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Well I've got my fourth sprayed, oiled and strung up.

Two problems, firstly it's for my friend who's left handed so i cant play the bloody thing.

Second and worse is that I'e messed up the nut - 12fret - bridge spacing. The nut is 44.5mm 12 fret 57mm and the string spacing at the bridge is 54mm. Measurements taken with eye and ruler as the battery in my micrometer just died. anyway, the E strings are currently 3mm in from the edge of the fretboard at the nut and getting on for double that at the twelth fret. pretty upsetting. What is the closest you would put the strings to the edge of the fretboard at the nut end? is there any other way to get closer to acceptable distance from the edge as you go up the neck or am I looking at remaking and refinishing the neck or making a new bridge and plugging the old holes in the soundboard?

obviously not keen to do either and not sure i've got the skills to plug the holes in the soundboard

couple of pics which you can hopefully see

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN ... JIcXpkWFlB

Well the proper fix is either plugging the top and making a new bridge or re-shaping the neck to suite the string layout.

Easiest thing is to live with it. Is this a commission for your friend or one of the friends & family deals where they get a guitar and you get experience?



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You can make a slotted saddle, like the nut.

To keep the strings parallel to the edge the string spacing at the bridge should be approximately the same as the width of the fingerboard at the twelveth fret. According to your measurements you need to add 3 mm (57-54) to the string spacing at the bridge (1.5 mm each side) You could slot the bridge pin holes on the outside edges and angled to increase the string spacing 3mm. Then slot the remaining holes to distribute the increased width evenly between the remaining strings. If done with a little care it won't look too odd.

Just to add to both Ed and Clay's suggestions (which is the way I would go as well). you may want to slot the bridge itself on the angle to the revised saddle slots just to alleviate some of the pull on the saddle slots. (and go to solid bridge pins instead of slotted).

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Blue Ring Acoustics
blueringacoustics.ca

Have you tried putting a straightedge at the saddle,
where the 1 and 6 strings cross,
and see where parallel to the fretboard at the nut ends up?
You might only need a new nut if it's close enough.
I always nick my saddle so the strings stay where they should.

Have any of you actually made a slotted saddle? I did one for a pro player who played so hard he would saw through several strings at the saddle of his Breedlove during his performances. But the slotted saddle turned out to be an absolute tone and volume killer. It seems that restricting string movement at the saddle is not a good idea.

Are you sure you have adequate down angle from the saddle? There is no notable reason to slot the saddle just to keep the strings in place.


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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I know a mandolin player who prefers her saddles to be "nicked" enough to make the strings stay in place when she plays hard and vigorously on the strings. It is less common on guitars but some do it.
I was advocating slotting the bridge pin holes to increase the string spacing at the bridge. I have "adjusted" string spacings by judicious slotting of the pin holes and think this may be a viable option for the O.P.

Yes, I have slotted saddles, no, I haven't notice any sonic changes at all.

Hey, Rod.
I put a nick on the pin side of the saddle,
but not the top.
I make lap steels with tall saddles,
so, break angle is fine.