Split saddle advantage vs straight saddle?

[rocksteady]

My topic post pretty much states my question. I have a Takamine Santa Fe that has a split saddle, and noticed only the higher quality Avalons have this also but not the Gold series. Is there a reason? Is the split saddle superior? and if so...Why?
I'm just in a learning curve here

Thanks,

Don

[JB]

Split saddles are considered more accurate for intonation, but a good compensated single saddle cut to the right angles is fine.

[Jimbo]

I have a gold with a one piece saddle and to my ear it sounds pretty much dead on. I also have a different brand guitar with a split saddle that is a bit off at the 12th fret. The most important thing is that the guitar was built properly by people who know what they're doing.

[rocksteady]

I agree Jimbo. I have a gold also that is dead on with a straight saddles. I have a Takamine Santa Fe ESF 40C that is split but is is also dead on as far as I can tell.
I wonder why no acoustics have adjustable saddles to fne tune intonation as electrics do?

Just a thought.

[Ross A]

I don't know if they still do, but Gibson Acoustics such as the Hummingbird did have adjustable saddles at one point.

[rocksteady]

Now I think, I believe you are correct. I wonder why it never did catch on?

[Osprey]

Gibson acoustics had adjustable saddles for many years in the 1960s. My own favourite guitar is my 1963 Epiphone Texan, which is basically a Gibson J45 with different trim, made in Kalamazoo. It came with an adjustable saddle which I used for years, but I always felt the sound would be better with a proper glued-on rosewood bridge, so I had my local guitar tech make me one, and at the same time fit an L.R. Baggs dual pickup system. The guitar sounds fantastic both acoustically and electrically now, and I have never regretted swapping the original bridge.

For one thing the bridge body was plastic, for another it was only screwed on, and lastly the adjustable saddle meant that only the adjusting screws on the whole bridge assembly were actually involved in moving the guitar top to create the sound. What a terrible design the whole thing was. I believe they were done to appeal to electric players at the time, as the Beatles and one or two other bands were sometimes using acoustics in some of their records. Paul Macartney used a Texan on Yesterday.

Anyway, I really believe that a good acoustic needs a fixed, glued bridge with no adjustable saddle. The other thing of course was that I couldn't have an undersaddle pickup put in until it had a proper bridge on. When the guitar was built there was no such thing as an undersaddle pickup.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a secondhand Avalon Silver Series guitar which I'm really getting to like. I've worked on the action and it's now pretty good, but I do feel that it's a bit stiff to play, particularly when I compare it to my Texan, which is very easy, although the action is no lower. Is the scale length longer on the Avalon? I believe that would make the strings tighter wouldn't it, because they have to be tightened more to get them up to concert pitch. Or is my logic a bit flawed?

Dave Metcalfe

[rocksteady]

I'm Not sure about the length. What do you think JB?
I do see what you mean by not having the bridge glued you would lose a lot of the transferred vibration and lose sustain and volume.

[JB]

Scale length on our guitars is 648mm (25.5")

[rocksteady]

I believe that is a common scale length for most guitars.

[chris c]

Gibsons like the J-45 have a shorter scale length (24 3/4), so maybe the Epiphone Texan has this shorter scale length too.

If your Avalon feels stiff, maybe try a lighter gauge. I'm surprised how good my Avalon sounds with .011 strings.

[crofty]

Hi Dave
You are correct when you say a longer scale guitar would require more tension to get it up to concert pitch,conversly a shorter scale requires less and usually this translates into easier fretting.I have a Gibson J185 with a scale length of 24 and 3/4" and strung with 11s is very easy to play barre chords etc.You can work out the tension with various string gauges with this calculator http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html

On the subject of acoustics having adjustable bridges,I seem to remember having had acoustics back in the sixties with adjustable saddles,could it have been an Eko Ranger? I had a couple of them.


Regards
Crofty

[Ross A]

If you want light strings try Newtone Master Class 11s. It's like they're made out of cobweb or something. Maybe a bit too light.

[crofty]

Hi John
I am on the Heritage 12s now and that 20 gauge G string makes a big differance as far as wear is concerned,the winding is still holding up.
Just bought a A32 Legacy so going to try a set of Hertage 12s on that as well.

Regards

Crofty