Classical Guitar Bone Saddle

Classical Saddle in Bone including Tailoring

Material
This saddle is hand made from high density Ox bone and is for use on classical acoustic guitars. We make the parts using precision measurement, precision cutters with careful hand finishing and polishing. An accurate, high quality manufacture results. We communicate closely with the buyer to make sure we get the right specification and you receive the full benefit of our knowledge of guitar saddles.

Design Assumptions:
UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED WE WILL ASSUME THE FOLLOWING
• The saddle profile will be a straight line from Low E to High e.
• The crown is peaked towards the fretboard side for strings other than those that are compensated.

Dimensions
Length
I can provide the length up to 100mm.

Width
Classical guitar saddle slots vary from about 2 mm to about 2.8mm. I can provide the saddle width to a maximum of 3.5mm thickness.

Height: I can make the height to a maximum of 10mm (and as low as about 3.5mm).

Compensation Shape: The saddle can be non compensated, or G compensated, and if desired B and D compensated. Please see photos above to see different types. Compensation slightly alters the pitch of the fretted notes from each string, by altering the vibrating length of the string by moving the string contact point on the saddle. The altered pitch acts to cancel undesirable pitch changes that occur mainly as a result of the string stretching when you push it down onto the fret board for a fretted note.

Profile: The profile of your saddle should allow a drop off in action from low E to high E of about 1mm to 1.5mm at 12th fret - the strings can be placed a linearly decreasing distance across the flat fretboard. The saddle profile will be a straight line from Low E to High e. Please note, if you prefer a slight increase curvature to the string profile peaking around the D string which some classical players prefer please see our other advert Classical Guitar Bone Saddle with Curve / Radius.

Crown Shape or String Contact: Your guitar saddle plays a very important part in transmitting the vibration of the strings into the guitar's body where it is turned into sound. It is most important to pay special attention to the string contact surface - it should not be too peaked and I make it very highly polished. Often the shape of the peak will be biased to the fretboard side of the saddle.

Fitting Recommendations: It's recommended that the width is made a bit larger than the existing slot width and its sanded to fit perfectly by the fitter (this is an easy job and we supply an instruction video and the sandpaper!). Acoustic guitar saddles should be a good snug fit to get maximum coupling from the string to the top of the guitar.

6 reasons why you might want to replace your saddle:
1/TONE TRANSMISSION. Bone, horn or hardwood saddles sound better than plastic ones because harder materials are more efficient at transmitting the strings vibration energy into the guitars bridge and body.
2/FITTING PRECISION. Often saddles - bone or plastic - are not a snug fit in the saddle slot and some of the strings energy is lost because of this . A good fitting saddle will always makes an impressive improvement in the tone and loudness.
3/WEAR AND TEAR. Saddles do wear - often little grooves wear in a well used saddle and these make the transfer of the strings vibration energy into the saddle and bridge less efficient and can cause the string to bind. A new saddle with polished string contact areas - that are the right area as well - massively improve the tone.
4/LOOK AND STYLE. Our saddle look nice, are highly polished and add to your instruments visual style. Everything we make can be in polished natural bone (yellowy),bleached bone (white). Other exotic woods such as TAMBOOTIE are also available which can add a very unique touch to your instrument.
5/BETTER PLAYABILITY FOR LEFT AND RIGHT HAND.Get a better action and playability for the left hand by making the strings follow the fretboard radius. Get the strings in a nice smooth arc shape over the sound hole which helps the right hand.
6/BETTER NOTE PITCH ACCURACY Compensation make the notes more accurate - this makes the harmonies between note simply sound better and this results in everything you play sounding better.


We supply complete design and manufacture ensuring that you end up with the best possible sound and playability from your guitar.
FREE: We include fitting instructions and a DVD showing how best to install a saddle.
FREE: We include plenty of abrasives and polishing material - the better the fit the better the tone