• macg1
  • BONAMETAL
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,020

Topic: Question about bridge saddles

So I bought some string saver saddles from graphtech to install in the ABR-1 of my FB VII with the hopes of improving the tone  (i.e. to eliminate some top end harshness).  These saddles do not come notched.  Should I install them just like that or is nothing required?  Seems like every tuneomatic I have owned has notched saddles, but I wonder if that is jsut from years of string pressure or what.  If I leave them un-notched will the strings slip?

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint
  • RamiLP
  • Silver Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-15
  • Posts: 63

Re: Question about bridge saddles

macg1 wrote:

So I bought some string saver saddles from graphtech to install in the ABR-1 of my FB VII with the hopes of improving the tone  (i.e. to eliminate some top end harshness).  These saddles do not come notched.  Should I install them just like that or is nothing required?  Seems like every tuneomatic I have owned has notched saddles, but I wonder if that is jsut from years of string pressure or what.  If I leave them un-notched will the strings slip?

i would get them notched. the notches prevent the strings from sliding off the saddles when doing some string bends, it also helps having equal spacing between strings.

i would recommend having a guitar tech to do it, especially if you dont have the right tools for the job, you would need to have a notch that is close to the size of the strings, but not too small to cause string pinching and not too big to cause string travel. and they need to be round on the bottom not cut into a V shape, because the would cause the strings to get pinched as well.

its all a matter of principle...
  • Registered: 2008-02-02
  • Posts: 51

Re: Question about bridge saddles

I don't have Gibson (mine is a japanese copy: "History" it's called), but I did something similar. On first installation, i didn't cut notches and I noticed the strings sliding all over the saddle, which felt weird and sounded weird, too.

so, I went to a hardware store and bought a set of long thin files - I think they are called pencil files, but am not sure.

I carefully filed away at the top of the saddles. I found that you don't need a very deep grove, just a small notch was enough to keep the string in place. I got that idea by examining a few guitars hanging on the wall where I bought the bridge - quite small/shallow nothces compared to the very deep ones on my existing bridge (which was cheap and buzzed a lot). I made the notches on the 6th the widest/deepest, and the notch on the first the narrowest/shallowest.

One of the files had a triangle shaped body, and was good for cutting. Another file was round, and I used that for smoothing off the edges of the notch. That was about a year ago and I haven't yet managed to break string despite some pretty wild bending.

maybe I got lucky - but in any case I would agree that if you are not sure, then take it to a guitar tech.

I hope that helps a bit

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