Drifting saddle problem

**pwayboy** · 09-11-2010, 02:38 PM

The 2008 SR5 I bought last week has a problem with drifting saddles.

After bringing the strings up to tension, all five saddles drift to the B-string side of the bridge, until the B string is riding the edge of the fretboard. As well, the drift is drastic enough that the strings do not float above their respective pickup pole pieces.

What would be causing the saddles to drift to one side? And, how do I fix it?

Here, everything looks OK closest to the nut:

The closer you get to the bridge, the strings drift to one side:

Here, the B-string saddle is pressed up against this piece:

**bovinehost** · 09-11-2010, 03:02 PM

Best thing to do is call customer service on Monday.

Anything anyone says here will be speculation or what we used to call "Scientific Wild-Ass Guesses" (SWAGs).

The number is on the main website.

**MrMusashi** · 09-11-2010, 06:34 PM

give cs a call and they will help you out.

i keep hearing good things about them

MrM

todddlur · 09-11-2010, 09:18 PM

my 89-90 was like that, i re-cute the saddles but i'm putting new saddles on , the old fender type where you can put the string in different positions. i only paid $500 for mine so a cheap fix is the way to go for me.

**maddog** · 09-11-2010, 09:27 PM

have you tried a girth or a cinch?

**pwayboy** · 09-12-2010, 06:08 PM

maybe a Keyboard Kowboy would get that one

**Smallmouth_Bass** · 09-12-2010, 09:29 PM

I have never seen the adjustment so far forward that it would slide out of position like that.

**pwayboy** · 09-12-2010, 11:43 PM

Great point about the saddles being so far forward!

At first, the intonation seemed OK, but upon further inspection, my 12th fretted note was indeed sharp on the B string and a couple others, because the string saddles were so far forward.

Moving the B-string saddle back so that it rests against the stopper button (don't know the real name for that part) corrected both the intonation and the strings offset problem, with the other string saddles "leaning" on the B-string saddle.

Now I know what those little stopper buttons are for!

Seems as though the previous owner really had the bridge out of whack ... Now, I'm in EBMM heaven again ...

I know how much everyone likes to see pictures. Here it is ... my very first SR5 HH in Honeyburst ... so far, I'm really liking it a lot!

**oli@bass** · 09-13-2010, 02:24 AM

Great that you were able to solve the problem!
Congratulations to a nice SR5!

**Movielife** · 09-13-2010, 03:19 AM

Glad it was sorted.

Can intonation really affect string over pole positioning that much?!

Looks good now.

**maddog** · 09-13-2010, 07:06 AM

Awesome! Glad you didn't have to resort to a cinch. Would have looked rather silly.

**five7** · 09-13-2010, 07:45 AM

Honeyburst is the best!!! Congrats!!!

**projectapollo** · 09-13-2010, 05:00 PM

I love happy endings. Don't you just love when you find a simple solution like that?

**mcnach** · 09-17-2010, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

I have never seen the adjustment so far forward that it would slide out of position like that.

indeed!
I suspect the intonation will be far out, and that adjusting it will mean the saddle goes back... and voila! it will lay against the bolt and push back where it should.

edit: note to self: read whole thread before chiming in!