Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkinLA
IF the board is flat the saddle should be. If not, the saddle ideally should arc with it..
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Consider an alternate perspective.
Preferences vary for if, or how much, a fingerboard should arch across its width. Once one has established that preferred geometry, flat or arched, one wants each individual string to be a preferred height above that playing surface (actually, the frets installed in that playing surface).
One approach is to achieving the preferred height of each string is to look to establishing some specific profile to the length of the saddle. Another approach is pay no attention to the profile of the saddle and, instead, simply make the saddle at each location where a string crosses it the height necessary to achieve the desired height of each individual string. Whatever profile of the saddle produces that is then the right one.
If one has a flat fingerboard, most players prefer the strings higher on the bass side and progressively lower on the treble side. The shape of the saddle will reflect that. If one has an arched fingerboard, the shape of the saddle will reflect the preferences in string height. In either case, the shape of the saddle will be whatever it needs to be to achieve the desired string heights, rather than conforming to a specific flatness or curve.