Post by snakehips on Mar 5, 2013 13:51:35 GMT
Hi again !
There has been lots of debate (on this forum and others) on the saddle slots, V'ing the slot and which side of the saddle the V should be.
My own thought on this, and yet again, purely my own opinion, are this :
The usual National / NRP saddle is fairly thick - in fact, thicker than a standard wooden acoustic plastic saddle. In fact, thicker than it needs to be.
I believe this is on purpose - so that it allows some intonation compensation for all the 6 strings. If the V is done correctly, I don't think it matters which side of the saddle the V is put on - except that it allows for some string length intonation compensation. I actually think the slots should be V'd on the tailpiece side for the wound strings and V'd on the neck side for the unwound strings (giving them a tiny bit more string length from the nut to saddle).
What I am suggesting is that the slot and V is shaped in such a way that the string does NOT sit down on the full width of the thick saddle, only, say, half the width of the saddle.
If the bottom of the slot is at a slight angle (eg. lower at one end than the other), the string may only sit on the back of the slot, with the string buzzing under the front part of the slot. The non-contacting section should be cleared away under the string so that it can't touch the string when fully vibrating.
I think you want ONE point of contact for the string to sit on. I think the biscuit-bridge saddle is too wide/thick to predicably give that one-point contact. It is very possible to have one main point of contact, plus a secondary "partial" contact - an area where the vibrating string can "zing" against. The same goes with the sides of the slot - the string should not be able to touch the saddle ahead or behind the main seating, single point of contact.
If the sides of the slot are too close, then it stiffles sustain, volume and tone by buzzing against the slot sides. I think this is the real reason why the slot is often V'd away on these thick saddles.
Another way to tackle this is to reduce the thickness of the saddle, to say half the thickness of the original saddle, to the respective string indivual intonation adjustments you want (neck or tailpiece side), then cut a basic slot into that thinned out saddle - and not need any V notches at all.
In theory it should give the same result, if not easier to produce.
Actually, getting the V notch cut correctly is quite difficult, so you have to keep putting the string back on, to full tension and testing it, then off again, maybe some more adjustments ...... ad nauseum. It's much easier to do that with the cone and biscuit and strings on, to full tension. But then trying to cut the V's etc is a bit risky, as if you slip, you could put a nice hole through the cone !!!
There has been lots of debate (on this forum and others) on the saddle slots, V'ing the slot and which side of the saddle the V should be.
My own thought on this, and yet again, purely my own opinion, are this :
The usual National / NRP saddle is fairly thick - in fact, thicker than a standard wooden acoustic plastic saddle. In fact, thicker than it needs to be.
I believe this is on purpose - so that it allows some intonation compensation for all the 6 strings. If the V is done correctly, I don't think it matters which side of the saddle the V is put on - except that it allows for some string length intonation compensation. I actually think the slots should be V'd on the tailpiece side for the wound strings and V'd on the neck side for the unwound strings (giving them a tiny bit more string length from the nut to saddle).
What I am suggesting is that the slot and V is shaped in such a way that the string does NOT sit down on the full width of the thick saddle, only, say, half the width of the saddle.
If the bottom of the slot is at a slight angle (eg. lower at one end than the other), the string may only sit on the back of the slot, with the string buzzing under the front part of the slot. The non-contacting section should be cleared away under the string so that it can't touch the string when fully vibrating.
I think you want ONE point of contact for the string to sit on. I think the biscuit-bridge saddle is too wide/thick to predicably give that one-point contact. It is very possible to have one main point of contact, plus a secondary "partial" contact - an area where the vibrating string can "zing" against. The same goes with the sides of the slot - the string should not be able to touch the saddle ahead or behind the main seating, single point of contact.
If the sides of the slot are too close, then it stiffles sustain, volume and tone by buzzing against the slot sides. I think this is the real reason why the slot is often V'd away on these thick saddles.
Another way to tackle this is to reduce the thickness of the saddle, to say half the thickness of the original saddle, to the respective string indivual intonation adjustments you want (neck or tailpiece side), then cut a basic slot into that thinned out saddle - and not need any V notches at all.
In theory it should give the same result, if not easier to produce.
Actually, getting the V notch cut correctly is quite difficult, so you have to keep putting the string back on, to full tension and testing it, then off again, maybe some more adjustments ...... ad nauseum. It's much easier to do that with the cone and biscuit and strings on, to full tension. But then trying to cut the V's etc is a bit risky, as if you slip, you could put a nice hole through the cone !!!
?
, OK yeah like Snake hips says (I think your reasoning is right on!) the string should sit higher on the neck side! so the V POINTS TOWARD THE NECK!
