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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Anyone know what I can use for shim material? It seems one shim is a tad to much and no shim causes the strings to buz a bit. I thought I might try makeing one in-between out of wood or something. Any thoughts from the experts? |
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Joined: February 2003 Posts: 43
Location: South Africa | I'm not much of an expert at these things, but personally I never mess around with the bits and pieces which are made by the manufacturers. They normally have the equipment and expertise to know what they are doing.If your strings are buzzing, wouldn't a simple truss rod adjustment work just as well? |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Willard;
Try doing a "search" on the subject as I seem to remember a long and varied thread a while back concerning making saddles/shims of antler, bone, plastic, metal, and various other organic/inorganic materials. |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Believe it or not, strips cut from aluminum beverage cans work well. Figure one strip from each can of Olde English 800 times four or five; it will start sounding A LOT BETTER...... |
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Joined: January 2003 Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Most hobby shops carry sheet material of brass, aluminum, stainless steel or plastic in various thicknesses (.005 - .125). I've used all but the aluminum. Personally I prefer plastic for acoustic guitars and brass for electric.
P.S. I've heard of one guitar manufacturer that uses jade(???). Can't remember the name. |
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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Keep in mind what you do at the saddle will be 50% at the 12th fret. Any comments on what kind of beer cans give the best tone? |
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Joined: December 2002 Posts: 19
| I have used an old credit card to make a shim. I can't tell the difference in sound. Tim |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I have used the tin foil in cigarette packs and gum wrappers as fuses but never as shims. guess I am no help here. |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Dubyatoo, use Carta Blanca cans. Be aware the shims will stop working between 2:00 & 5:00 PM daily, however. Just kidding. Please, no ethnic or cultural offense intended. I've heard Carling cans will make you tone-deaf, though. Something about crushing them on your head...... |
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Joined: January 2003 Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Originally posted by cwk2:
Keep in mind what you do at the saddle will be 50% at the 12th fret. Any comments on what kind of beer cans give the best tone?
An EMPTY beer can! |
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Joined: May 2002 Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | On that same subject, I have never been able to get the sound out of an empty beer can that compares to my mandolin. To me they sound too much like a banjo. After a case or two, I guess it really doesn't matter, just sing or blow into the top of variously levels of beer in the cans and a type of music will emerge. I think we should get back to guitars as beer can music doesn't do well in church. |
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