spwhite Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Just bought a 2008 Advanced Jumbo. Just curious what type of material Gibson used for the saddle. Only thing I have been able to find on specs is that it is an open slot rosewood bridge. Looks like it maybe plastic, not sure. Havent changed the strings yet so havent gotten a closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Just bought a 2008 Advanced Jumbo. Just curious what type of material Gibson used for the saddle. Only thing I have been able to find on specs is that it is an open slot rosewood bridge. Looks like it maybe plastic, not sure. Havent changed the strings yet so havent gotten a closer look. I have two AJs (one rosewood and one maple) and both have bone saddles. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acousticologist Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 hey Red, i recently got an AJ... Love it.. have you put a pickup in either of them? or do you consider that sacrilege? Also - could you recommend a good place to buy a spare saddle for the AJ online? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acousticologist Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Bump.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espasonico Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 hey Red, i recently got an AJ... Love it.. have you put a pickup in either of them? or do you consider that sacrilege? Also - could you recommend a good place to buy a spare saddle for the AJ online? I´m also interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 If I were looking for a replacement online, I'd certainly consider Bob Colosi first. I've never had a need to buy anything from him myself, but by all accounts, he's the go-to guy when it comes to online replacement pins and saddles. His reputation is excellent. AND, he seems to be a Red Sox fan, which is right by me. Link to Bob Colosi Sorry I can't be more help than that. Good luck! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devellis Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Bob Colosi is the best. I've gotten a few saddles from him and his service and goods are top notch. Call him, ask questions, and trust his advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espasonico Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Does the saddle on the AJ comes glued in or it´s easy to release ? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Does the saddle on the AJ comes glued in or it´s easy to release ? Thanks It's not glued in. It just lifts out. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espasonico Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 It's not glued in. It just lifts out. Red 333 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaster Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I wanted to re-do the saddle and pins on my 2006 AJ '30s spec, so I bought a stock piece of fossilized mammoth bone from Greg Boyd along with some matching fossilized pins. Greg Boyd has a music store in Montana, and he carries an extensive selection of guitar parts, especially bridge, saddle and pins. His website has good detail, specs and photos of all the parts he sells. I used a couple of fingernail sanding boards that you get in a two pack from Walgreens, they're the ones the size of large tongue depressors and the packages sell for a few dollars. It took me about 45 minutes of sanding and shaping to dupe the fossilized mammoth bone up to the factory saddle insert. Sand and Test, then polish. The new saddle and pins do improve the guitars tone and sustain, seems more treble and louder. I'd recommend this route if you like to fiddle with your guitar's setup in a good way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmonsh Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I wanted to re-do the saddle and pins on my 2006 AJ '30s spec, so I bought a stock piece of fossilized mammoth bone from Greg Boyd along with some matching fossilized pins. Greg Boyd has a music store in Montana, and he carries an extensive selection of guitar parts, especially bridge, saddle and pins. His website has good detail, specs and photos of all the parts he sells. I used a couple of fingernail sanding boards that you get in a two pack from Walgreens, they're the ones the size of large tongue depressors and the packages sell for a few dollars. It took me about 45 minutes of sanding and shaping to dupe the fossilized mammoth bone up to the factory saddle insert. Sand and Test, then polish. The new saddle and pins do improve the guitars tone and sustain, seems more treble and louder. I'd recommend this route if you like to fiddle with your guitar's setup in a good way. bob is the only guy i even think of for saddles(or pins). great work and fantstic prices. usually get it within 2 days of ordering. just put a wahi saddle in my american breedlove and sounds amazing. lately i have bought a couple 2nds he had(really just a off shade] but darn if i could tell a diff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Here's my J-200 with bone compensated saddle and bone pins (tortoise inlay), both from Colosi - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfield Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I've read that Bob Colosi is the guy, but fossil bone from MT is intriguing me.... Also, anyone ventured into compensated saddles for their AJ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelR Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I don't own an AJ, but Ive heard the saddle is tough to replace due to it's size and shape. Question is, are you dissatisfied with the sound of the guitar and looking to make a change? AJ is one model ive found to sound pretty consistent from guitar to guitar. Also, the guitar was designed as a replica of the original. If it sounds good, it may not matter what material the saddle is.