Anyone Shim Your Saddles?

Scott1969 · #1 10-20-2010, 08:48 PM

I recently sanded a tusq saddle too low for my Yamaha FG700S. So I took it to my local guitar shop (the owner is a former Martin dealer rep). He told me that he uses corian shims and also celluloid shims with good results and recommended trying them before buying a new saddle. So I did, and he used one of each to raise the action to where it should be. The guitar sounds very good and I couldn't couldn't detect any difference in the sound quality compared to when it was not shimmed. I've seen the rosewood shim kits available, but the corian and celluloid shims seem to work just fine. (Although I wouldn't do this on my Martin.)

Has anyone else ever shimmed their saddles with success?

pikngrin · #2 10-20-2010, 09:06 PM

i had to shim a saddle that I managed to sand unevenly. I was told that ebony shims would be the truest. It sounds fine to me. Ive also heard that you should use whatever wood that the back is made of.

Taylorplayer · #3 10-20-2010, 09:08 PM

Anyone Shim Your Saddles?

No, but I have "skinned my shins"... OK, bad joke, I know. Actually, I have read that you can shim a saddle with good success.

cadam5150 · #4 10-20-2010, 09:31 PM

Shimming is a good way to salvage "over-sanding" situation. As there are many wood types in building guitars, there are as much varieties of wood being made into shims. A general rule of thumb in choosing shims material, if wood is considered, select hardwood like pine, rosewood, maple, ebony, spruce, etc. I have seen plastics shims too.

The preference for hardwood is to allow as much vibration energy from the strings to be transmitted to the guitar top wood, thus the vibration of the top wood produces sound to our ears. Soft materials tend to absorb vibration energy. It is like the difference between tapping a hard wood board and a pillow.

The other consideration will be the "workability" of the materials. Stones are hard but they are difficult to work with, so are steels, brass, bronze, etc. Shims are using cut into thin stripes to facilitate insertion into the saddle slots. So it is thinkable to consider if the materials can be easily cut into required sizes.

Finally, I am glad it works well for your guitar and you're a happy camper after the shim job.

pikngrin · #5 10-20-2010, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadam5150

Shimming is a good way to salvage "over-sanding" situation. As there are many wood types in building guitars, there are as much varieties of wood being made into shims. A general rule of thumb in choosing shims material, if wood is considered, select hardwood like pine, rosewood, maple, ebony, spruce, etc. I have seen plastics shims too.

The preference for hardwood is to allow as much vibration energy from the strings to be transmitted to the guitar top wood, thus the vibration of the top wood produces sound to our ears. Soft materials tend to absorb vibration energy. It is like the difference between tapping a hard wood board and a pillow.

The other consideration will be the "workability" of the materials. Stones are hard but they are difficult to work with, so are steels, brass, bronze, etc. Shims are using cut into thin stripes to facilitate insertion into the saddle slots. So it is thinkable to consider if the materials can be easily cut into required sizes.

Finally, I am glad it works well for your guitar and you're a happy camper after the shim job.

I've always thought of Pine as being a soft wood and have never heard of it in guitar use?

cadam5150 · #6 10-20-2010, 09:57 PM

Thanks to pikngrin for correcting.

Pine and spruce are classified as softwood.

random works · #7 10-20-2010, 10:05 PM

I have had to shim saddles. I make sure the bottom is dead flat then super glue a piece of hardwood dowel trimmed for a fairly close fit to the bottom of the saddle. Then I sand off the excess until it is the way it needs to be. When sanding you can feather one end allowing some saddle to show and leave just a little wood on, this way you very slightly raise one side of the saddle to get the lowest area up, but don't have to raise the rest too much.
Although this may seem to mess with the relationship between the saddle angle and radius of the fretboard, I have never noticed that it affects playability or sound. Dowels are very hard and dried oak I believe. Whatever they are they are tough and dense wood. I guess if it is glued on it's not a shim is it?

pgilmor · #8 10-20-2010, 10:11 PM

back before all the great information in the world was available on the internet, i used to shim saddles on my laminate guitars with posterboard, which usually turned out to be an old six-pack carrier. didn't know it at the time, but i was compensating for dehydration and it seemed to work just fine. they sounded as good after shimming as before, if not better. dense material and easy to come by.

Hendra · #9 10-20-2010, 10:21 PM

Yep. I shimmed my oversanded FWI saddle with ebony shim (both I get from Mr. Collosi). Everything work out just fine and can't tell any difference with and without.

He send me 4 good seems although I am ordering and pay only for 2. Another class act from him.

vintageparlors · #10 10-21-2010, 04:41 AM

I have customers that request I provide a separate shim for them to use in winter and/or when constant dry air causes the top to sink just enough to throw off the action.

Doubleneck · #11 10-21-2010, 05:07 AM

Shims are fine but saddles are so cheap I just buy several and redo it if I have to. I have a CA Legacy that I was trying to get as low as possible. Have three saddles that I have at various heights. I took one very low which ended up being the one I am using. If I went to far I would just have thrown it away.
Steve

gary0319 · #12 10-21-2010, 05:56 AM

I had to shim a Colosi saddle and Bob sent me one of his shim kits. Not sure what the material was, but once superglued to the bottom of the saddle and sanded carefully, it worked just fine. I cannot tell you today which guitar has the shim in it.

Gary

mmapags · #13 10-21-2010, 07:33 AM

Bob's shims are ebony and they work great! I've used them with great success.

ljguitar · #14 10-21-2010, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott1969

Has anyone else ever shimmed their saddles with success?

Hi Scott…
Yes, and typically I'll get one sanded to the right thickness and then glue it to the bottom of the saddle.

Your tech's shims sound great…

Martin_Nut · #15 10-21-2010, 08:36 AM

Yes - Colosi Ebony shim kit. Super glue to sadde, shape with sandpaper, then sand to desired height. Very easy and effective solution. Maybe 20 minutes if you have a good idea of the amount of saddle height you need to add. Takes me a couple of hours to fit a new saddle, so the shim trick is a very good alternative if you find yourself with a guitar that has a problem with saddle height.