Here's a follow up on my post about replacing an adjustable J45 bridge with a fixed saddle. Thanks a million to Grumpy and Howard Klepper for your help on compensation and saddle angle. Grumpy, you were right, it's a totally different guitar. Really unbelievable improvement in tone.
I used a Rosewood bridge, hide glue, and 1/8" bone saddle with unslotted Ebony pins.
I found some 1/8" square steel bar and crowned one side to use as a surrogate saddle to get the compensation and angle before routing the slot. (Per Howard Klepper) I used the StewMac saddle routing jig modified to take a PC310.
It turned out to be about .16 compensation at the middle of the bridge, and 6/32" setback over 3". (The adjustable had 11/32" setback) Plays right in tune.
Here's the steel bar I used as a temp saddle
Thanks again to everyone for their help. It worked out great except for one little thing. When heating the bridge area for gluing with a hair dryer I didn't notice that the pickguard was loose and some hot air must have gotten under it and bubbled a small area that chipped off. Fortunately I was able to get a duplicate from Terrapin Guitars. Another learning experience but it kind of ruined what was otherwise a good day.
Terry
