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  #1  
Old 01-20-2017, 02:59 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Default Best saddle for Rainsong SG Shorty?

I just received a Rainsong SG from a member of the forum and it's a wonderful guitar! Just really pleased with it. The action is a bit high for my taste so I'm going to take the saddle height down. Before I do, I was wondering whether there was a better saddle material than the original tusq to try. The guitar sounds great with the tusq so if it ain't broke..... but I thought I'd at least ask.

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 01-20-2017, 03:23 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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I cannot comment on the merits of various materials, as I've never changed the saddle or nut material on any of my guitars just trying for better / different tone. I have replaced worn or damages ones when necessary.

But I do have a hard and fast rule: Never mess with the original part. Start with a fresh blank and do the fitting. as needed That way you can always go back to square one easily. I learned this lesson the hard way.....
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Old 01-20-2017, 04:25 PM
NoodleFingers NoodleFingers is offline
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Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
But I do have a hard and fast rule: Never mess with the original part. Start with a fresh blank and do the fitting. as needed That way you can always go back to square one easily. I learned this lesson the hard way.....
That is always excellent advice. However, I am 99.9% sure that RainSong uses this standard Taylor saddle. So if he were to experiment, he could easily replace it if something went wrong. Or he could just do his experimentation on a fresh one.

I should also mention that the standard Taylor saddle is designed for a 16" radius, while the RainSong neck has a 20" radius. So your strings are going to be a little high in the middle. Lowering the height won't change that curvature. I have a Concert model whose dimensions are identical to your Shorty. I'm planning on having a bone saddle made for it as soon as I have a suitable alternate guitar to play while it's in the shop. That should fix the problem—I'm just hoping I like the sound of bone in an already bright guitar. If not, I'll probably try again with Micarta.

Last edited by NoodleFingers; 01-20-2017 at 04:36 PM. Reason: added info
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  #4  
Old 01-20-2017, 04:36 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
I just received a Rainsong SG from a member of the forum and it's a wonderful guitar! Just really pleased with it. The action is a bit high for my taste so I'm going to take the saddle height down. Before I do, I was wondering whether there was a better saddle material than the original tusq to try. The guitar sounds great with the tusq so if it ain't broke..... but I thought I'd at least ask.

Thanks!
Leave the Tusq saddle in the guitar as it's likely one of the factors that, along with carbon, enables the UST to not only sense string vibrations but also top and body vibrations as well. The system behaves like a combination UST/SBT system, and that's good in my book.
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  #5  
Old 01-20-2017, 04:46 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoodleFingers View Post
That is always excellent advice. However, I am 99.9% sure that RainSong uses this standard Taylor saddle. So if he were to experiment, he could easily replace it if something went wrong. Or he could just do his experimentation on a fresh one.

I should also mention that the standard Taylor saddle is designed for a 16" radius, while the RainSong neck has a 20" radius. So your strings are going to be a little high in the middle. Lowering the height won't change that curvature. I have a Concert model whose dimensions are identical to your Shorty. I'm planning on having a bone saddle made for it as soon as I have a suitable alternate guitar to play while it's in the shop. That should fix the problem—I'm just hoping I like the sound of bone in an already bright guitar. If not, I'll probably try again with Micarta.
I'm thinking RainSong uses a 16-inch saddle radius in order to compensate for the concaveness of a RainSong top, thus achieving close to a 20 inch radius across the strings. I've suggested to RainSong that they impart a bit of a convex radius to their tops as it looks nicer and may even affect tone in a positive way.
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  #6  
Old 01-20-2017, 08:46 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoodleFingers View Post
That is always excellent advice. However, I am 99.9% sure that RainSong uses this standard Taylor saddle. So if he were to experiment, he could easily replace it if something went wrong. Or he could just do his experimentation on a fresh one.

