[Mikey Muse]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me with an issue I have with the saddle on my EJ-200. I bought this guitar 2nd hand in very good condition and i am looking to change the saddle and nut to tusq or bone (and also on my Dove) but from looking at a friends EJ-200 my saddle is fatter/thicker than his. My guitar was made in 2001 and his 2007.

Did Epiphone change the dimentions of the saddles at any point?

The so called guitar guy at my local shop (who don't stock either Epi/Gib) said it was an unusual saddle?

Many thanks in advance of any light anyone can throw on this for me.

Mikey

[jwalin]

pics of the comparison would be great. I have a 2007 made in indonesia. serial starts with SI....

I would guess a guitar made elsewhere, likely Korea, would be different. but, pictures would be great.

I just put a bone nut and saddle on mine, with rosewood bridge pins, and it sings, plenty of bass, and is loud. I love it.make sure whatever saddle you choose fits the slot tight, so there is no loss of vibration from the strings to the top, and don't get the overall action too low....you will lose volume.

[Mikey Muse]

Thanks for your reply jwalin, I have taken a picture of my EJ200 saddle and my Dove saddle as the Dove has same size as my friends (and my friend lives 200 mile away haha). My serial begins with S and i put it in the data project site and it came up made in Korea.

EJ200


Dove

[jwalin]

I don't have the korean model, but your bridge is different than mine. My bridge pins are not articulated in an arc like yours are, they are straight like on your Dove. and the saddle on mine is more like your Dove, the thinner one. Should not be any trouble, as long as you can find a saddle that fits the slot.

It is likely just a production variance between the countries, but should not be too much trouble to find a replacement. If you can't find one locally, then try stewmac.com

PS how do you like the LR Baggs M1 in your Dove? is it the active model or the passive?

[Ship of fools]

Thats because one is a dread and the other is a jumbo, not really just guessing as to why they used a different size saddles and just remember changing the saddle to either bone or tusq may give you a sound that you MIGHT NOT be happy with, so make sure you keep the originals.Ship.......... we have heard from many who were not happy with bone especially in their doves and hummingbirds.OH and just as a after thought it does look as if you might have a crack or two in the bridge of the EJ between the E-B-G strings
The arc of the pins seems like they were all like that. http://www.epiphone....&CollectionID=9
It seems to me that the saddle looks to be original and if you see the pics then you'll see that the arc in the pins were done in kind of a weird way.ship

[Mikey Muse]

Thanks again jwlain i'll have a look at the link. As for the pick up and guitar on my avatar is a picture of Noel Gallaghers Gibson, so i cannot tell you about how it sounds on the Dove lol.

Thanks also ship of fools, i have read that a lot of people with doves preffered the tusq to the bone and i also read that people liked the bone on the EJ so i thought i will give them both a go and see what the reults are. As for the cracks you mention i don't see none on the bridge apart from some scrapes where the guy before had scratched it pulling pins out, the flash on the camera makes the bridge look worse than it really is, as the rest of the guitar is spotless, also i don't think they are the original pins in there either. (I tried the link but it said page may have been moved)?

Once again thanks for the help

[jwalin]

Try a bone saddle and some rosewood or ebony bridge pins. I've got rosewood and they are great. Remember to have the saddle fit as tight as practical while still being easy to remove with smooth pliers. It needs to transmit ALL its vibration to the top. I always get it the right width and then work on the length. Later set the height AFTER you make sure your nut is like you want it. You don't need much clearance over the first fret, so get string height low here first, then work on the height at the saddle.

I love my EJ after I set it up right!

[Mikey Muse]

Thanks a lot for your help matey, lot's of trial and error ahed for me

[peeper]

Just buy a few over sized blanks and give it a whirl. You can always take it to a pro if you can't get it right. Thats not one of those things where you're likely to break your guitar.

[TommyK]

This bridge:


appears as though it might have had an adjustable saddle at one point. I don't know if it was OEM or not. There is a saddle maker out there that makes replacement saddles for these adjustable saddle bridges. My FT145SB has an adjustable saddle. The bridge has a 1/4" slot.

[Mikey Muse]

Thanks to everyone who has repiled and helped, Seems a friendly kinda place here

[rafaelh]

Quote

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me with an issue I have with the saddle on my EJ-200. I bought this guitar 2nd hand in very good condition and i am looking to change the saddle and nut to tusq or bone (and also on my Dove) but from looking at a friends EJ-200 my saddle is fatter/thicker than his. My guitar was made in 2001 and his 2007.

Did Epiphone change the dimentions of the saddles at any point?

The so called guitar guy at my local shop (who don't stock either Epi/Gib) said it was an unusual saddle?

Many thanks in advance of any light anyone can throw on this for me.

Mikey

Can't comment on the different materials to replace one with...or which would be best. But the saddle on yours looks just like mine....and one or two of the newer ones I've tried IIRC. I'm swinging by a guitar store later on today so I will recheck .

Mine's about the same age as yours BTW. Other than having a pickup installed several years ago mine's totally stock.

Anyhow nothing unusual about yours IMO. Maybe your friends EJ was the one that was changed...maybe? Like I said yours looks standard to me.

BTW I'm just refering to the saddle with the above and not the whole bridge area. I think my pins are straight across like jwalin mentions as well. Can't remember now...LOL, never noticed to tell the truth. Gots to check now though:)

[Ship of fools]

Not really sure how well that would sound though the saddle break angle is really a ways back there, and tommy I posted another link so you can see that it was original at the point when they made it. http://www.epiphone....&CollectionID=9
Ship

[rafaelh]

Well, swung by and they only had one....a '09 made in Indonesia. The saddle has the same design just thinner as already mentioned and the pins are straight across. Checked mine and it's just as yours Tommy. It's a '96 though.

Hey Ship...couldn't get that last link of yours to work.

[Mikey Muse]

Thanks for the info,... funny how some pins are straight across and some with a curve,... maybe the factories have got different designs to work from, or someone forgot to throw the old ones out! haha

[Ship of fools]

rafael the link works fine for me, maybe was stuck inlimbo land.I notice that it can happen sometimes when you link from some sites.Ship

[rafaelh]

Must have been Ship...stuck in limbo. Works fine now.