UK guitar luthier

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 23 Sep 25 - 10:14 AM

If not for an ocean I'd join you, Fred. I like to cycle and I love good English ale, which is becoming increasingly hard to come by over here.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 23 Sep 25 - 10:37 AM

Gilly,

And you'd be welcome, mate. I love cycling along old driver's 'roads'. They're all mostly leafy, green lanes now, just the perfect place to spend an afternoon, eating a packed lunch as you listen to wood pigeons, cuckoos and such.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 23 Sep 25 - 10:46 AM

Drover's not Drivers!

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 24 Sep 25 - 01:14 PM

My favorite ride is over an old small scale railroad bed that runs through a beautiful cypress swamp, full of lovely flowers, semi-tropical vegetation and wildlife including gators, hawks, owls, otters, deer and on rare occasions you might spot a panther or a bobcat.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 24 Sep 25 - 05:55 PM

If you were being chased by a gator, be a bugger if your chain came off :-D

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 04:54 AM

Fortunately that's never happened to me, Fred, but on a cold day you might encounter a big one up on the trail sunning itself and you might have to poke them with a tree limb to clear the way.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 06:00 AM

Once came across a tortoise on a trail somewhere south of Naples. Fortunately, my chain stayed where it was!

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 09:40 AM

That could've been fatal, Ray!

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 11:05 AM

Jeez, Ray, I hope you can outrun a tortise.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 02 Oct 25 - 05:33 AM

The CCGX setup on my D-18 is good but it's not quite what I want, so I've decided that the only way is to do it myself.

I've other, more important things to do at the moment, but watch this space for how not to tips!

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 12:28 PM

So, I'll start with a new saddle and I've chosen a Pre-Shaped Medium Bone 16" Radius Drop In, which you can buy on the Martin website

There are others and Bob Colosi ones may serve as examples, but you may have to shape to get a good fit, though he does provide instructions.

When mine arrives from Martin I'll drop it in and start with neck relief.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 01:13 PM

Bob Colosi is no longer in business, he closed eighteen months or so ago.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 01:15 PM

Also, I tried to buy a bone saddle a few weeks ago from the CFM website, and got a message that they don’t ship to the UK.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 02:03 PM

BWM,

Hmmm, that's strange 'cos my wife's brother bought the exact same saddle that I'm after and it was shipped to him in Cornwall last week.

I'll double check

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 02:13 PM

Yep, although he didn't get it from Martin, he got it in the UK. But it's a genuine Martin replacement saddle.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 02:45 PM

He's backed it up with a pic of it in its packing.
"CFMartin & co
EST. 1833
Martin Approved Factory
Pre-Shaped Medium Bone Saddle
16" Radius
Drop In"

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 03:08 PM

I assume this is the Part No:18SL0003

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 04:14 PM

So where did he get it from? CFM definitely said they couldn’t or wouldn’t ship it to me a few weeks ago. I checked again a few minutes ago, but it’s out of stock.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 05:01 PM

Have a look on the GuitarGuitar Birmingham (UK) website, you'll see three - Low, Medium and High.

However, if your D-18 has a compensated saddle, none of them will do unless your tech can compensate it.

Your best bet is to contact Apollo Music and get them to order a compensated one.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 03 Oct 25 - 05:42 PM

Maybe I’m out of date but I’ve always thought that the best saddles were made of bone. The last time my SCTR needed a new one, my luthier took a piece of blank bone from his supply, checked that it had even density using a light bulb, thicknessed it to suit my saddle slot, carved it to profile adjusted the height, restrung the guitar and I took it home an hour or so later.

I totally fail to see what sort of magic bone Martin guitars or anyone else for than matter, can supply. It might be better visiting the local butchers - if you still have one!

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 02:50 AM

Ray,

for those in the UK who don't rate or want a bone saddle from Martin, there is a perfectly good supplier in Chris Alsop


He makes saddles and bridge pins, although the last time I contacted him bridge pins were unavailable,

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 03:35 AM

Buy a ready made one from anywhere and it might fit. Start off with the basic material - which isn’t exactly uncommon - cut/shape it yourself with the guitar in hand and, if it doesn’t fit, you know you’re not up to the job!

Guitar parts don’t have to come in labled packets.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 04:09 AM

Ray,

As a vegan, going into a butcher's for a peice of bone....bleurgh!. Just couldn't do it, mate.

