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August 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Pennsylvania | Should i sand the string grooves out of my saddle when i change the strings, or leave them in?
I have the saddle that looks like a section for each string.
Thanks in advance. |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | This has been an on going issue with my guitars as well...
I take an emery board and gentely graze it...I would not recommend a rough sanding.
I have found that you can only do this so many times before you have to replace it...so it offers a temporary solution...
My grooves were that bad it would slice my strings...
On a trip to the plant I took my guitars and they replaced them for free...also gave me a few extras.
I was informed its a common problem...and that the issue was a problem they were aware of...more or less letting me know that they could have put a much better saddle on from the get go...but unfortunatley thats where they skimped.
If it were bone that saddle would last...but its plastic... they cant use bone anymore...I believe that was actually ivory... |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | I would advise leaving it alone, unless the saddle is so deeply notched that it affects the playability of the guitar. I sometimes add to the saddle notch with a piece of folded sandpaper to "fine tune" the action a bit. |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | I use to fold little pieces of paper to fill in the grooves...haha...that worked for a while too.
Actually I had told them at the plant that I was grazing it with an emmery board... and they said that was a solutuion...but again not a permanent one
It depends on how bad the grooves are...
if it aint broke...dont fix it... |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | just smooth them a bit if they really need it. Replace as needed. |
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August 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Pennsylvania | I just did a string change, so i removed the saddle from the housing, and used a fine percission file to get the majority of the grooves out. I then took a small peice of #400 sand paper and smoothed it out. Then i cleaned it with a tooth brush and re-installed it into the housing. It sounds fine now.
I guess it would be a good idea to order a couple of the saddles, and maybe a spare nut as well. I don't know what material they use, but it seems to be pretty soft. I think they should use "tusk" (like Taylor does). It's the closest material to bone that there is (i think), and it can be molded just like whatever they are using now.
Thank you all for your input... :) |
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May 2006
Posts: 97
Location: Chicago | Are you guys talking about those white things that the strings rest on? Because those grooves are killing my action. |
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August 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by pzavislak:
Are you guys talking about those white things that the strings rest on? Because those grooves are killing my action. Yes. |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | What is the reason behind this saddle design? My Adamas has a conventional looking saddle. The one you are describing here seems needlessly complicated, and limiting too since it makes it all but impossible to replace with bone or ivory if you want. |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | BobC,Hi,how old is your guitar ?..my 1537 is from 1983 and my 1618 Glenn C from 1982 , both have the original saddles /nuts ,and grooves are negligible ,I allways "greased" them with a leadpencil so maybe aside from preventing string breakage it also prevents wear&tear on the grooves..?.. ;)
Vico |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Hey, bobc--
If they're not causing any problems, don't worry about it. You could sand it lightly with a fine grit sandpaper, like .320 or .400. If you're lucky enough to have a fret file, which has a curved filing surface, a couple of passes over the saddle will take care of it.
If the grooves are a little worse, or the strings are catching on the saddle, and you don't want to change the saddle (maybe you have an emotional attachment to it), carefully drizzle a little superglue into the notches. Obviously the saddle is out of the guitar at this point! Sand smooth when dry with .320 or .400 sandpaper.
As V-elite recommended, a little graphite in the saddle grooves (and in the grooves of the nut) will keep things moving smoothly. Or, as an alternative, I use Chapstick at the nut (an old Roger McGuinn trick); I don't have any saddles that are that badly grooved.
If you have a real problem with grooves, or they keep coming back, you probably need a harder saddle. The Tusq saddles are a good choice, and Fishman makes (made?) a saddle called the "Fishbone," which is a harder synthetic material. |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Well BobC ,I guess Rick Endres has covered this topic well and has given sound advice ,using superglue is a neat trick ,but I`d like to dwell a little on what Pzavislak said;.."those grooves are killing my action "..now Pzavislak ,them grooves must be real deep for that,sounds more as if a shim under the saddle/nut is required,might be worth a try.. ;)
Vico |
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May 2006
Posts: 97
Location: Chicago | Where can I find these shims? I still haven't taken the saddle out to tool with it... do you need to remove all the strings or can you just loosen them until there is no tension? |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Hi Pzavislak, you can make those yourself, find a piece of thin plastic, about a millimeter thick ,and longer and wider than the saddle ,,try unwinding the strings,if they are long enough then you might be able to keep them on,now some ovations have a saddle in one piece ,some have a little one for each string,I assume that yours has just one saddle,now lift it out becareful now the saddle is probably also the pick up,so there is a wire connected to it,lightly pull it out of the bridge,measure length and width of the saddle,then cut the plastic accordingly and place it in the bridge ,now replace the saddle, replace/tune strings , if strings are too high,do it again ,using a thinner piece,if not high enough ,try with 2 or more pieces,hope this helps..I wish you Happy Playing :)
Vico |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by pzavislak:
Where can I find these shims? I still haven't taken the saddle out to tool with it... do you need to remove all the strings or can you just loosen them until there is no tension? If your grooves are that deep that they are effecting your action, maybe you should just order a replacement saddle. I think they are pretty cheap, but you will have to call Ovation to oreder it. |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | I've never had a problem here with either of my 23 year old O's. Are the newer saddles softer than the old ones? |
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January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I wonder why Ovation uses that soft plastic material on the saddles. I was under the impression that, the harder the saddle material, the better the tone. I changed the saddles in my Martins to ones that I had made out of "Tusq" which is a synthetic Ivory material. They sound much better than the stock saddles. Also, with traditional saddles, I like the idea that they can be shaped to add more compensation if need be. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 54
Location: Kingston Ontario | This topic has been a great help to me and my Balladeer Special. I noticed recently that the first two strings had developed a sort of rattle when played them. I just returned from a very warm climate and thought the action might have changed. I checked it and it needed adjustment..no big deal, but the problem persisted.
Rembering this posting, I checked the bridge insert and noticed grooving. I smoothed out the grooves using one of my wife's emery boards. That cleared the problem, for now.
I contacted the local dealer and they are going to install a tusk insert for me. I believe this had been mentioned in another reply.
I have a 34 year old Standard Balladeer that show virtually no bridge wear at all.
I am a new member and what I have read so far, this is a very worthwile resource.
Thanks y'all, eh. |
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String Grooves In Saddle
