GraphTech COMPENSATED ACOUSTIC SADDLE Musical Instrument Parts (PQ927600)

Worthwhile up grade for most acoustics but especially for lower cost guitars. I purchased a Yamaha FG 800 as a second guitar and while the overall value cannot be beat. The factory plastic saddle is soft and wobbly in the bridge slot... not good. Replaced with the Tusq fully compensated saddle and can tell the difference instantly. Better overall tone, more articulate, drastically reduced dissonance, intonation better. Does require some sanding for thickness, length and height but with patience and 150 grit and 600 grit sandpaper the job took me about a half an hour. I did the thickness or width of the saddle first using the 150 grit placed on a flat surface and sanding both sides an equal amount until I could slide either end in the slot with a very snug fit. Then I finished each side with the 600 grit for a perfect snug fit that requires needle nose plyers to remove. Then I used the 600 grit to take an equal amount off both ends before rounding to a finish using the 600 grit. With a snug fit all the way around I then used the old saddle as a template for the new one. Lay the old on the new and scribe a thin pencil. This is the line that you want to sand up to and barely eliminate. If you want higher or lower action at the saddle then take more or less off. I was happy with the action so pretty much copied the height of the factory saddle. Crucial to keep checking the saddle bottom while sanding to make sure you're maintaining a flat surface so the saddle will seat solidly in the bridge slot. A quick tip is to use two rolled pieces of masking tape or double sided tape if you have it and place on the flat side of the saddle when sanding for thickness so to have two places for your fingers to grip the saddle. Otherwise you will have an almost impossible time trying the slide the saddle on the sandpaper. That's it. Not a whole lot of work and cost for the upgrade in sound. I will probably replace bridge pins at some point and may even tackle the nut. But the saddle replacement offers the biggest payoff for sure. Take your time and check the fit often so as not to take off too much material.

I bought two of them, both for Epiphones. One six stringer and the other a 12. The length fit exactly but it was a tad wide so I needed to slightly sand the width. Also, they set on top of piezo pickups so I had to take quite a bit off just to setup the string height, then almost another 1/8" for the pickups. With that much to take off I used a disc sander and of course ended up taking a few thousandths of an inch to much-on BOTH guitars. Doh... So I had to shim them and bought several more which just arrived (should have bought the 10 pack). Hopefully I can get them both right this time. Removing so much material requires lots of patience. To much to do by hand and the sander easily shaves material off fast. Also have to get the right height on both sides (low & high E).Expected these to be quite hard as I wanted the 12 stringer strings to be a little closer. But by the time you tune up (and I tune down a whole tone instead of just a 1/2 tone) the strings are were already digging grooves into the saddle. Which is why I should have bought the 10 pack because I don't know how deep the strings will eventually settle in the grooves they made.Oh well, guess this time I'll leave a few thousandths more for settling since I like very low action, I don't want to have it perfectly dialed it in and have the strings settle a few thousandths more and have strings start buzzing.As far as the debate about Tusq, bone, etc. ringing more than plastic, I'd need a sound wave machine or something to measure it by. It does SEEM to sound better than the cheap plastic saddle Epi puts in their cheapest guitars, (or it could be from the Elixirs I put on), but by how much is subjective. I don't think anyone would tell me my AJ-100 or DR-212 sounds much better than stock because I replace the saddles. Still, they are an excellent replacement.

This is a nice replacement for the original saddle in my acoustic guitar. The only drawback was the amount of work required to allow it to fit properly. Otherwise it would have received 5 instead of the 4 stars that I gave it.

Many guitars straight from the factory have cheap urea.. aka plastic saddles that simply chip from string itterations.Now the channel offsets the height or alignment creating disturbing buzz.I cannot believe Tusq is not the standard for ALL guitars.Thankfully Tusq saves the day.You can hear the sound hardness when you drop the saddle or nuts on a counter they have a bright ring similar to glass and bounce..Verses cheap urea that simply has plastic dead thud no bounce.Bone was the original old school upgrade.Unfortunally bone does NOT have a precise density thickness or hardness.I measured my OE saddle with a micrometer.Started off with 100 grit paper to get closeNext monitored and perfected the size with 800 grit to polish and make a tighter precision fit.The tusq hardness really transfers string sound making your guitar louder, brighter. The urea actually cushins the sound making it dull.The tedious work payoff.. You made them,Lil boast story topic, they do not wear out like cheap urea!!You will be amazed the sound, harmonics, loudness and tone on acustic & electric.Highly recommended. Size options some match perfect.. some you need to use your elbow grease. String them up. Tune,NO need to repeat this upgrade.UN-like cheap components!Enjoy your new sound endeavor!