how can a saddle have no grooves?

[rolandj00]

I just picked up a 94 Wine red Studio that had all the hardware changed to black chrome (looks great IMO) and the saddles on the bridge have no string grooves or "V" indentations ?? they feel very smooth and slippery but I don't think they are nylon,, I have never seen one of these, it feels heavy/well built ,I can find only what appears to be a small PW stamped on the bottom ,,I am pretty sure it's not an ABR-1 as it is arched on the bottom. The strings seem to stay centered even when I am bending up high on the neck:-k ,, I will try to put up picks soon , but has anyone ever heard of such a bridge?

[Twiz]

Maybe someone put that bridge on after they got the guitar? New bridges don't come with the grooves cut in them right? Check me on this though, I'm not 100%.

[TommyK]

Saddles are not supposed to have grooves. Time can cause the strings to wear grooves into the saddles. If they do, they need to be replaced.

[Spike~]

Saddles are not supposed to have grooves. Time can cause the strings to wear grooves into the saddles. If they do' date=' they need to be replaced.[/quote']

 

Wait, what? Were not talking about an acoustic right?

[daveinspain]

Saddles are not supposed to have grooves. Time can cause the strings to wear grooves into the saddles. If they do' date=' they need to be replaced.[/quote']

 

I don't think so.... Saddles should have a groove cut to keep the sting in place specially while bending note, helps keep the stings straight and in tune.

[badbluesplayer]

Like Dave said, the saddles should have grooves in them to hold the strings in place. Most replacement bridges don't have the grooves cut in them yet. When the bridge is installed, the grooves are cut in exactly the right place so that the string locations and spacing can be customized for each guitar.

 

You can bring your guitar to a tech and have him fix it, or you can cut the grooves yourself and hope that you don't mess it up.

 

A good way to cut a groove in exactly the right location:

 

1. Once you've figured out where the groove should be, make a little notch in the saddle using an exacto knife. This is the easiest way to get the location exact.

 

2. Put the bridge on a flat surface. Take an unwound string that's no bigger that the string that you're going to install and hold the string in the notch that you made with the exacto knife. Tap the string with a plastic headed hammer or some other soft hammer - so it makes an indention in the saddle right where the notch was.

 

3. Get some needle files - you can get a set at ACE hardware for about ten bucks. Take the appropriate needle file and form a notch that will let the string sit at about half depth in the slot. The notch should be semicircular and have a little bigger diameter than the string that you're going to install.

 

4. If you mess up and cut a slot wrong, you might be able to turn the saddle around and recut the notch in a different location.

[TommyK]

Wait' date=' what? Were not talking about an acoustic right? [/quote']

 

What are YOU talking about??? ... man.

 

 

I'm talking acoustic.

[rolandj00]

thanks to all for your input, I will get the files this weekend, if I mess it up I may buy a bridge with roller saddles?

[milod]

I've seen both...

 

Most of my old hollow body "f hole" guitar bridges did not have grooves.

 

There are lotza variations of bridges. Lotza variations. No "grooves" technically on the individual rollers of a "sorta tunamatic" bridge on my Guild SG type solidbody.

 

m