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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on July 3, 2020 at 10:03am

I've had the same problem with string hopping out of place when trying to finger pick. 

Some times its seems to have been a lack of enough down pressure on the saddle/bridge.  Mine seem to do better when the saddle sits a quarter inch (or more) higher than what the strings come off or out of.  - Mine usually come out of a metal home made tail piece.  Coarser threads on the bolt seem to work better too.

Good wishes on getting that worked out.    

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Permalink Reply by Michael Myers on July 3, 2020 at 10:30am

Thanks, I’ll just have to experiment with different bridges

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on July 3, 2020 at 12:45pm

Hi, with my saddles I try not to have to slot the saddle as this can cause buzzing, but at times I have to due to the materials used or the design used.

Two things I keep in mind: one is to have as straight a line as possible for the string between the saddle and the tailpiece, and the other is to have the correct size groove for a particular string. The grooves in a bolt are all he same so will not suit all strings.

As a guide, in a fingerboard nut the string sits a third of it's diameter down in it's slot, I would aim for the same at the saddle.
And as mentioned down pressure on the bridge is important [called break angle] as it stops the strings moving, rattling and "loads" the bridge helping to produce better volume and tone.
Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on July 3, 2020 at 2:03pm

+1 on slotting

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