Adjusting Action / Saddle Height on Acoustic Guitar | Bone Saddle Installation / Adjustment

[@robertrraineyjr967]

I just saw this over years since you made the video, but thought I'd weigh-in, anyway. I suggest that instead of using your fingers and eyes to sand the saddle without accidentally taking off too much on either side, use a small board fixed with clamps, etc. at a 90 degree angle to your bench top with the sandpaper on the bench surface, facing upwards. Then, you can be assured that the bottom is perfectly flat and has the correct angle (90 degrees, also). This is esp. true if you have a piezo pickup under your saddle, as a poor sanding will affect the volume produced from a string at that location. And I start with 150-grit, then finish with a 400-grit., just a matter of preference. I would also use a radius gauge to check the strings underneath the saddle to verify that all six strings are at exactly the correct height (correct radius curve on top the saddle) and matching the curve of the fret board. New saddle blanks definitely have to be measured and adjusted, even if they are the compensated type and purchased from the same factory that made a guitar. I would think it prudent just to double-check the curve from the factory original. After years of playing on a saddle, strings gradually dent the top of most saddles with their constant string tension and they aren't at the same heights even if they were dead-on at the factory. If you see string indentations on top of the saddle where their were none, originally, your curve is definitely not correct. It would be important to also do a truss rod adjustment before you start measuring the height of the strings at the 12th fret. There needs to be a certain space under the strings and the frets at about the 7th fret when a capo is used to lock the strings down onto the 1st fret and the strings are held down at the 12th fret simultaneously. After that is done, you can then safely make your measurements of how much you want to lower your strings at the 12th.

[@NickMoore56]

Thank you. I have been researching this and this is the best video I have seen. I am primarily a finger style player. I recently traded for a 2011 McPherson Camrielle. They come stock with three bridges low, medium and high. The low measures a hair over 2.0 mm and I prefer 1.75. You really helped me with the ratio of the saddle adjustment to the height at the 12 fret. You also helped me by showing which sandpaper to use and how to do it. Great job! Thanks again .

[@tyrotrainer765]

Nice video! I was watching to make sure that everything is fresh in my mind, it's a while since I adjusted a saddle. From experience; 1. Use an engineer's square to keep the saddle dead flat at the side and bottom, just slide the saddle along the square and the sandpaper and frequently check that the bottom is still dead parallel to your line 2. I have the same type of gauge you're using, it's much much more accurate to read it using a magnifying glass. Before I start measuring the action I'll check the neck relief; I go for 0.010-0.012" across all strings - there is plenty of info on this online.

[@coldisle]

Very nice job without a lot of unnecessary “stuff” added. Thanks very much!

[@susanknorr-bg7ul]

This is just an excellent video. Really well done in terms of helping someone understand the process of safely adjusting the saddle action. The shop where I purchased my guitar (Martin D-35) tried to dissuade me from making any adjustments on the guitar despite my telling him I finger picked. Making these types of adjustments, depending on your style of play, can make all the difference, turning a guitar that’s “ok to play” into one that becomes your absolute go-to favorite. Well done! (One or two of the comments below are also helpful.)

[@paulbloomfield9921]

A very helpful video with calm presentation and no unnecessary filling. Many thanks. 🎶

[@kond1e]

Thanks I really appreciate this video .. especially the part of 2:1 height difference ratio

[@haggishead7558]

You need to use a fence to keep the bottom of the saddle square. Whatever you take off the saddle should approximate to half the lowering of the strings at the 12th fret

[@glacialdrumlin]

thank you for your common and sense in using metric for this application.

[@tomd7811]

Thank you! I was able to adjust my action after watching your video.

[@BenjaminKanarek]

Thank You so much for this. Very well explained!🙂

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@helppeople1321]

Very useful...thank you

[@whitehh15]

Little tip to save yourself some hassle. Just capo the guitar with the strings still attached to the tuning pegs.

[@lucasborges9447]

Underrated tip, Thanks

[@DanFrechette]

I tighten a Paige capo over the nut

[@JamieCarter-wv8rp]

It does make it easier when checking action.

[@2bookoo4u]

Make sure the neck relief is correct before you begin measuring and lowering the saddle.

[@Ronbob59]

Thanks for the great video. I have a Taylor nylon acoustic that is very high at the 12th fret so I will buy one of these rulers and get to work. Thanks again.