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajay Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I looked at my 2002 hang tags, but it doesn't say what the saddle and nut were made with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Don't mean to hijack this thread but, I've noticed that the saddle on my 2001 AJ is much, much shorter from the top to the bottom than any of the saddles on the rest of my Gibsons. Still have a good break angle but it is really short. The action on the guitar is lower than any of my other guitars also. Since I just bought the guitar (used, of course) and know nothing of it's history, I'm curious if this is normal for AJ's. Hope it's not a sign of a needed neck reset.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I wanted to re-do the saddle and pins on my 2006 AJ '30s spec, so I bought a stock piece of fossilized mammoth bone from Greg Boyd along with some matching fossilized pins. Greg Boyd has a music store in Montana, and he carries an extensive selection of guitar parts, especially bridge, saddle and pins. His website has good detail, specs and photos of all the parts he sells. I used a couple of fingernail sanding boards that you get in a two pack from Walgreens, they're the ones the size of large tongue depressors and the packages sell for a few dollars. It took me about 45 minutes of sanding and shaping to dupe the fossilized mammoth bone up to the factory saddle insert. Sand and Test, then polish. The new saddle and pins do improve the guitars tone and sustain, seems more treble and louder. I'd recommend this route if you like to fiddle with your guitar's setup in a good way. Greg is a Great Guy... He knows Guitars... He knows how they are suppose to be... Ive known him for years.. he will talk your ear off too... hes just that way... He has the items you need if thats the direction you want to go in.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Don't mean to hijack this thread but, I've noticed that the saddle on my 2001 AJ is much, much shorter from the top to the bottom than any of the saddles on the rest of my Gibsons. Still have a good break angle but it is really short. The action on the guitar is lower than any of my other guitars also. Since I just bought the guitar (used, of course) and know nothing of it's history, I'm curious if this is normal for AJ's. Hope it's not a sign of a needed neck reset.... It's probably only a sign that the saddle is shorter than your other Gibsons. Under normal circumstances a 10 year old Gibson should not need a neck reset. If the action is low, it's probably because of the (relatively) short saddle. Of course, all this assumes that the tress rod is properly adjusted. If you like the low action, play away. If you would like to match the action of your other Gibsons, be sure that the neck is adjusted and replace the saddle with a taller one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajay Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Don't mean to hijack this thread but, I've noticed that the saddle on my 2001 AJ is much, much shorter from the top to the bottom than any of the saddles on the rest of my Gibsons. Still have a good break angle but it is really short. The action on the guitar is lower than any of my other guitars also. Since I just bought the guitar (used, of course) and know nothing of it's history, I'm curious if this is normal for AJ's. Hope it's not a sign of a needed neck reset.... It sounds like somebody lowered your AJ with an action job. My AJ is stock, and the action seems a little higher than most new Gibsons I play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfield Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 It sounds like somebody lowered your AJ with an action job. My AJ is stock, and the action seems a little higher than most new Gibsons I play. The action is a bit high on my AJ, that's why I'm wondering about adjusting the saddle down some. I've tweaked the neck seasonally, but the string height at the 12th fret is still above nominal Gibson specs. I'm going to order a saddle and see if I can get the action down without buzzing the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Don't expect consistency in saddle height on a used guitar. Someone, somewhere along the line, may have lowered the saddle to lower the action for any number of reasons, such as playing style. You don't necessarily need to replace the saddle if it is OK except for height. Bob Colosi sells an ebony saddle shim kit just for this purpose, and says using a proper shim (his) will not impact negatively on tone in any way. Cost is $15. Assuming it is a drop-in saddle rather than a through-bridge saddle, you should be able to lift it out just using your fingers. If you can't get a proper grip on it, you may need to use--carefully--a pair of needle nose pliers to lift it out. If I have to use pliers for something like this, I wrap a piece of electrical tape over each jaw to prevent damage. A saddle should never be glued in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I looked at my 2002 hang tags, but it doesn't say what the saddle and nut were made with. Hang tags??? Wouldn't be on the hang tags...do Gibson Acoustic do Hang tags???? I've never seen one on recent models... It's either "Tusq" or bone....unless it was done by previous owner. My money would be on:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 The action is a bit high on my AJ, that's why I'm wondering about adjusting the saddle down some. I've tweaked the neck seasonally, but the string height at the 12th fret is still above nominal Gibson specs. I'm going to order a saddle and see if I can get the action down without buzzing the strings. I misread your original message. If the saddle is OK except that it is too high, you simply sand down the bottom of the saddle. Put a piece of sandpaper face-up on a dead-flat surface, such as the milled surface of a cast-iron table saw or a granite counter top. (Don't tell your wife if you use the kitchen counters) Hold the saddle in your fingers and rub the bottom over the sandpaper, being careful to hold the bottom flat against it. I use silicon carbide (black wet/dry) for this, but any sandpaper will do. It may help to pre-mark the saddle with an ultra-fine sharpie to indicate the amount you want to take off the bottom. Makes sure you have your neck relief set up the way you want it before starting the job, so that you don't introduce unnecessary variables into the equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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