Saddle Groove Maintenance
Over time, particularly on the thinner unwound E, B and G strings - the groove may cut into the saddle, in which the string rests, taking on a sharper 'V' shape - due to the action of the string sliding slightly in the groove: particularly during string bending. As this 'V' shape sharpens, it takes on a slight scissor characteristic and gradually any new string is abraded as string tension pulls it deeper into the groove: this leads to increased breakage, particularly during bending - exactly at the saddle. The simplest solution is a slight filing out of the groove, to recreate more of a 'U' shape, while saddle replacement - particularly with very high quality metal alloy replacements, is another option.
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Famous quotes containing the words saddle and/or maintenance:
“The dress makes the person; the saddle the horse.”
—Chinese proverb.
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—George Grosz (1893–1959)