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  #1  
Old 11-04-2019, 01:36 PM
PTL PTL is offline
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Default Any source for a sliver of saddle shim?

I am trying to help someone figure out how much to increase the height of a saddle and need a particular kind of shim.

The steel string guitar in question plays perfectly on the three treble strings. But the three lower string buzzes due to a saddle that is too low, getting progressively worse towards the low E. The low E is buzzing badly from the 1st to 12th fret so that.

So I'm looking for a shim that is a perfect triangle where it is feathery paper thin on the treble end and goes up to perhaps 2mm taller on the low E end. This is to see if 2mm is enough of an increase.

Does anyone supply a shim like that? For you guitar tech, this is probably laughably trivial task but while I can get shims that evenly thick across, I am not sure how to cut something this thin into a precise triangle from paper thin to 2mm height.

Thanks in advance for any help.
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  #2  
Old 11-04-2019, 01:44 PM
Skarsaune Skarsaune is offline
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Not likely to find anything like that ready made.

Try a 2mm shim under the bass end to see if the buzzing goes away.
If it does, replace the saddle with one configured to suit, ie, incorporating the taper you require.
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Old 11-04-2019, 01:53 PM
canyongargon canyongargon is offline
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You can acquire saddle shim material from Bob Colosi or other sources, but it will not be tapered from one end to the other.

It is relatively easy with a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface to taper a shim like this once glued to the saddle. Just apply more pressure to one side while sanding and once you're about half way to your target, even out the pressure and check every few strokes against the flat surface until you're perfectly flat.
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Old 11-04-2019, 03:07 PM
redir redir is offline
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The other option is to just use a flat shim of the same dimensions across but sand the saddle back to it's proper shape. Then the whole thing gets raised up in it's proper slant.

Or just buy a 5 dollar bone blank and start over
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  #5  
Old 11-04-2019, 05:48 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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It is not easy to make a separate shim that tapers to nothing. When I have a similar circumstance, I glue a rosewood or ebony strip on the bottom of the saddle with CA, then trim it to the desired taper using a chisel, plane, and sandpaper on a flat block.
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  #6  
Old 11-04-2019, 07:52 PM
PTL PTL is offline
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Thanks everyone! Much appreciate the insights.

What a GREAT forum!!
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