Slots in the saddle - problem or improvement?

DetlefMichel Posted 2019-02-01 4:16 AM (#546867) Subject: Slots in the saddle - problem or improvement? Joined: May 2011 Posts: 751 Location: Muenster/Germany Slots in the saddles may look not very nice. Let´s talk about physics. We all know that a guitar sounds better when the sring angle on the saddle is more steep. Why? the string has more pressure on the surface and can transport the energy better. But: Does the string move only up-and downwards? No. When you use a pick it will even move more parallel to the top. And if you play a little harder the string will start to "dance" on the surface and thus will loose power. Especially with the bass strings I made the experience that a string in a (precise!) slot appears to transfer the energy that is created by the vibration (which is 3-dimensional) much better to the guitar top as if it has only a small contact point when is touches just the surface of the saddle. You can hear it acoustically and amplified. On all of my guitar the strings run in special made slots that cover about half the diameter of the string itself. What do the BFLG guitar gods think? FlySig Posted 2019-02-02 9:25 AM (#546875 - in reply to #546867) Subject: Re: Slots in the saddle - problem or improvement? Joined: October 2005 Posts: 4025 Location: Utah I have filed slots in my saddles to keep the strings in the correct location. The strings tend to make their own slots by deforming the plastic, so if the string was out of position then a slot develops in the wrong place. The deformed plastic seems to mute the tone a bit on some guitars/strings, so I remove the plastic burr with a small file.