Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

Necessary? Probably not.

Helpful? Absolutely!

For one thing, the notch acts as a guide for making sure the string is centered properly right away at installation. Yeah, the tension would bring it into place eventually, but then the string has to endure being pulled sideways (cutting motion) along the sharp edge of the saddle.

Come to think of it, the notches probably help protect the string from that same cutting motion when doing bends on the upper frets by holding it in place at that point. Plus, a little drift one way or another could potentially play hell with your intonation.

Then too, I’m no engineer. I could be completely wrong, but it makes sense to me. [emoji12]
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

If you bend strings, I can imagine the string may slide off? Maybe?


I think about this as I type it and I guess it don't
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

I have used a guitar with un-notched saddles...the strings certainly slide around. The notches are an improvement.
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

What are you looking at, Tonepros? They have bridges with both un-notched and notched saddles. Is it a Nashville or ABR style bridge? You have options. Companies make conversion posts that will allow use of a small post bridge on a guitar with import/large posts. They'll thread right into the metric M8 inserts. I think there is a slightly larger post size now as well but if you aren't specific about what you are looking at, nobody can really help you effectively.
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

A heavy picking hand can certainly move the strings if not notched. A small smooth divot is all that is needed. I often see them cut far too deep
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

Darg1911 said:
What are you looking at, Tonepros? They have bridges with both un-notched and notched saddles. Is it a Nashville or ABR style bridge? You have options. Companies make conversion posts that will allow use of a small post bridge on a guitar with import/large posts. They'll thread right into the metric M8 inserts. I think there is a slightly larger post size now as well but if you aren't specific about what you are looking at, nobody can really help you effectively.
Click to expand...

I've bought a tonepros nashville unnotched bridge. Haven't installed it yet, I was just considering the necessity of notches. Obviously I should have done my homework better before buying one.
 
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Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

Mincer said:
I have used a guitar with un-notched saddles...the strings certainly slide around. The notches are an improvement.
Click to expand...

This.

I don't use and frown upon notchless saddles. When you strum it like Townsend the strings move and mess the tuning.
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

I would also send it back, as Darg1911 said. This is not so say that you can't make use of what you've purchased. Especially, if the strings-to-pole-pieces alignment bothers you.
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

The whole point of notchless saddles is so you can notch them to your string spacing. There is no guaranty that a pre-notched bridge will have the correct strings spacing for your guitar.

What bridge is on the guitar now?
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

Ayrton said:
The whole point of notchless saddles is so you can notch them to your string spacing. There is no guaranty that a pre-notched bridge will have the correct strings spacing for your guitar.

What bridge is on the guitar now?
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Just a piece of cheap metal and the notches were cut too deep, low E string is slightly buzzing.
 
Re: Are notches on the bridge saddles necessary?

To echo all the posts before mine, they could definitely slide while playing. With my guitar, I was hearing a "plink" with certain notes/strings. I paid a shop to place/file the abr1, but they failed to do so. Didn't notice until it was too late.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 
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