Jay 45 Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 Just purchased a 60’s reissue J45 with adjustable saddle. Guitar is feather light and resonant. Purty wine finish too. A/B’d next to my Standard it does indeed have a less weighty metallic edge. I looked in to replacement saddles but thought I would try shimming under the factory saddle instead. With the action where I liked it I made a pencil reference line. I then removed the saddle, adjustment screws, and thin metal ribbon that lives under the saddle. I had some maple and made a shim out of it. I simply placed it under the saddle and put the strings back on. Now the saddle is in full contact with the bridge. The tone in unmistakably fuller with more woody low end and no trace of those metallic overtones. Much better and now it is on par with my standard. The good part is the old saddle assembly can be reinstalled as no physical mods were needed here. I could put the screws back with the new shim but I wont because I didn’t care for the feeling of brushing up against them with my hand, and thought it best they didn’t complete the metal circuit down through the metal posts under the bridge plate. Why bother? Because I got a great deal on a great used guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 30 minutes ago, Jay 45 said: Just purchased a 60’s reissue J45 with adjustable saddle. Guitar is feather light and resonant. Purty wine finish too. A/B’d next to my Standard it does indeed have a less weighty metallic edge. I looked in to replacement saddles but thought I would try shimming under the factory saddle instead. With the action where I liked it I made a pencil reference line. I then removed the saddle, adjustment screws, and thin metal ribbon that lives under the saddle. I had some maple and made a shim out of it. I simply placed it under the saddle and put the strings back on. Now the saddle is in full contact with the bridge. The tone in unmistakably fuller with more woody low end and no trace of those metallic overtones. Much better and now it is on par with my standard. The good part is the old saddle assembly can be reinstalled as no physical mods were needed here. I could put the screws back with the new shim but I wont because I didn’t care for the feeling of brushing up against them with my hand, and thought it best they didn’t complete the metal circuit down through the metal posts under the bridge plate. Why bother? Because I got a great deal on a great used guitar! The white porcelain wonder By E-minor7, November 8 in Gibson Acoustic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 (edited) I don't know if Percy Hobart even played the guitar, but he certainly did produce an adjustable bridge back in the early 1940's. RBSinTo Edited November 27, 2022 by RBSinTo 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 45 Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 4 hours ago, RBSinTo said: I don't know if Percy Hobart even played the guitar, but he certainly did produce an adjustable bridge back in the early 1940's. RBSinTo Talk about metallic overtones! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 5 hours ago, RBSinTo said: I don't know if Percy Hobart even played the guitar, but he certainly did produce an adjustable bridge back in the early 1940's. Yes, , , the whole thing was built like a tank. Peculiar enough it was only meant for 4 strings. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 1 hour ago, E-minor7 said: Yes, , , the whole thing was built like a tank. Peculiar enough it was only meant for 4 strings. . Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 I wonder what the break angle is on that bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 49 minutes ago, 62burst said: Really? Reasons to doubt this, , !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 14 minutes ago, E-minor7 said: Reasons to doubt this, , !? Nothing more than "I did not know this". Would be curious to know how it started with four & went to 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, 62burst said: Nothing more than "I did not know this". Would be curious to know how it started with four & went to 6. 62burst, I think em7 was referring to the four support cables on the "funny" which was what the soldiers called Percy Hobart's ingenius specialized armoured vehicles which were used in the D-Day invasion and for the remainder of the war in the west. I do not believe he was talking about the number of strings on the original guitar that used an adjustable bridge. RBSinTo Edited November 28, 2022 by RBSinTo 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 Just now, RBSinTo said: I think em7 was referring to the four support cables on the "funny" which was what the soldiers called Percy Hobart's ingenius specialized armoured vehicles which were used in the D-Day invasion and for the remainder of the war in the west. In that, Mister R, you are entirely correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 4 hours ago, RBSinTo said: 62burst, I think em7 was referring to the four support cables on the "funny" which was what the soldiers called Percy Hobart's ingenius specialized armoured vehicles which were used in the D-Day invasion and for the remainder of the war in the west. 4 hours ago, E-minor7 said: In that, Mister R, you are entirely correct. Thx. 'Missed that when translated from E-min7-ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 7 hours ago, 62burst said: Thx. 'Missed that when translated from E-min7-ish Well, good Burst, , , my way with words may sometimes be shakespearean, , , 16 hours ago, E-minor7 said: Yes, , , the whole thing was built like a tank. Peculiar enough it was only meant for 4 strings. . , , , this however was plain as a nail hammered through a white cotton cloth into a bulky oak table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 If I really hear a guitar call my name and it’s in good condition, but needs a setup, etc, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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