Once it's bleached and packed, somehow it doesn't seem so bad. Don't ask me why, just the way it is for me.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 05:05 AM

Neither my OM-28 Marquis, nor my HD-28V came with a ‘compensated’ saddle from the factory, just a straight, long drop-in saddle (frequently mistaken by people for a ‘cut-through’ saddle). Both sound fine.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 05:17 AM

Then you'll get what you want at GuitarGuitar Birmngham at £24.99 each I believe.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 05:35 AM

If they're sold out, PM me your address.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 12:14 PM

If you’re vegan, you won’t be looking at bone saddles anyway. I’m firmly of the “If we shouldn’t eat cuddly animals, why are they made of meat?” persuasion.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 04 Oct 25 - 12:56 PM

Vegan was a typo, it should've read veggie.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 05 Oct 25 - 05:10 AM

No response yet from Martin.

Clear to me what's happening: they're busy packing the ordered items! :-D

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 05 Oct 25 - 09:02 AM

When I get the Martin bone saddle,I'll target this 12th fret action;

E .105"
A .100
D .095
G .095
B .090
E .085

This should give me good buzz-free action with plenty of power.

Relief and first fret string clearance? As low as I can get away with.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 06:59 AM

Change of plan.

I now have a great luthier. My guitar related problems are over!


-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 07:04 AM

Are you going to let us into the secret?

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 07:26 AM

Well, let's let him do his 'magic' first.

I want to be sure I'm recommending a superb Luthier. I'm pretty confident but I want to be sure.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 08:47 AM

Fred, I'm enjoying reading about your quest for setup nirvana.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 09:01 AM

Gilly, I have two guys local to both me and Fred, whom Fred has rejected, but who are more than capable of setting my guitars up as I like them, nut slots a hair over first fret height, 12th fret 3 & 2, with 6-thou relief but, like you, I'm fascinated to follow Fred's quest from a safe distance! ;-)

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 09:29 AM

Hey, it's keeping Fred off the street, BW. :-).

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 09:35 AM

My D18 was over 20 years old before anyone touched it. My guitars tend to only see a luthier if there’s something biggly wrong with them. In fact one is in dock at the moment because the bridge is lifting off!

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 10:02 AM

Ah, I
DIDN'T reject both. I rejected one for a good reason, the other I couldn't get back to due to lack of transport, which is
mentioned above.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 10:11 AM

Thanks, Gilly, didn't know you'd been following :)

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 11:39 AM

Ah, sorry Fred, I’d forgotten that you don’t drive.

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 11:56 AM

BWM,

Don't worry about it. All is good, I've no issue whatsoever ;)

And you were right, CFM don't ship parts to the UK, at least not to the public. Had an email today from Scott. We have to go through CFM authorised dealers here in the UK.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 12:06 PM

I half expected it, so I went ahead and ordered a compensated one through Apollo Music. Almost the same Part Number as above but ending 02.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 03:13 PM

I'll put it in when it arrives and my newly found Luthier can have a crack at a setup.

You'll never guess who it is. A clue: 3 of them, working as a small team. They don't turn out many guitars each year but they are highly regarded.

Thinking caps :-D

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 04:54 PM

Andy Petherick, Simon Smidmore, and Jack Smidmore at Brook Guitars in Devon?

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 05:40 PM

^ clever b! Lol.

Yep

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 06:12 PM

I've tried a few of their acoustic guitars and found 'em bloody marvellous if you'll dorgive my French.

So when I learned that they do setups AND will also arrange collection and delivery, well it became a no-brainer.

Not sure yet when I'll pull the trigger but it won't be long.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 06 Oct 25 - 06:20 PM

Note to self:

No such word as "dorgive", dummie!

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 07 Oct 25 - 02:26 AM

I used to own one of their ‘Lamorna’ OMs, it was a beautiful guitar and I was very sorry to have to let it go but I needed some money and it was the only guitar I didn’t take to play out. I went down to their workshop back in Feb 2020, just before the first lock-down, and Andy did an excellent set-up on it, and installed a K&K. I had a very nice morning there, looking round and chatting to them.

They are very good indeed, and their guitars are lovely. I really miss that ‘Lamorna’ but, who knows, there might even be another Brook in my future?

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 07 Oct 25 - 04:45 AM

I've heard so much about them but, until I learned of their collection and delivery service, they were out of reach, having no transport.

I used to drive. Had an easy rider custom Harley back in the late 60s through to late 80s but today I'm a pedestrian or at most a cyclist.

-F

Subject: RE: UK guitar luthier
From: Fred
Date: 07 Oct 25 - 09:28 AM

Apollo Music say they expect the Martin bone saddle tomorrow and will post then. I'll pop it in and the next thing is, ship to Brook.

Don't want to hang about - anxious to see their work.

-F