Saddle question.

[aaronmarkson]

Ok, I have read a bunch on the different materials used in saddles, and I think I know some of the effects of each of them although I don't have any real world experience with anything other than Bone.

I have a Redwood/Zircote Kronbauer that I need to get a saddle for so I can compensate it. (the current one isn't compensated) I was going to just order a standard bone saddle, but thought this may be a good opportunity to try one of the other materials.

So, Any other Kronbauer owners or owners of redwood topped guitars have any strong feelings one way or the other between FWI or Elephant Ivory, or West African hard Ivory?

I would love to hear some reccomendations.

thanks

Aaron

[KMHaynes]

I don't have a Kronbauer, but several members here do. You might also want to go to Bob Colosi's website (www.guitarsaddles.com). He doesn't have Kronbauer listed on his order page, but he might have the pattern for them already. OR, you could send him your saddle and he can fashion a saddle from one of several materials for you. He does excellent work, and tons for people have his saddle, nuts, pins, etc. in their guitars, including me.

[Tim McKnight]

Hi Arron,
You may not need a compensated saddle BUT it wouldn't surprise me if you did.

Attach a tuner to your guitar. PLay each string open and tune to pitch. Now chime the 12th fret of each string and the tuner should display the same as an open note. If not then you will need a compensated saddle. If it plays in tune then you won't need one.

Bone is pretty hard to beat for tone. I don't like the fozzilized stuff because they are really hard and glassy sounding. Ivory (Elephant) will add a unique smoothness to the tone which will tame down the jangliness a bit.

[aaronmarkson]

I have checked out Bob Colosi's website. I read all the info there and many other places. He doesn't have Kronbauer listed...plus Trevor doesn't compensate the saddle, so I don't want a copy of what I already have. I need it compensated. ( I have done it before)

It does need compensation for intonation purposes. It's not horrible, but it's not perfect either. I know how to do it and have done it before. I am not worried about shaping the saddle. Just curious about different opinions on the material.

I am thinking of just sticking with Bone unless someone can convince me otherwise.

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Attach a tuner to your guitar. Play each string open and tune to pitch. Now chime the 12th fret of each string and the tuner should display the same as an open note. If not then you will need a compensated saddle. If it plays in tune then you won't need one.

OK, I'm confused. Wouldn't the chime be in tune by definition?
Should he play the 12th fret instead of chiming it there?

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by aaronmarkson

I am thinking of just sticking with Bone unless someone can convince me otherwise.

The great things about saddles is that they are cheap and easy to swap out. Make your bone and get what ever other materials you want like tusk, black horn, fossilized ivory etc and give them a try.

[Roman]

Get yourself a bone blank from FQMS or wherever you like for about $3 and make one yourself. It's really easy to do and you save money plus get the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

[aaronmarkson]

Originally Posted by Roman

Get yourself a bone blank from FQMS or wherever you like for about $3 and make one yourself. It's really easy to do and you save money plus get the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

There's no question, I am going to do it myself. I am/was simply wanting to hear if anyone had strong recommendations on a certain material. I have used bone many times, but I thought i might try something different this time.

The great things about saddles is that they are cheap and easy to swap out. Make your bone and get what ever other materials you want like tusk, black horn, fossilized ivory etc and give them a try.

Bone is cheap, but FWI isn't that cheap. At least not to me. I really don't want to spend $40 + on a saddle I don't use. I guess i have spent more money on guitar stuff that I didn't end up liking...Ok, maybe I'll try both. Who knows.

[gregg]

Every time I mess around with saddles I always go back to bone, to my ears it seems to be the one to use.

Greg

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by aaronmarkson

Ok, I have read a bunch on the different materials used in saddles, and I think I know some of the effects of each of them although I don't have any real world experience with anything other than Bone.

I have a Redwood/Zircote Kronbauer that I need to get a saddle for so I can compensate it. (the current one isn't compensated) I was going to just order a standard bone saddle, but thought this may be a good opportunity to try one of the other materials.

So, Any other Kronbauer owners or owners of redwood topped guitars have any strong feelings one way or the other between FWI or Elephant Ivory, or West African hard Ivory?

I would love to hear some reccomendations.

thanks

Aaron

Hi Aaron...
I own a Kronbauer, and the saddle in it now is compensated bone - but it came about in a strange way.

I ordered a saddle from Bob Colosi for my Seagull, and the action was needing a major overhaul on the Kronbauer (two years of pretty much non-play and use), so I compared the Seagull one to the one in my Kronbauer - and they were the same, so I sanded and fit it into the Kronbauer, and ordered a new one for the Seagull.

I'd be sure to check the size to be sure you get the right width, and then decide.

I have not been that impressed with other materials, but then bone has always been my benchmark and what I was accustomed to.

Another deciding factor for me is I am going to build a low, mid and high saddle for each of my three, and I can afford that in bone without taking out a loan. Don't think I'd want to foot the bill for fossilized ivory.

Why three? Summer - fall/spring - winter saddles so I don't have to adjust the truss rod to raise/lower action.

[DM3MD]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

I have not been that impressed with other materials, but then bone has always been my benchmark and what I was accustomed to.

What other materials did you A/B test that you were not impressed with?

Originally Posted by ljguitar

…and I can afford that in bone without taking out a loan. Don't think I'd want to foot the bill for fossilized ivory.

Loan? I’m not sure it’s fair to classify these as mega-expensive. If it’s the right material you’re looking for, an extra 20 bucks for a saddle isn’t all that excessive.

[fnesnor]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

...I don't like the fozzilized stuff because they are really hard and glassy sounding. Ivory (Elephant) will add a unique smoothness to the tone which will tame down the jangliness a bit.

I agree with Tim's assessment of fossilized ivory and would add that it seems to brighten the sound a bit (to me).

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by DM3MD

...Loan? I’m not sure it’s fair to classify these as mega-expensive. If it’s the right material you’re looking for, an extra 20 bucks for a saddle isn’t all that excessive.

Hi DM3D...
Ivory on a personal level. I'm assuming Elephant Ivory since it came from the 1970s when that was about all the Ivory guitar makers and setup guys talked of and used. Didn't hear that much difference, and when I wore it out I replaced it with bone and liked the slight rise in high frequencies that brought.

None of my guitars are edgy, so I don't want the mellowing effect of Ivory on any of my 3 handbuilts.

I've got students and friends who are also experimenting with saddles all the time (and bridge pins, and pick guards vs no guards, and strings)...they fluctuate between them, obsess over them, and probably change them out about two or three times per year - only to go back to bone again (rinse and repeat). When I've recorded their instruments in studio, we cannot hear the difference between ivory or bone.

I think $45 per saddle is high...
At $45 total per saddle - times three saddles per guitar - times three guitars - that totals $405 for saddles for just my main three acoustics. They each have one compensated bone saddle already... add $20 times two saddles times three guitars, I'll have all 9 saddles for an additional $120. $405 is a sizeable chunk-o-change higher than $120 to me - especially when I do not want the difference ivory brings to the tone pallate.