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#1
05-31-2019, 08:02 AM
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Notching saddles for wider string spacing?
Hi all...Assuming there is comparable room on the fretboard, any thoughts on notching saddles to get a little wider string spacing at the bridge instead of ramping bridge pin holes or replacing or redrilling the whole bridge? My neck width at the 14th fret is 2 13/16" and the current bridge string spacing is 2 1/8", so it looks like I have room to play with...pardon the pun
 This is a photo of one of Norman Blake's guitars where it has been done that way it seems.IMG_1021.jpg
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Martin 000-18 Norman Blake 1997 Seagull Rosewood Custom Shop Model Brunner Basic Outdoor Guitar Eastman T386SB Aria Sinsonido AS-100C/SPL (customized to steel string) Mid 1930’s Kay Kraft Deluxe K2 archtop Seagull S12 converted to 6 string lap slide Takamine TF740FS 2008 Pono PGKC (flamed Hawaiian Koa 0 cutaway) 
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#3
05-31-2019, 08:36 AM
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The worst you can do is ruin the saddle and have to buy another, which is no big deal at all. The hard part would be getting the spacing for each individual string correctly. If there is a variance, you're hands are going to tell you about it.
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'59 Gibson J-45 "Spot" '21 Gibson LG-2 - 50's Reissue '94 Taylor 710 '18 Martin 000-17E "Willie" ‘23 Taylor AD12e-SB '22 Taylor GTe Blacktop '15 Martin 000X1AE https://pandora.app.link/ysqc6ey22hb
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#4
05-31-2019, 10:24 AM
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Buy a new saddle first, and notch that - if it doesn’t work out well, you can drop your old saddle right back in.
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!!
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#5
06-01-2019, 08:17 AM
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Thank you for the encouragement and advice. I have a couple of "one of a kind" guitars that I really like and the only reason I would sell is because of the lack of string spacing at the bridge. I'm going to give it a shot, but keep the original saddles just in case.
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#6
06-01-2019, 08:19 AM
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Also, you don't want to make the spacing too wide so as to slip the 1st and 6th strings off the frets when playing higher up the neck.
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Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom Martin D-18/UltraTonic Adamas MD80 NWT Adamas I 2087GT-8 Ovation Custom Legend LX Guild F-212XL STD Huss & Dalton TD-R Taylor 717e Taylor 618e Taylor 614ce Larrivee D-50M/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Sunburst Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Emerald X20 Yamaha FGX5 Last edited by SpruceTop; 06-01-2019 at 08:40 AM.
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#7
06-01-2019, 08:22 AM
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If you plan to do it yourself, this would come in handy:
https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tool...cing_Rule.html
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#8
06-01-2019, 08:31 AM
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I have tried notching a couple saddles to change string spacing. I have a few tools for notching guitar nuts, and I used them to measure and notch the saddles.
I have had complete success with getting the saddle notch spacing right (used a spacing ruler typically used for nuts). But...I was never able to figure out how to ramp the saddle notches the way they are ramped on nuts. I tried to angle the notching files the same way I do on nuts, but it never turned out right. The saddles always ended up pinching the strings and causing rattles and buzzes at the saddle. I think I could have figured it out with enough experimentation, but I put my original saddles back in and spent more time practicing instead. I was eventually able to adjust my flatpicking and fingerpicking to feel comfortable on all my saddles, from 2 5/16" spacing down to 2 3/32". I still prefer 2 1/4" spacing, but I play equally well (or equally bad) on all my saddle spacings. For what it's worth, I'm glad I got used to all my saddles. I think playing on a variety of string spacings has made me more adaptable to different guitars. Good luck. Have fun experimenting.
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#9
06-01-2019, 08:53 AM
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I had a luthier do this for me on a 2012 martin om-21. Was inexpensive and made a big difference to me!
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Curtis Martin om21 Chris Carrington classical
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#10
06-03-2019, 10:23 PM
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I'm going to check with a few luthiers within striking distance to see if they have experience doing this. So far two different guitar techs said they've never heard of it till I asked. I still may give it a shot myself if I strike out, but will keep the original saddles.
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#11
06-03-2019, 10:49 PM
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Quote:
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#12
06-03-2019, 10:52 PM
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Quote:
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#13
06-03-2019, 11:03 PM
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Quote:
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#14
06-04-2019, 03:17 AM
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I made a notched saddle for my Seagull. First I made the saddle high with the radius and nothing for intonation. Next, I laid out the strings and filed the notches on the intonation slant from the original saddle. Finally, I sanded the bottom of the saddle to get the string height where I wanted it.
I also made a nut wider spacing for the Seagull. It came with a 1.725'' fretboard but with narrow string spacing. It had plenty of room to make the spacing wider at the nut as well at the saddle.
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#15
06-24-2019, 09:48 AM
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Quote:
My saddle notches were the same size as the nut notches. Maybe that's why I had problems with buzzing/rattling at the saddle. I should note that the wound strings worked fine. The two high strings were the poroblem
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