Saddles questions...

[Hann]

Hi all/Frank,

if you could enlighten me about some enquiries it'd be great!

Under Frank's article here:
http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/Saddle/saddle01.html
4th pic from the top, Frank cosiders it a good saddle setup. Coincidentally, my saddle looks something like that.. However, i always had a notion the break angle could be steeper? If you look closely the break angle at the high e string is not v steep at all, and the saddle there is real low. mine's like that too and i've always thought it'd be a problem. Frank suggested a test by trying to pull up on the string to test if it's exerting enough pressure. So if I can't pull up on it even at that kinda saddle height, would it mean my saddle setup is fine?

Next question comes from here:
http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/LowerAction/lower...
I didn't know we could shave down the saddle at an angle! so if I wanted the bass lower by 1/32" and the treble side lower by 1/64", i'd essentially shave at an angle where I sand 2/32" from the bass side and 2/64" from the treble side? Is it as simple as that or would the top need to be reshaped slightly since now it's theoratically slanted, and the strings would thus be resting atop the saddle which is slanted.

hope someone can chime in!!

[FRANK]

no question 2 is correct thanks Frank yep for 1/32 sand 2/32 off the bottom RV in the house

[Hann]

what bout the 1st part? anyone?

[Jim Bancroft]

My answer to question #1
If you don't think you have enough break angle or down pressure on the saddle, you can move the string closer to the saddle by cutting an angled slot from the pin hole toward the saddle. If you can't pick the string up off the saddle when the guitar is at pitch you should have plenty of down pressure.

You can sand the bottom of the saddle at an angle, and take off more from the bass side and less from the treble side, it's not a problem.

Jim

[Hann]

thanks Jim!!

hmmm so the main issue is downward pressure, not so much the visibility of a good break angle? Although it looks real shallow, i can't pull the string up off the saddle at pitch....

[Michael Lewis]

If the break angle gets too low the tone and volume start to go away and the string will slide sideways across the saddle causing a sitar sound. You don't need a lot of break angle, just enough to get a clean sound. More break angle causes other problems, like breaking saddles or bridges. As usual, we try to stay in the "sweet spot" and avoid the extremes.

[Hann]

clean sound, sufficient pressure.. got it!

i've never heard the sitar sound on my guitar =)