J-35 saddle

[NJ Tom]

I'd like to install a bone saddle on my '13 J-35 and at the same time lower the string height a bit. Stew Mac seems like my best option since they offer pre-shaped blanks in both compensated and uncompensated versions for Gibsons. I'll buy a couple for the inevitable screw-up. I'm relatively new at this but I like to tinker, though I doubt that I'll mess with a new nut. I've already installed plain bone bridge pins.

 

Two novice questions.....

 

What is the purpose of a compensated saddle or should I just keep it simple and not worry about it?

 

Secondly: bleached vs. unbleached....differences?

 

Thanks in advance

Tom

[duluthdan]

Unbleached will be off-white a bit - is you want it to closely much your pins, get bleached.

 

My J-35 lives with an uncompensated saddle, my J-45 TV demands one, otherwise its impossible to get the B string tuned to where it needs to be. Get one of each ?

[BigKahune]

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Saddles are compensated to allow for more accurate intonation. Saddles are usually installed with an angle against the strings which is itself a compensation. When intonating, often the B string is a bit sharp and needs more compensation. To compensate for this, the saddle is made with a notch under the B string that makes the string longer (flatter). Sometimes the every string is compensated as in the pic below, the ridge of the saddle is highlighted in red. If you have a compensated saddle in now, replace it with similar compensation/s.

 

[NJ Tom]

.

Sometimes every string is compensated as in the pic below, the ridge of the saddle is highlighted in red. If you have a compensated saddle in now, replace it with similar compensation/s.

 

 

The plastic(?) saddle on my J-35 looks nothing like your illustration so I'll be ordering a couple of uncompensated shaped bone saddles.

 

Thank you for your very easy to understand explanation.

 

Tom

[blindboygrunt]

My j45 came with a compensated saddle , I took it for a set up and the guy fitted a non compensated saddle .

No issues