1st build and misunderstood bridge location measurement

[Gordon Bellerose]

3/16" at center. I have also taken old guitar saddles down to 1/16" at the ends but you usually have to ramp the bridge's string slots to get that to work. At this point the guitar needs a neck reset but many guitars are not valuable enough or the client is not willing to pay for that amount of work. Also, most import guitars are not worth doing a reset due to questionable neck joints and glue.

When you said "I have had to plane or sand the plate down", are you talking about sanding the bridge? I did that a few times back in the 70's but will not do that today. I think it is bad form as it permanently affects the integrity of the bridge and is not reversible unless the bridge is replaced. Unless we are again talking about an import guitar.

I think we are pretty much on the same page though.

Yep. The guitars on which I have had to shave the bridge down were cheap guitars. I would not do that with someone's vintage or expensive guitar.
The owners simply wanted a guitar for around the campfire, or for a son or daughter.
And you are correct. You do have to ramp the strings. I also had to cope out the top of the pin holes. I didn't have to take a lot off, maybe 1/16 at the front, but enough to make it work.

[Bob Howell]

Glued the bridge on today. used 3mm compensation. The bracing design is light, so I will use ultralight strings as Willis recommends.

I built 8-10 dulcimers 8 or nine years ago. I spent a bit of time adjusting the saddle to remove dissidence, though my instructor said it was not necessary.
I liked the challenge.

[Bill Raymond]

Nothing quite as annoying as a dissident saddle.

[Bob Howell]

The compensation worked out ok. I finally got the neck set properly by tightening the truss rod about 1/8 turn, and carving the neck joint, dropping the neck/head a bit. A couple of strokes with a file at the bottom was all needed. Then the high e was fine(.07) at the 12 fret, but the low e buzzed and measured about .07 so pulled the saddle and used baking soda and supper glue to raise that end, alone, about 1/16+ and cleared it up. New reading at 12 fret is .10 or so. All the rest fell in between just like needed. I found it hard to measure the relief at 6 fret but it seemed to be under 1/64", though I could see air. Changed every time I measured it. I hope it will increases as it settles in over the months. Sent it off to my brother and its new home.

Thanks to all for the help.

[Barry Daniels]

Baking soda and ca is not a good filler under a saddle. Make a shim out of hardwood. Action of .10 is too high. If you had to raise the strings that far to prevent buzzing, there must be a high fret somewhere. Bass strings should be no more than .07 or .08". Treble around .06". Get a machinist's straight edge 18" long to measure relief.