Interchangable bridge saddles?

[docbennett]

you can't delete threads on this forum.

Here was the original problem:

Interchangable bridge saddles?

I wonder if anyone can answer this question. I have a PS Angelus that has a very thick, chunky neck....as a matter of fact, looking at the headstock...it could be an "acoustic santana" with the shape of the headstock and the thickness of the neck comparable to a Santana 1.

In comparison, my Angelus SE custom has a much thinner neck....with what appear to be lighter gauge strings....and resultant MUCH lower action.

So...here is the question....the PS Angelus does not have an adjustable Truss Rod...and the action is just a wee too high for my comfort level. Ideally, if the action of the PS were the same as the action on the SE I'd be very happy. So, is it possible to swap the bridge saddles of the two guitars? I am thinking that the saddle on the SE might be a bit lower...and if it is the same, this would be the saddle I'd slightly shave down to get the action on the PS where I want it to be. After all...if I'm going to F-up a saddle, I'd rather do it to the SE than the PS.

Does anyone know if the saddles are the same width/length? Ideally, if I can just remove the strings and put the SE's saddle in the PS, I can then play around with it until I get the action the way I want it. I don't want to be shaving the PS saddle, or otherwise messing it up. On the otherhand, I'm not too afraid of messing up the saddle from the SE.

In a prior thread, Les had noted that many acoustic players keep two saddles for the warm and cold months to accomodate slight changes due to the temperature. So, I guess this is a very long way of asking if the SE saddle would fit into the PS prior to my "making adjustments".

I just realized that I probably spent more time writing this thread than it would have taken to remove/loosen the strings on both guitars and see for myself...but, maybe this issue is of interest to more owners than just myself, so any comments and thoughts are appreciated. Ultimate goal..adjusting the action on the PS without having to send it down to PTC....and if necessary, temporarily sacrificing the saddle from the SE to accomplish this task and eventually buying a replacement saddle for the SE.

Thanks for making it all the way through this convoluted thread.

Here was the solution:

Changed the strings last night from the ones it came with (probably 11's) to 8's.....much lower action, but a bit too tinny, so I will swap back to 9's....but, demonstrates that the action was fine, and I was just too much of a wus with the higher gauge strings.

Oh well.​

 

[László]

The thickness of the neck shouldn't have anything to do with the action, Ned.

Why not have the PTC adjust the bridge saddle and perhaps the nut to your liking?

 

[docbennett]

Update:

Changed it 9's from the 8's....still very low action...better tone, but still a bit more tinny than the strings it came with. I plan to continue to experiment until I arrive at the perfect combination of action/tone. I did remove all the strings and saw that the bridge saddle could easily be removed and shaved if necessary....and that might be an option if I can't get the tone I am seeking out of strings whose action in acceptable.

But, I'm optimistic...I'm thinking 11's or maybe even 9.5's might be the answer. When I got the guitar from the original owner it had the original stings so I have no idea what their gauge was...the PS COA spec sheet doesn't indicate, and from what I am comparing them to, they could have been 13's or something massive like that. They DID have a nice rich deep bass tone that is lacking with the thinner gauge strings. But...I am getting closer to arriving at the optimal compromise. And, the nut and bridge appear capable of dealing with a wide variety of gauges without having to modify either.


PS.....that signature is gonna be history by tomorrow. The "in" joke has long worn out.

"Bennett the provocateur" is probably more apropos.

 

[László]

I can't vouch for a special private stock, but the standard models come with the strings PRS sells on their website, that are like the D'Addario "bluegrass" set; medium bottoms, light tops.

Sounds like that still might be a bit heavy for you, so in your situation I'd try silk and steel extra light acoustic strings. But I'd stay away from electric guitar strings; after all, you've got a private stock instrument that's made to sound phenomenal, why spoil it with the wrong strings?