Brass saddle!

[yettoblaster]

In my project to get my new (to me) D4-NT ready for gigging I wanted to more or less permanently install (as-in with an endpin jack) a Lawrence magnetic soundhole pickup for jazz solo duties when I'm otherwise bashing acoustic rhythm (unmic'd).

I don't care for hum much and the Lawrence A-300 is single coil. The hum is not too intrusive but I figured if I grounded the strings like a normal electric it couldn't hurt.

I remembered a few years ago brass pins and saddles were all the rage so figured I'd hit the local shop's parts drawers for a saddle.

I found a new one from AllParts that looks like a Roman aqueduct (cutout arches on the bottom). I figure it must be for piezo saddle use but would suffice for my needs.

I soldered a wire onto it and used the unused hole in the bridge's channel that appeared to be for a piezo. Easy peezy.

Then I strang 'er up (using TI Spectrums to lower the pull on this guitar, as it's showing some age towards the neck reset end of things):

WOW! Increased volume, tone, and sustain! :shock:

I generally prefer John Pearse light 80/20's or phos-brnz, but the combination on this particular guitar really works astoundingly well!

I'm not about to change anything on my Tacoma-built D40, but acoustically, the tonal gap between the two guitars ('93 D4-NT with a low saddle vs the D40 with Adi top) just got noticeably smaller! 8)

 

[RussD]

Lawrence magnetic soundhole pickup ...I soldered a wire onto it and...

Am so not able to picture it; would love to see a pic, though!

 

[yettoblaster]

Oops.

Welp, next time I have the strings off I can take a pic of the brass bridge with the ground wire soldered to it. Then it goes inside the guitar to a splice on the cable from the pu to the endpin jack.

I gigged it tonight, and it worked fine. I could have actually used my archtop all night, because it was kinda a loud dance so I really wasn't able to just use the acoustic without any pu on, which was the point of the whole exercise: acoustic sound except when taking a solh well. Tomorrow I'll try again in a different place that's usually quiet, but sometimes not...

 

[adorshki]

I'm not about to change anything on my Tacoma-built D40, but acoustically, the tonal gap between the two guitars ('93 D4-NT with a low saddle vs the D40 with Adi top) just got noticeably smaller! 8)

Got my curiosity all worked up. Heard of brass nuts but never a saddle, wonder what it would do for my '40? Have to go check out Allparts.....

 

[taabru45]

I'd be curious too....I've known a few people with brass nuts though, and they weren't anywhere near a guitar.... :roll: :lol: Steffan

 

[adorshki]

I'd be curious too....I've known a few people with brass nuts though, and they weren't anywhere near a guitar.... :roll: :lol: Steffan

I knew that was gonna come from somewhere, but I decided to leave the hook baited anyway.. :lol:

 

[yettoblaster]

I'm not about to change anything on my Tacoma-built D40, but acoustically, the tonal gap between the two guitars ('93 D4-NT with a low saddle vs the D40 with Adi top) just got noticeably smaller! 8)

Got my curiosity all worked up. Heard of brass nuts but never a saddle, wonder what it would do for my '40? Have to go check out Allparts.....

Welp, I'd say it added brightness, eveness, volume, and sustain, to my '93 D4-NT with a Sitka top. Previously it had been a bit darker sounding than my newer D40 when it had the supplied (compensated Tusc I believe) saddle in there. ymmv

 

[yettoblaster]

....I've known a few people with brass nuts though...

"...Guaranteed not to: bust; rust; collect dust; implode; explode; crack or clack; and best of all the hair grows on the inside!"

 

[adorshki]

Got my curiosity all worked up. Heard of brass nuts but never a saddle, wonder what it would do for my '40? Have to go check out Allparts.....

Welp, I'd say it added brightness, eveness, volume, and sustain, to my '93 D4-NT with a Sitka top. Previously it had been a bit darker sounding than my newer D40 when it had the supplied (compensated Tusc I believe) saddle in there. ymmv

Now that's interesting, you mean the D4 or the D40 had the compensated saddle? I'm positive it wouldn't have been original on the D4 and didn't think Guild offered any compensated saddle until the New Hartfords. I'm thinking Tacoma D40's were listed with bone nuts and saddles. It caught my attention 'cause I never saw that detail listed on Coronas, which you'd think they'd make sure to list.
The '40's actually got the least sustain of all mine but it has the best individual note definition, thus the interest in barss. Also sounds like it's a simple no-mod swap, otherwise wouldn't even consider it..
Looking at it (the '40)last Friday night got me wondering about the top wood too. It IS a bit narrower grained than the '25 but that's all I know.

 

[yettoblaster]

The '93 D4-NT had the compensated Tusc saddle, and it was short too. The bottom had those little slits like an AllParts Tusc saddle, despite that's where they must have ground off to get it down for action.

The brass AllParts bridge was actually too narrow for the slot, but I built up some solder when I put the wire on it to fill so it wouldn't lean over. It was also short too, and required no shaving down. I Think it must have been intended to use with a piezo under it, otherwise it would be too short as-is for many guitars except maybe LaSiDo stuff (Seagulls, etc).

The ('06) D40 has bone saddle. Just a bit of bevel to it for compensation. The top of the D4 saddle had like segments molded into the shape. Definitely compensated.
The brass AllParts is not compensated, but the intonation is fine with TI Spectrums (12's).