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Quick survey. I'm curious how many players feel the need to have a different saddle or use shims to raise/lower action seasonally? Assuming that your corner of the world has seasonal humidity fluctuations, and you end-up exposing your guitar to those changes?
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Peter Tsiorba Classical-Flamenco-Guitars tsiorba.com
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
So do you consider using shims under a saddle an acceptable thing to do? If so what would you use as a shim? I've been wondering about this actually...I shimmed the saddle on one of my guitars because it was way too low. I would make a new saddle no problem but it's one of those plastic ones with compensation built into it and I don't want my intonation to go off if I put a regular saddle in...although I guess it would be possible to sand something like that into a bone saddle. I haven't really noticed much change seasonally. My apartment isn't very dry in the winter, but the luthier I work for has had a ton of people calling in this year with buzzes.
Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
quote:
So do you consider using shims under a saddle an acceptable thing to do?
Yes no problem in my experience. Its seems counter intuitive doesn't it? You go to all that trouble to make a bridge and fit a bone saddle and then shim it. But I've never noticed any change in volume or tone. I've used thin veneers, pieces of golpe plastic etc, anything hard will do I think.
I don't usually do this long term, once I'm satisfied and settled on a saddle/shim combo I usually end up making a permanent saddle. But if you want to experiment with different saddle heights/actions/string tensions etc its a quick and easy way to do it
Posts: 22
Joined: Oct. 24 2009
From: Mendocino, Ca.
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
No, you do not want to shim the saddle. Ok to shim the nut, not the saddle. Michael Thames has a very cool way to make a saddle that is about a half inch longer than need be on the bass end. The taper continues full length so you can move the saddle left or right to lower or raise the action as you like!
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Mira como son las cosas. El clavel no tiene espinas. La que tiene es la rosa!
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to el topo)
quote:
ORIGINAL: el topo
No, you do not want to shim the saddle. Ok to shim the nut, not the saddle...]
As a luthier, I agree, and my instruments leave the shop with saddles and nut fitted without any need for shims. However, I wanted to point out this opinion:
Jose Ramirez III in his book Things About the Guitar states in several instances that use of wooden shims under the saddle, or paper under the nut is customary.
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Peter Tsiorba Classical-Flamenco-Guitars tsiorba.com
Posts: 833
Joined: Oct. 29 2006
From: Olympia, WA in the Great Pacific Northwest
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
Hi, Peter.
I’m up in Olympia, pretty much same weather system as you, I reckon.
I picked “just keep on playing”, if only out of laziness. Sometimes the guitar buzzes more, sometimes less, and it doesn’t really bother me much.
What does bother me is something you’re probably very familiar yourself (Actually, you’re probably more proactive about addressing this problem. Again, I’m just too lazy.): those times when it rains and rains for days and weeks without end here, even more than usual, those gray, soggy PNW winters (and springs, and falls…) where you take the guitar out of the case and it has that thick, swampy sound, like you’re hacking away at and old rotten log. Bleh.
Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
quote:
Jose Ramirez III in his book Things About the Guitar states in several instances that use of wooden shims under the saddle, or paper under the nut is customary.
'Customery' is pushing it a bit I think. But, clearly, not a problem for Ramirez.
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
i have three. one for classical repertoire, one for flamenco in the warm months and one for flamenco in the cold months. I always find that the action gets much higher in the winter regardless of humidity
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
Interesting. It is not the largest sample, but so far, the overwhelming majority of musicians seem to "just keep on playing", no saddle adjustments needed (or bother with) due to seasonal changes (61%)
Only one person is heavily invested in monitoring and maintaining humidity.
Real world, pragmatic approach. Nike would be proud--Just Play It!
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Peter Tsiorba Classical-Flamenco-Guitars tsiorba.com
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to Peter Tsiorba)
i would add that this isnt an accurate survey, i mostly keep playing, but also monitor humidity and also have different saddles but for a different reason
RE: Winter and Summer Saddle--Action... (in reply to HemeolaMan)
quote:
ORIGINAL: HemeolaMan
i would add that this isnt an accurate survey, i mostly keep playing, but also monitor humidity and also have different saddles but for a different reason
Darn it, no such thing in life as simple answers and accurate over-generalizations! Yes, I agree, MemeolaMan, this survey is truly far from comprehensive. Thank you for your clarification.
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Peter Tsiorba Classical-Flamenco-Guitars tsiorba.com
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