially went to build a take on the StewMac intonator but ended up using a round polished needle. Noticed that the marking gave me two lines so added two hex (Allen) keys to try things out...

Hey if it works - nice! Mike Doolin used a piece of guitar string for much the same purpose.

Sorry guys -- not new, Don Teeter has a whole section in his book showing how to make super accurate compensated saddles using wire as the take off point locators. For those interested he also shows how to calculate the exact correction needed using round tooth picks "at the nut end" of the neck. There's good reason Don was Martin's repair technical adviser.

But thanks for posting the reminders.

The split saddle is helpful getting the pesky "thick" B string to intone properly with the rest of the set. I am surprised there are not more makers using the split configuration. With the modern contact mics there's no longer the constraint of the under saddle pick-up if amplification is desired.

ken cierp wrote:The split saddle is helpful getting the pesky "thick" B string to intone properly with the rest of the set. I am surprised there are not more makers using the split configuration. With the modern contact mics there's no longer the constraint of the under saddle pick-up if amplification is desired.

Seems like with the automation factories now have it wouldn't be so much of a "time is money" factor that is probably was in the past.

Nice approach! Downside for me is, that you have to rout the saddleslots on a completed guitar. I did that before, but it much easier to rout the slot in a blank and create the bridge around it. For compensation I use quite wide slots. But I admit, small saddles do look nicer.

Herman

I don't have a problem withe wide saddle or the two piece-- back to basics, the guitar is a tool for musicians, I think we should do what works best for that end, gosh look at a saxophone.