I should also mention that the standard Taylor saddle is designed for a 16" radius, while the RainSong neck has a 20" radius. So your strings are going to be a little high in the middle. Lowering the height won't change that curvature. I have a Concert model whose dimensions are identical to your Shorty. I'm planning on having a bone saddle made for it as soon as I have a suitable alternate guitar to play while it's in the shop. That should fix the problem—I'm just hoping I like the sound of bone in an already bright guitar. If not, I'll probably try again with Micarta.

Can anyone confirm that this is the right saddle?
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  #7  
Old 01-20-2017, 08:57 PM
Ted @ LA Guitar Sales Ted @ LA Guitar Sales is offline
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Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
Can anyone confirm that this is the right saddle?
I do believe that is the one.

And BTW, I have tried a number of different saddles on my Rainsongs, and feel no need to switch from the factory installed Tusq saddles. I get the feeling that if there was a better option, Ashvin would be using them.
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Old 01-21-2017, 08:06 AM
Doubleneck Doubleneck is offline
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My used Rainsong Black Ice Jumbo came with a bone saddle. I switched back once to the Tusq and I really don't think there was a difference worth commenting on. I kept the bone in because it was handmade and looked nicer, seemed to give me a better setup. The Tusq now seems to have vanished so my decision is made.

It is puzzling to me that Rainsong had a neck with a 20 inch radius and a Tusq saddle with a 16?
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  #9  
Old 01-21-2017, 11:18 AM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Thanks all. I'm going to get a new saddle and sand it down.
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  #10  
Old 01-21-2017, 11:41 AM
NoodleFingers NoodleFingers is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doubleneck View Post
It is puzzling to me that Rainsong had a neck with a 20 inch radius and a Tusq saddle with a 16?
I think it makes a lot of sense for them to design their guitars to use a widely and easily available compensated saddle like the Tusq Taylor saddle. And I don't think the radius difference over the middle strings is large at all. As for why they chose a different radius, I think you'd have to ask Ashvin.

Last edited by NoodleFingers; 01-21-2017 at 11:57 AM. Reason: correction
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  #11  
Old 01-21-2017, 11:59 AM
Finger Stylish Finger Stylish is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doubleneck View Post
My used Rainsong Black Ice Jumbo came with a bone saddle. I switched back once to the Tusq and I really don't think there was a difference worth commenting on. I kept the bone in because it was handmade and looked nicer, seemed to give me a better setup. The Tusq now seems to have vanished so my decision is made.

It is puzzling to me that Rainsong had a neck with a 20 inch radius and a Tusq saddle with a 16?
It would be interesting to hear their explanation.
One thing I've noticed in most of my guitars, the frets are not precisely the same radius as the neck especially over time and normal wear the radius is altered. It's probably very difficult to keep a standard radius or a parallel radius if the guitar gets a lot of play. My Rainsong had a fret dressing after 1-1/2 years of 1-2 hours of daily play.
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  #12  
Old 01-21-2017, 02:34 PM
Doubleneck Doubleneck is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finger Stylish View Post
It would be interesting to hear their explanation.
One thing I've noticed in most of my guitars, the frets are not precisely the same radius as the neck especially over time and normal wear the radius is altered. It's probably very difficult to keep a standard radius or a parallel radius if the guitar gets a lot of play. My Rainsong had a fret dressing after 1-1/2 years of 1-2 hours of daily play.
Somehow I doubt that Rainsong will address it because it probably came down to it was common and available. Can you imagine them now saying the 20 inch radius saddle would match better? I've asked over on the wood side of builders I think generally they would match radius but most custom fit and really don't measure a saddle radius. I have a hard time logically seeing a smaller saddle radius as making sense? But I imagine the differences in heights being so small as to make little difference? All this talk is making me get out the old JM-1000 and playing' better use of time!
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  #13  
Old 01-21-2017, 05:24 PM
JerryM JerryM is offline
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If you call Dave he will give you the exact number but the saddle is a GraphTech and about 12.00. I ordered one and got it in about 2 weeks, thought I had the number written down but can't find it.
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  #14  
Old 01-21-2017, 06:48 PM
Doubleneck Doubleneck is offline
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http://www.graphtech.com/products/br...9-99520855d290
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