The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #44350   Message #652161
Posted By: Midchuck
17-Feb-02 - 12:55 PM
Thread Name: Help: fret buzz
Subject: RE: Help: fret buzz
If you have a normal, "drop-in" saddle, you can experiment with a shim as a temporary measure. You take the strings off, take the saddle out, and cut a piece of some thin, hard material - maybe a playing card - a credit card is usually too thick - to just the size of the saddle slot, so you can lay it in there underneath the saddle to raise it by that amount. The advantage of this is that it's completely reversible if it makes the guitar harder to play but doesn't help the buzz. If it works, you can have a new, taller, saddle made - or buy a blank and a Dremel tool and go for it yourself.

Incidentally, I had a solid-top Washburn for a while, some year ago, and it also cracked straight across the bridge. The shop got the instrument replaced outright under warranty, so I immediately traded the new one for a Martin D-1R, which was one of my smarter moves. I think those grooves form the front to the back of the saddle, that Washburn puts, or used to put, on either side of the strings, weaken the whole bridge unduly.

Peter.