Riaan
Guys
I have a Yamaha APX nylonstring, an electroacoustic. I haven't seriously played the guitar since buying it secondhand (on EBay from a guy in the UK), and I've only recently started to pay some attention to it. First thing I noticed was a terrible intonation problem on the G string, which improved somewhat after a fresh set of strings but still not to my liking, and I suspect that it needs some compensation on the bridge which it does not have at the moment. Also, the action can be a bit lower, which is why I then tried to remove the bridge.
But here's the thing: the bridge is absolutely stuck down in the bridge slot, almost as if someone had glued it down. I tried removing it first with my fingers, as I expected it to come out like the bridge of any steel string acoustic, i.e. almost fall out. Then I lightly clamped it with a pair of pliers, with protected tips - no luck, it's stuck rock solid. So I gave up before I messed something up.
What would be going on here? An electro-acoustic nylon string's bridge isn't supposed to be stuck down like that or what?
Keira-WitherKay
riaan , i have a yamaha electic nylon not APX tho ...and my bridge is easily removable .... so i doubt it's a factory flaw ....
yeah you in ct take it to sergio paliaga 021 5582524 he's great with acoustic setups...and very creative in solving probs on acoustic guitars... (he builds guitars and upright bass's too) call him during office hours if you seeking someone to sort it for you .
AlanRatcliffe
The Yamaha acoustics made after a point should all have a compensated G-string, so chances are the previous owner slapped in a new saddle and neglected to shave it to fit properly (they are always thicker than needed). An acoustic-electric's saddle should come out easily too, as they need to be a loose enough fit to move. Do you have string balance problems when plugged in? That's usual if the saddle is too tight.
OK. Softly, softly, catchy monkey on this one. Saddle materials tend to be brittle, and if it breaks off flush with the bridge, the saddle slot will need to be rerouted - and having an undersaddle pickup means probably replacing the pickup if you have to do that. Try again with pliers, but without protected tips (which slip easier) - any marring of the surface can be sanded out when you slim the saddle. Try pull up one side first, rather than trying to pull the whole saddle out in one go from the middle.
If that fails I'd probably go with carpenters pincers with the edges dulled and lever against wooden strips on the bridge surface. If that didn't work, I'd use a Dremel cutting wheel to slot the end of the saddle then lever it up with a chisel or something, then replace with a new saddle.
