Modern J 45 bridge, slotted, ramped, both, neither?

[Plainsman]

I'd like to get some of those famous Colosi bone bridge pins for my 2003 J 45. Do I need unslotted pins? Do modern J 45s come from the factory with a slotted bridge, all the way through the top and the bridgeplate? Or is the bridge just ramped? I learned about this dangerous bridge info from Brian Kimsey's website. who knows what trouble I may get into now.

[BigKahune]

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Slotted pins.

 

Slotted bridge? . No. . . Do you mean slotted saddle?

 

Ramping - that's when the neck angle decrease to a point where the saddle is too low. Slots are cut into the string holes to create a ramp which allows the strings a greater break angle over the saddle. A pic below shows the ramping on a low saddle. BTW, this can happen on it's own with a low saddle from strings wearing a grove in the wood. The options for repair here are ramping or a neck reset.

 

I hope I haven't misunderstood what you're asking here.

 

 

[emmonsh]

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Slotted pins.

 

Slotted bridge? . No. . . Do you mean slotted saddle?

 

Ramping - that's when the neck angle decrease to a point where the saddle is too low. Slots are cut into the string holes to create a ramp which allows the strings a greater break angle over the saddle. A pic below shows the ramping on a low saddle. BTW, this can happen on it's own with a low saddle from strings wearing a grove in the wood. The options for repair here are ramping or a neck reset.

 

people slot bridges all the time. helps a great deal with wear on the bridge. over on the martin forums ton of info on it.

[Plainsman]

Hmmm, okay, here's a pic of what my bridge looks like, and every other modern J 45 I've ever seen.

 

So are J 45s slotted from the factory? From what I understand "slotted" means that slot in front of the bridge pin, goes all the way through the bridge, through the top of the guitar, and through the bridgeplate. Which allows an unslotted pin to be used. Without finding a mirror to look inside my guitar, I don't know how to tell if my bridge is slotted. Or if those slots we are seeing are just in the top of the bridge. Which seems to me to be what Bryan Kimsey refers to as "ramping", cutting a shallow slot in the bridge to change the break angle at the saddle.

[BigKahune]

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The little bit of easing at the top of the bridge pin hole is normal. It doesn't go all the was down to the bridge plate. This is not ramping as I understand it which is a fix for a decaying neck angle and low saddle as I mentioned above.

 

The shot is a SJ not a 45.

 

[brazil66]

I've dealt with Bob, bunch of times...he is also a good one to ask these questions...as to what you properly need. Very knowledgeable, and a real nice guy.

 

Gonna call him myself soon...need some pins in this new Advance Jumbo.

 

 

m.

[jt]

I prefer slotted bridge pin holes to slotted bridge pins. Brian Kimsey explains the difference here.

 

Slotted holes and unslotted pins really do allow for a better fit of string ball ends against the bridge plate.