Advice re: Rosewood Bridge/Saddle

[alpop]

This spring I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a NOS 2023 Heritage Eagle Classic from an online dealer in Montreal.

Great, life changing guitar, but it has a minor issue that I need to deal with, and I'm asking for some advice so I don't do something stupid.

The string slots on the b and g strings of the rosewood saddle are too tight and sometimes prevent those strings from moving when tuning.

Last night I borrowed an old set of 10-46 nut files from a friend and am thinking of some gentle passes at the tight slots.

Good idea? Bad idea?

I really don't want to take it in to my tech and have it sit for a couple of weeks until he can get to it for a minor issue like this.

Any advice from experienced folks would be much appreciated!

[Hammertone]

Good idea. Easy, unless you lack basic motor skills. You need to widen the slots, not deepen them.

[omphalopsychos]

for an archtop 10-46 probably won't be wide enough. get a 13-56 set and you're good to go.

or use the 5 thickest guages from the 10-46 set and buy one more file for the low e

[Jimmy blue note]

Nothing wrong with widening a string groove, I always cut a slot wide and not risk that "pinch" you're talking about.
One note though, proceed slowly, with patience and angle the cut of the groove so the string passes at the high point of the bridge/nut. In other words, string sits on the edge and the slot angles down from there. Otherwise a string will or can acquire that annoying "sitar" or buzz.

I actually cut slots INTO a bridge saddle to fine tune to the arc radius of the fingerboard. No harm in cutting deep and using the thumbwheel adjustments to set the correct height. I see this a lot on the Benedettos I've seen. Good for them!

[AllanAllen]

I read the entire question.

Yes, you can widen the b and g slots with the tool you borrowed. Go slowly 1-2 swipes and see if it’s good enough.

A few extra minutes here can save you a couple weeks waiting for your tech to fix an overzealous attempt.

[skiboyny]

They really shouldn't be deep enough to pinch the string. If it were me, I would sand the bridge top until the slots are just deep enough to keep the strings in the right place. If you're talking about the nut, (more likely) rather than the rosewood saddle, proceed with the nut files to widen, not deepen.

[alpop]

Okay great. Thanks for all the feedback. Since I only need to widen the the b and g slots I can use the files for the g and d strings. Will give it a shot. Thanks again to all!

[Jimmy Mack]

Another alternative way is to use some round wound strings (of the appropriate gauge) and gently run them through the slots. They can gently rub the sides of the slots. Of course, all the above precautions must be followed re: depth and angles.
But if you already have the files, file away.

[AllanAllen]

I laid old plain strings on one and gently patted them with a hammer. It worked, would not recommend for a vintage Gibson bridge.

[EastwoodMike]

One trick I heard was to wrap the next thinner string up with some 1200 wet n dry sandpaper- just a single fold, and rub that in. So run a high Estring into the B slot.

[Jimmy Mack]

One trick I heard was to wrap the next thinner string up with some 1200 wet n dry sandpaper- just a single fold, and rub that in. So run a high Estring into the B slot.

AS a carpenter/woodworker, I can see trouble in this method, more than I can elaborate on. I would not be doing this on even a cheap guitar!

[alpop]

You should get a laugh out of this.

I set up to do this mini widening job this morning, and it occurred to me that maybe I had too much tension on the adjustable finger tailpiece and that was pushing the strings down too hard and into the saddle slots.

I backed off the adjustment screws, and problem solved!

[AllanAllen]

That's clever, good work!

[alpop]

That's clever, good work!

Ha ha thanks! It's a good thing I did it first thing in the morning when my brain was clear.

[58flame]

I had one of those guitars. Very nice instrument. Nice D shaped neck.

[2bornot2bop]

You should get a laugh out of this.

I set up to do this mini widening job this morning, and it occurred to me that maybe I had too much tension on the adjustable finger tailpiece and that was pushing the strings down too hard and into the saddle slots.

I backed off the adjustment screws, and problem solved!

Nice find AP! Patience wins again!

[sgosnell]

IME the strings bind in the nut, not the saddle. When they ping, the sound seems to come from the bridge, but that's because the sound travels up the string, and the bridge is what makes the guitar sound, not the nut. Nuts can be fussy, and need to have the slots very smooth. You can get binding even though the slots are wide enough, just from roughness in the slot. They also bind when the string has to change direction, as in a wide headstock. For those, the rear end of the slot needs to be relieved and widened, so that there isn't a pinch in the string. For me, getting the nut slots perfect is the most tedious, time-consuming part of a setup. But it's worth investing the time, because it affects everything else.