saddle reslot

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old_picker
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saddle reslot

Post by old_picker » Fri May 08, 2015 6:41 pm

venturing a little further into working on acoustics and have an old guitar that i want to convert from lefty back to righty

i did the numbers based on some gargle research and marked out my intonation line 5/32" over scale for bass side and 1/16" for the treble side
just to play he devils advocate i also tried the empirical method of stringing it up with the two E strings to check how close the measurements were to the truth. I set up a hardwood bar across the bridge and [the bridge is flat] and shifted it around until i got the intonation pretty good
i found that the bass side was pretty much dead on but the treble side around 1/32 behind the theoretical line

the nut is not slotted down properly as yet and fairly high over the first - i doubt that could account for the difference

which should i use? - the measure or the strings? - or should i split the difference?
this is no prize guitar but it is a nice one so would like it to be as good as i can get it without splitting the atom

thanks

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kiwigeo
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Re: saddle reslot

Post by kiwigeo » Fri May 08, 2015 7:27 pm

I did a righty to lefty conversion a few years back. I used the Stewmac intonator to work out where to re-cut the new slot and file the saddle top.

Nut slot height can affect intonation more than youd think...I discovered that whole working out compensation on a 12 string.
Martin

simso
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Re: saddle reslot

Post by simso » Fri May 08, 2015 7:37 pm

Common repair conversion for us.

First deicde if your going to replace e bridge wth a new one slotted just for a lefty or fill the bridge slot and route it the opposite way.

If you are filling it and routing the opposite way then fill it and string it up.

Place a small price of wood as a substitute for saddle position to achieve string height at the 12 th and tune open and check 12th, move the small piece of wood back or forward until intonation is achieved, just like doing an electric Tele.

After achieving intonation mark the front and back of the inset, do this for all strings, once you have marked intonation point out, you can route through this area to fit an actual saddle.

Only way to do it, if it's a customers guitar, if it's yours guess it and live with any sharpness or flatness.
Steve
Master of nothing,

Do your own repairs - http://www.mirwa.com.au/How_to_Series.html

old_picker
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Re: saddle reslot

Post by old_picker » Sat May 09, 2015 8:18 am

simso wrote: If you are filling it and routing the opposite way then fill it and string it up.

Place a small price of wood as a substitute for saddle position to achieve string height at the 12 th and tune open and check 12th, move the small piece of wood back or forward until intonation is achieved, just like doing an electric Tele.
pretty much the situation - i have filled the slot and the bridge is sanded down perfect
used the method as outlined in my OP and in simso's - if i had used Erlewines method the treble E would be sharp

i'm thinking that i will go back and slot the nut down to correct string height and recheck using the above method

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kiwigeo
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Re: saddle reslot

Post by kiwigeo » Sat May 09, 2015 8:51 am

old_picker wrote:
i'm thinking that i will go back and slot the nut down to correct string height and recheck using the above method
Definitely what I'd do...
Martin

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