splitting the saddle

[Everett Stone]

I have a new OM guitar that I made.  The height of the saddle over the sound board is a little under 5/8 inches on the base side and a little under 1/2 inch on the treble side.  The problem is that the greater tension on the base side is causing the saddle to be twisted and splitting between the D string and the G string.  I have split a bone saddle and a Corian saddle.  The saddle thicness is around 5/64 inches.  This is a premade bridge that I purchased.  Any solutions? 

[Paul Verticchio]

pic's please?  The first thing I'd try to establish is why this is happening.  Something, somewhere is not right.  What gauge strings are on it?

[Greg Mirken]

First, 5/64 is a very skinny saddle. It would surely help to re-rout the bridge for a little meatier one. How much of the saddle is exposed vs. how much is in the slot?

[Everett Stone]

I believe I know what the issue is.  This guitar is configured exactly the same as the one I finished last year.  Same high saddle and high break angle.  I saw the guitar I made last year just last evening because the person who has it just happened to bring it with him.  His guitar does not have the issue.  I used a unbleached bone saddle on his from Stew Mac but the bone saddle I used on this guitar was a white looking saddle from LMI.  I believe the bleached white looking saddle is weaker than the unbleached bone.  I then made my own Corian saddle from some Corian I happened to have and though it has excellent sound transfer qualities(the guitar sounds great) it is also weaker than the unbleached bone.  I am ordering some unbleached bone saddles from Stew Mac and will replace the splitting Corian one.  The split is not a break yet and I still used the guitar for a performance last night.  (really does sound great).  I don't think the sound will suffer much.  I also ordered some Tusq saddle blanks and I might try one of those to see how strong they are.  It's just that the high break angle on the base side really exerts a lot of twisting and downward pressure on the saddle.  Thus the great sound but you need a strong saddle to handle that.  Thanks a lot for your interest and replies.  I will let you know how my new saddle(s) work out.

[Tim Mace]

saddle fixation syndrome?If there is room to twist it sounds like it don't fit! Why not just use a split saddle?Sounds like that's what this ax wants!Is the slot level,square?Wider would probably be better but I've never had an instrument that consistantly broke bone ,plastic, or corian Back in the saddle agin...

[griff]

The problem likely rises from the saddle slot. You don't mention how much saddle is exposed vs. how much is slotted into the bridge, but if there is too much saddle exposed relative to the amount in the slot, and you have a thin (5/64 is very thin) saddle, and/or the bottom of the slot is not perfectly flat (a small bump, imperfection, differentiation...), no amount of unbleaching will save your saddle.

I think you need to re-route the slot.

[Kerry Krishna]

Everett, how about some pictures. What brand guitar also?

 

[Barbara Millikan]

Everett made it himself.  Don't much care for Tusq, but YMMV.

Barbara

[Everett Stone]

I have a correction to make.  The saddle is 3/32" and not 5/64".  I resolved the issue by making a new saddle using a unbleached bone saddle blank from Stewmac.  The saddle is fine with no indication of twisting and splitting as it did with the bleached bone saddle from LMI and the Corian one I made from some material I had left over from a project from 32 years ago.  Thanks to all who took enough interest to respond to my original post.  I took a look at the TUSQ saddles I purchased.  I will not use them.  I will probably return them if I can.