Saddle has litteraly fallen down into the bridge ! (pics)

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Larry Mal

I want it to be known that I don't think very highly of my own hypothesis that the top expanded and consumed the saddle.

If the inside bottom of saddle slot in the bridge and the bridge plate are intact I'd think the bridge would just rise with the top. Just guessing but I'd think it has to be either:
1) the saddle or a shim "decomposed" with the resulting "dust" getting compacted down by string tension, OR
2)the bottom of the saddle slot in the bridge or the bridge plate has failed in some way, allowing the saddle to pass down into or through it.
What else could it be? I'm interested in hearing the answer.

[hailwood]

Did the guitar have an under saddle pick-up? If so, it may have compressed and failed. There's no way for the saddle to go through the bottom of the bridge, which is supported by the top and the bridge plate. If something moved, it has to be a shim or pickup under the saddle. No sense in pulling it free unless you have the lutherie skills to repair it. Take it to the best repair shop in your area (ask around) and have the guitar set up properly.

[pac man]

Well I like fixing stuff by myself so maybe I could give it a try (sure a lutherie man would fix this in a finger clap). Maybe you can help me and since I'm in France it would be the first international cooperation to fix a guitar
Anyway I'm too curious to see what's under the bridge (I should ask the red hot chili peppers for this), so I'll remove the saddle asap and take pics for you.

[pac man]

Originally Posted by hailwood

Did the guitar have an under saddle pick-up?

it's the 310ce model (electroacoustic) I can't answer your question I'm too newbie for this
I bought this guitar 15 years ago, it is a second hand one.

[phavriluk]

Interesting. If this Taylor has a NT neck, then the saddle does not get altered, the shim sets are swapped to maintain designed neck angle. What is done on other manufacturers' instruments has no relevance to a Taylor.

[pac man]

i don't know for the NT neck, I read all the 300 and 400 series have it, so maybe mine has it.

Maybe the previous owner has put some crappy shim under the saddle, that has melted or decomposed now...

[John Arnold]

I can only envision two possibilities: either the saddle was too tight in the slot and was not bottomed until sometime later, OR the under saddle transducer (pickup) has somehow compressed.
Adding a shim should resolve the issue.

[M Hayden]

Do post a photograph after you have extracted the saddle. I’m very curious to know what you find.

[mirwa]

I would hazard a guess someone has done a setup vee lowering the saddle height, if suddenly its dropped even lower then that means it was sitting on a small ledge inside the saddle slot, as the weather has changed the saddle slot has opened up wide enough for the string tension to push the saddle down past the ledge.

These are all assumptions based around your story supplied

Steve

[pac man]

Thanks for your messages guys.
So here are some pics about what's under the saddle, it's something red a bit shiny I don't know what it is, I am waiting for your instructions to proceed

[mirwa]

The red shiny thing is your under saddle element, leave it alone as its wired to your pickup system, the saddle sits on top, totally normal

Steve

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by pac man

ahaha I laughed hard reading the termite explanation, good one

Not such a good one I think: termite would probably go for the softer woods first rather than that hard ebony. And unless you're living in Paris or Marseille I'd worry more about "vrillettes" than about termines

[pac man]

Thanks Steve. So it's not a shim or something.
I didn't know that the sound was amplified from here, that's weird.
Can I put a shim on it and then put my saddle on top of that?

[pac man]

Originally Posted by RJVB

Not such a good one I think: termite would probably go for the softer woods first rather than that hard ebony. And unless you're living in Paris or Marseille I'd worry more about "vrillettes" than about termines

I'm in Paris
I checked the guitar bridge, no termites

[redir]

Interesting. This doesn't just 'happen.' Was the saddle difficult to remove or does it fit loosely in the slot?

Do you ever play it plugged in? If so did it sound balanced across all strings? If anything you might notice you have way better tone now.

You would want to shim under the red strip which is the pickup. Try to find some wood veneer to make shims out of. Plastic cutoffs from an old credit card will work in a pinch.