Saddle just dropped!

[Marvin]

Sorry about the title but that's just what happened, well it seemed to.

I had a lesson last night. In the last 15 mins my tutor introduces a slap exercise just to add some variation to what I'm learning. Going through the exercise and we both noticed the G was rattling a lot when I popped. On closer inspection the saddle had lowered considerably resulting in significant fret buzz when playing any note whether popped or just plucking normal finger style. It was fine at the start of the lesson and when I got home I raised the saddle and it's been fine since.

Has anyone else had this happen? I can't think what might have happened TBH.

[geoffbyrne]

This is not uncommon. Usual fix is to either put a bit of clear nail varnish on the threads of the grub screw or use some of that very thin silicone tape plumbers use, although that's a bit fiddly.

G.

[The_D]

It happened to me after a break in a gig once.

Came back after the break and the first song was Scar Tissue. Anything on the G string above like 10th fret was choked. I had just been using it before the break so it must have happened during the break. I raised the saddle after that song after fluffing my way through and it has been fine ever since.

This was about 1-2 years ago so I am still puzzled as to what happened.

[Marvin]

The only thing I could assume is that the popping was moving the saddle and because the grubs aren't quite tight enough the movement works them down.
I think that makes sense, sort of.

It is a relief to know it's not unique but still odd.

[Legion]

I had this happen on my '74 P bass . The grub screws for adjusting the saddles were a little bit "loose" so if I played a bit too aggressively the saddles would drop. I just put loctite on the threads to stop them from moving - bit of a pain though as you have to remove the whole saddle to do a good job of it.
The nail varnish idea sounds like a good one.

[Marvin]

I'll pinch some of the wife's nail varnish when she's not watching .

[JTUK]

Another essential to the gig tool box.. I always have allen keys to hand..

[Marvin]

Good point, I've now got one safely stashed in my case along with a few other bits. Thankfully it wasn't a gig, but it does make you think about being a little more prepared.

[thisnameistaken]

I used to have a Jazz that did this, I did a few gigs with an allen key in my pocket on stage which I would take out and re-raise the E between songs. Replaced the bridge with a Badass and that made the problem go away.

[throwoff]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='921340' date='Aug 11 2010, 09:17 AM']I used to have a Jazz that did this, I did a few gigs with an allen key in my pocket on stage which I would take out and re-raise the E between songs. Replaced the bridge with a Badass and that made the problem go away.[/quote]

Exactly the same issue with me.

I know about 5 people who had Mexican J basses from the same year and they were clearly not doing something right over there when they built them

I believe all 5 have Badass bridges on now.

[geoffbyrne]

Confucious he say: "Nicking wife's nail varnish much cheaper than Badass bridge!!"



G.

[Marvin]

I'm with Confucious.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='921839' date='Aug 11 2010, 06:03 PM']Confucious he say: "Nicking wife's nail varnish much cheaper than Badass bridge!!"[/quote]

Shame nail varnish couldn't also fix noisy pickups, a twisting neck, or any of the other half a dozen things that weren't fit for purpose on that Jazz. It was a truly rubbish bass, I gave it away in the end.

Fortunately I hadn't paid for it in the first place or I would've been more upset.

[stingrayPete1977]

Can I link this thread everytime some idiot says "I have had loads of BBOT bridges and never noticed anything wrong,what am I doing wrong ?,Why do I need a badass?" They obviously dont play hard enough,Ha.
Leo had binned the standard bridges by the early 70's and on everything he made after yet you still find them on many high end basses,But what did he know?

[geoffbyrne]

Please note this is not a critique of standard v Badass bridges or anything else.

It was a suggestion to help Marvin get a cheap fix for a slipping grub screw.



G.

[essexbasscat]

small fine threads on grub screws + string pressure = potential for the screw to jump a thread, especially if some aspect the engineering is less than the best. The nail varnish option works well. I've been using this trick for securing grub screws in pairs of spectacles for years. Works fine. Just acts like Loctite, but a more commonplace solution to the same problem.

T