Saddle compatibility

[guitar344]

I ordered a yamaha saddle for my hummingbird. Would the saddle the fit?

[Osage]

Short answer is probably not.

Also, most Yamaha's have a fingerboard radius of 16 and most Gibsons have a radius of 12 so even if it were to fit in the slot, the radius will be incorrect.

[guitar344]

Originally Posted by Osage

Short answer is probably not.

Also, most Yamaha's have a fingerboard radius of 16 and most Gibsons have a radius of 12 so even if it were to fit in the slot, the radius will be incorrect.

Good to know. How would that effect playability?

[PineMarten]

Originally Posted by guitar344

Good to know. How would that effect playability?

If you use a saddle shaped for a 16" radius on a guitar with a 12" radius, the outside strings will be relatively high compared to the middle ones. If you have a little extra saddle height to work with and you're good with tools, it may not be impossible to reshape the top to correct this.

[RoscoeGumar]

The flatter saddle will mean the outside strings will be higher off the fret board than the middle string so, unless you change the radius, the outside strings will be too high off the fret board or middle too close. This will get worse as you move up the neck, moving from the nut towards the saddle. Changing the radius will likely be a pain and, if it’s a compensated saddle, may adversely impact the compensation. Short answer, get the correct saddle unless you want to spend a fair amount of time on an experiment. My two cents….which might not be worth the money.

[Lillis]

I would just get the correct saddle. I’ve had very good luck with MacNichol’s and they’re like $19 shipped. First rate customer service too.

[LAPlayer]

If you want a “drop in” saddle, buy a Gibson saddle and fit it properly. Otherwise I would buy a blank and have it properly fitted.

[Buc-a-Roo]

Would you order a Ford starter to fit your Chevy?!

wtf?

[JayBee1404]

Bob Colosi is the guy for saddles/pins etc. He's a nice guy, if you want to be sure his Gibson saddle will fit your guitar, give him a call and ask him... (912) 882-1321, or email [email protected]

Check out his products here...

https://www.guitarsaddles.com/pricing-ordering/

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by guitar344

I ordered a yamaha saddle for my hummingbird. Would the saddle the fit?

Wouldn't it have been better to ask BEFORE ordering? Saddles aren't once-size-fits-all. If they're not properly fitted, they can suck the tone out of an instrument.

[CharlieBman]

We don't know what we don't know...until we know it.

Next time, know the radius of your fretboard (usually 12" for a Gibson) and order a saddle made specifically for your guitar. Using a saddle made for another brand almost never works out.

[guitar344]

Just installed the new saddle. Turned out good.

[TheGITM]

Originally Posted by guitar344

Just installed the new saddle. Turned out good.

Great. So this thread was pointless.

Thumbs up, I guess.