Compensated Saddles for '51 "P" Bridge?

[claudel]

Hi

I have one of these Wilkenson adjustable old school style bridges.




and the string tension pulls the saddles out of adjustment even with the screws tight.

Does anyone know if anyone makes a Glendale/Callaham style non-adjustable compensated saddle for this kind of bridge?

It doesn't help that the bridge plate is not optimally placed, but it's way too much hassle to consider moving it.

TIA & Happy Holidays

[Rhomco Guitars]

in the dark but you might consider drilling new string thru holes a bit farther forward and scooting the bridge back enough give you some saddle adjustment room.

[claudel]

Way too much hassle.

The bridge plate is inlaid into the body rather than on the surface...

It's close enough that it'll intonate properly with correctly cut saddles...

The "E" is the only one that doesn't have enough room as it is.

[Tim Armstrong]

Brass is fairly soft, I'd maybe try filing off metal from the front side of the lower string sides and off the back side of the upper string sides, so as to angle the top of the saddles rather than try to angle the whole thing.

I'd do that to some new saddles and keep the originals as spares if doing the above ruined the new ones!

Tim

[claudel]

I'm considering filing them, but I want to do away with the pretty much useless pivot screw arrangement...

It almost intonates properly until the saddles shift except the low "E" is a few cents off on the Strobo.

Since the bass is fretless it probably only matters to me and the Strobe...

[Rhomco Guitars]

Try setting the angle once again but this time put a drop of "Locktite Red" on it and let it cure without string tension. You can break it loose with heat from a soldering iron if you need to remove it later.
Good luck,
Rob

[claudel]

I'll give the Loctite a go but the screw isn't backing out I don't think, it's just not strong
enough to hold the saddle at the proper angle with the poor bridge placement and the stout strings.

[jrfrond]

Originally Posted by rhomco

in the dark but you might consider drilling new string thru holes a bit farther forward and scooting the bridge back enough give you some saddle adjustment room.

+1. This is your REAL problem, not the bridge design. I've used these bridges with no issues. All of the work-arounds will not cure the bridge being in the wrong place, to wit, about 1/2" too far forward.

[claudel]

Originally Posted by jrfrond

+1. This is your REAL problem, not the bridge design. I've used these bridges with no issues. All of the work-arounds will not cure the bridge being in the wrong place, to wit, about 1/2" too far forward.

Originally Posted by claudel

Way too much hassle.

The bridge plate is inlaid into the body rather than on the surface...

It's close enough that it'll intonate properly with correctly cut saddles...

The "E" is the only one that doesn't have enough room as it is.

I understand that the bridge is incorrectly installed.

I'd consider moving the neck before the bridge.

Moving the bridge would require filling the existing routing & mounting/string/ferrule holes, re-routing & redrilling and then refinishing...

It'd be impossible to hide the patch in the transparent finish.

I could fill & redrill the neck mounting holes to extend the scale more easily if I wished to perform major surgery.

I don't care to make a major project out of it.

It's not that far off.

A correctly compensated saddle will do the deed.

I'd love to buy one somewhere and avoid having to learn metalworking at this stage of my life.

[ou7shined]

The guys have correctly diagnosed your problem. The simple solution though is to fit a Wilkinson top loader bridge ;) you don't need to go shifting the neck or filing down the bridge.