Strings Balance

STRINGS BALANCE lost after installation, after strings changing, after saddle changing.

1. If you have to change strings do it one-by-one if no need to clean the f-board.

2. If you’ve taken down all strings and restringing:

• Start with D4, G3, tune them up and push the saddle top against the neck to get its 90 degrees position even if this may not always be visible but plugged in amp you will hear the difference. You may do this each time you hear that your sound got "tiny" cause saddle bows even microscopically, since the (strings) pressure over the coax transducer is diagonal, that is why coax sleeps in its routed channel on the left (neck) side of the slot. If saddle bows towards neck the diagonal angle (pressure) doesn't reach coax the way it should.
• Then go for B2, A5, E1, E6 - tune them up and push saddle against neck, I prefer tuning fork pushing on 3 spots, be sure not to slip and damage the guitar top, use right hand as well.

3. If you've changed the saddle, be sure that bottom is 100% flat and that you've cut „ears“ on both sides in the case of classical guitar, so that saddle will not sit on the slot wood sides, if it does then saddle wont do pressure on coax transducer as it should.

4. If one or few strings has lost balance, means that either wood (slot bottom) has bowed or your new saddle bottom isn't absolutely straight. If we have to reinforce the wood (slot bottom) i suggest a 2mm carbon strip to be superglued on saddle bottom, this will ensure the perfectly straight ground for coax, then you proceed with coax channel routing (1.8mm wide, 1mm deep) on the left (neck) side of slot. Now the strings balance problem is solved on one point.

5. If you're using bone saddle (which is natural material and accordingly has no density and transmission of a signal as any composite material as carbon or ebony wood for saddle) the option is to superglue a fine carbon strip on saddle bottom, either 0.5mm or 1mm. This will work as an „equalizer“ for signal transmission between coax and strings. It does a big change thats hearable when plugged into P.A. Alternatively try the ebony saddle or a combination of two materials vertically glued together. Always be sure to cut the „ears“ if its classical guitar saddle.

6. I assume that your bridge has double-holes per string, that ensures the constant strings angle from hole to saddle top, increases sustain (even if unplugged) and keeps tuning better. But it also does one important change that can be used to fine-tune the certain strings to balance the pressure with others when plugged. How does this work?

Strings that pass double-holes got more pressure over saddle (means over coax) then those with traditional (rope style) mounting (where strings angle is of course smaller and produces less output). Means that if you want to lower G3 strings output (that is traditionally little stronger in output then B2 and even D4) you can go for traditional (single-hole) stringing only on G3.

Always note that whatever your scenario is, at the end of a job the saddle must be inside the wood much more then (free) outside. If needed you have to add wood on neck side to stop saddle from bowing, you have to create a wood wall or wood walls to have a perfect situation as pictured.