Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

[thedial]

So I got a new bridge for my les paul studio last night, a Gibson packaged tune-o-matic. (I would've gone for a tonepros but my work doesnt stock them, and $$$ wasn't available at full price).
Anyway, these saddles are UN-notched or filed (what's the official term?) and was wondering what was the best way to simply take care of this. I have a set of small files and very comfortable working on my guitar; i can always get new saddles for a couple bucks.
Any help or advice would be REALLY appreciated. I can't play until something gets done to it. :dammit:

Thanks again.

Dan.

 

[Bluzboy66]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

......these saddles are UN-notched or filed (what's the official term?) and was wondering what was the best way to simply take care of this. I have a set of small files and very comfortable working on my guitar; i can always get new saddles for a couple bucks.
Any help or advice would be REALLY appreciated. I can't play until something gets done to it. :dammit:

Thanks again.

Dan.

Dan,
You really should use a proper set of files to notch the saddles. You can get them here........

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Files/Gauged_Nut_Slotting_Files.html

.......Those 'nut' files have rounded teeth on just the edge, and they do an awsome job. Regardless of what you decide to use, be sure to roll the notch towards the rear of the saddle as you file, so that the strings breaks cleanly over the front edge. Otherwise you'll get buzz. Once you have the notch filed, hit it with a piece of fine sandpaper folded so that the edge fits into the slot. The sandpaper will remove any rough burrs that will cause string breakage.

It's not nearly as hard as it sounds, but will be a little time consuming if you do it right.

Mike

 

[thedial]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

Dan,
You really should use a proper set of files to notch the saddles. You can get them here........

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Files/Gauged_Nut_Slotting_Files.html

.......Those 'nut' files have rounded teeth on just the edge, and they do an awsome job. Regardless of what you decide to use, be sure to roll the notch towards the rear of the saddle as you file, so that the strings breaks cleanly over the front edge. Otherwise you'll get buzz. Once you have the notch filed, hit it with a piece of fine sandpaper folded so that the edge fits into the slot. The sandpaper will remove any rough burrs that will cause string breakage.

It's not nearly as hard as it sounds, but will be a little time consuming if you do it right.

Mike

thanks a lot!

 

[FireBros.]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

How deep should the notches be?

 

[Bluzboy66]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

How deep should the notches be?

They only need to be deep enough to keep the string from popping sideways when you hit kinda hard..............properly cut, they really only need to be about 1/2 a string deep. Anymore than that and you risk string buzz at the saddles. The buzz is created as the string vibrates against the SIDES of the notch if the notch is the slightest bit too wide or too deep.

Mike

 

[theodie]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

Some nut files work great but here is how Gibson does it (according to Dan Erlewine) , Put the string on top of the saddle in the location where you want it then, hit the string with a plastic hammer. The blow from the hammer makes a notch in the saddle. Look really closely at a Gibson saddle with the strings off of it. You will see imprints from the string. I would use nut files though.

 

[mrid, too]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

Some nut files work great but here is how Gibson does it (according to Dan Erlewine) , Put the string on top of the saddle in the location where you want it then, hit the string with a plastic hammer. The blow from the hammer makes a notch in the saddle. Look really closely at a Gibson saddle with the strings off of it. You will see imprints from the string. I would use nut files though.

I would not do this, unless you really know what you're doing. I bent a pefectly good bridge with the hammer method.

 

[theodie]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

I would not do this, unless you really know what you're doing. I bent a pefectly good bridge with the hammer method.

I know what I am doing but, I still would not do this. This is quick but, One is asking to break strings with this method. I was suggesting that the fellow use files to slot the saddles.

 

[Bluzboy66]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

Some nut files work great but here is how Gibson does it (according to Dan Erlewine) , Put the string on top of the saddle in the location where you want it then, hit the string with a plastic hammer. The blow from the hammer makes a notch in the saddle. Look really closely at a Gibson saddle with the strings off of it. You will see imprints from the string. I would use nut files though.

That sounds like it would work fine in a pinch. I wouldn't do that with the wound strings though. The windings will create serations in the notch as the string gets whacked with the hammer, and cause binding in the saddle. It's important that the string doesn't hang up ANYWHERE between the tuner and tailpiece, gliding smoothly across the bridge saddle and nut slot when you tune, and/or bend the string while playing.

If you're ever playing and here a string emit an audible 'ping' or 'creak', it's getting hung up somewhere.

Mike

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

That sounds like it would work fine in a pinch. I wouldn't do that with the wound strings though. The windings will create serations in the notch as the string gets whacked with the hammer, and cause binding in the saddle. It's important that the string doesn't hang up ANYWHERE between the tuner and tailpiece, gliding smoothly across the bridge saddle and nut slot when you tune, and/or bend the string while playing.

If you're ever playing and here a string emit an audible 'ping' or 'creak', it's getting hung up somewhere.

Mike

I think its understood that the slots are cleaned up with files afterwards. The hammer method is just to mark location, not create the finished slot in the bridge.

 

[bryvincent]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

i didn't use a hammer when i notched mine. i just tapped it with the handle of a large screwdriver and filed it a bit. it doesnt have to be deep unless you topwrap the strings or you have the tailpiece very high. i keep the TP on mine as low as possible.

 

[Bluzboy66]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

I think its understood that the slots are cleaned up with files afterwards. The hammer method is just to mark location, not create the finished slot in the bridge.

lol, with Gibson I wouldn't count on it. It seems to me that they don't spend NEARLY enough time prepping their guitars before shipment these days.

Mike

 

[theodie]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

I think its understood that the slots are cleaned up with files afterwards. The hammer method is just to mark location, not create the finished slot in the bridge.

Nope, take the wound strings off the saddles of a new gibson and you will see the tell tale signs, imprints from the string windings.

 

[theodie]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

i didn't use a hammer when i notched mine. i just tapped it with the handle of a large screwdriver and filed it a bit. it doesnt have to be deep unless you topwrap the strings or you have the tailpiece very high. i keep the TP on mine as low as possible.

The plastic handle of a screwdriver is pretty much same thing as using a small plastic hammer. I have used this method then used nut files afterward to clean things up with good results.

 

[stratsandaks]

Re: Notching saddles on my LP? help shed some light

I have used Dykem and a very fine scribe to mark string location on saddles, IMHO much safer than the hammer method.