Saddle height above top

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Dolds
Wandoo
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:47 pm

Saddle height above top

Post by Dolds » Sun May 09, 2021 9:16 am

Hi All- hopefully a simple question, where do you measure the saddle height for a classical guitar from; the highest point of the saddle, or middle of the saddle. I know my saddle should be 10-11mm above the top, but not sure where I am measuring this from. Cheers, Paul

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Mark McLean
Blackwood
Posts: 1084
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:03 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Saddle height above top

Post by Mark McLean » Mon May 10, 2021 5:53 am

Hi Paul. I build steel-string guitars, not classicals - but the principles of saddle height are much the same. The height of the saddle is something that can be varied to achieve a desired string action. Therefore you shouldn't feel that there is a strict target for this measurement - but there is an operating range that is desirable. For a steel-string the saddle is usually radiused, to match the radius of the fingerboard. This leads to the question that you have raised - where to measure? I usually record it at two points; the 1st and 6th string (with the 6th being about half a mm higher than the 1st). If I measure at the middle of the saddle it would be about 1mm higher than at the 6th.
But if you are building a classical with a non-radiused fingerboard you probably have a flat top to the saddle. I would suggest you measure at the 1st and 6th string, and assume that the saddle is a straight line between those.

Dolds
Wandoo
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:47 pm

Re: Saddle height above top

Post by Dolds » Mon May 10, 2021 7:27 am

Thanks Mark-much appreciated

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