[@crmolnar1]

An FYI and just my opinion, but DO NOT get the Baroque string height tool that he used. I bought one of those and it is so cheaply made that accuracy is non existent. It is macine stamped and the edges (that you do the measurements with) aren't flat and all the corners were bent. I don't use mine. I'll be getting a higher quality one.

[@tracewilkins5567]

I use a micrometer the foot of it to measure mine it’s a bit tricky but it gets better readings. Use the foot and scroll out until I barely can’t see bottom of deck. Hope it helps

[@andrewsargeant4030]

Brilliant. Great help thanks

[@philipmaguire9209]

Love accent thanks mate uk fan here

[@LaxLadyGirl]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@pateekdarnal2256]

Nice explanation thankyou very much, appreciate your effort.

[@kerolvaghela7742]

Thank you for your help. Great video❤, liked and subscribed

[@reindeerbermy3796]

Great video

[@Jhfstudio]

Thanks!

[@peterdvideos]

Great video.

[@omidjosef1183]

Thank you

[@randomdude93-93]

Just realizing that saddle height=action. I kept reading different things. Problems settled 😂

[@whitehh15]

Saddle height, nut height, and relief all contribute. If you don't have a bolt on neck, and you have bad action, it's usually one of these, or a combination of all 3

[@darthj_der7447]

Hey man....you need a new ruler. Cuz yours is "Baroque". 😆 🤣 😂 ill go now

[@sidessherri]

Awesome

[@mellamodommo5425]

That’s cool but what if I don’t have strings on the guitar because there is no saddle there? Everywhere I look for info they always saying to base the new saddle off of the old saddle but mine broke so that’s not an option. What do I do in this situation?

[@Jhfstudio]

The easiest thing to do is just to drop a full height saddle blank into the slot, pull a string across it (any string will do) even a piece of dental floss pulled tight from a tuning peg down the neck, and across the saddle blank. Then take your measurements just like in the video, and start cutting the new saddle. Keep in mind though that when you put a full set of strings on the guitar, and tune them up to pitch, the neck will pull up just a little bit, which will raise the action slightly. Technically, you can get an actual measurement using a long straight edge and a scale, but the method explained above is a lot easier if you don't have quite a bit of experience adjusting saddles.

[@cooloutac]

wow my acotin is all the way at 3.5 I guess I should lower it lol. when doing intonation which side to you file if a note is too sharp?

[@Jhfstudio]

You would file the side of the saddle that is facing the nut. If your action is that high though, then when you press the strings you are increasing the tension (significantly) which could also make notes sharp. I would suggest lowing the action at least a little bit before you start trying to intonate the saddle. I'd aim for around 2.75mm at the 12th fret to start.

[@cooloutac]

@@Jhfstudio ty.

[@carlodonnell146]

But..does that guitar have a pick up under the saddle...and can a guitar with a pickup under the saddle be adjusted?

[@Jhfstudio]

This guitar doesn’t have a pickup in it, but the process is the same whether the guitar has a pickup or not. You can definitely still do this on a guitar with a pickup. I have adjusted the saddles on all of my personal guitars, and most of them have LR Baggs Anthem pickups. Which have a piezo element under the saddle. No issue at all. 👍

[@DougHinVA]

This assumes there is enough saddle bottom to file off to get what you want at fret 12. There may not be enough saddle bottom and no truss rod available to adjust (as in classical guitars).

[@Jhfstudio]

That's true. If that's the case, then your guitar needs a neck reset in order to get the action back to a good playable level.

[@DougHinVA]

@@Jhfstudio no; you are jumping to conclusions ... A Cordoba has enough saddle slot to take down at the top and also lower the saddle height at its bottom to get the correct gap at fret 12. NOT a neck reset.

[@Jhfstudio]

@@DougHinVA That's true. You can sand/shave down the bridge in order to avoid a neck reset. I'm not a fan of doing that, but I have seen it done, and as long as the neck angle is still okay, then there are probably cases where that is a good solution. You made me realize though that I need to make a video soon on how to tell if your guitar needs a neck reset! I think that may be helpful to a lot of people. Thanks for the idea!!

[@gnatfreeman2184]

Flatten neck first with truss rod adjustment. You may not even need to lower saddle. Just saying.

[@carlodonnell146]

That is the wife is ok with you working on her counter top..