Saddles on Epi's and Gibson's

[just strum]

Does anyone know why the flat side of the saddle on strings 1, 2, and 3 face the headstock and 4,5, and 6 face the opposite way?

A friend of mine was a a guitar show and spoke to a Gibson engineer and the engineer had no idea why they are done that way. I've heard of people setting them up after purchase so that all of the flat sides face the headstock, but still have yet to find a reason why they are half and half as stock set-up.

[ET335]

very good question strum! in my experience with my Les Paul it has to do with the intonation, when the screw is turned they will travel farther one way than the other.

[t_ross33]

Bingo! 335. It has to do with setting intonation. The breaking point of the string over the saddle is off center, so having them face one way or another puts the breaking point closer to the bridge side or closer to the nut/headstock side giving you a few millimeters of extra travel as you adjust the saddle to set intonation.

Trev

[wingsdad]

Yep, the direction they face is a variable in setting intonation, and partially because of the Gibson/Epi's bridge being set at an angle, not perpendicular to the nut, much like an acoutic guitar's bridge saddle may be angled or 'graduated'.

[t_ross33]

perpendicular to the nut

That'd be a funny looking guitar : Talk about bending them strings I think you're going for "parallel" here

Trev :

[wingsdad]

That'd be a funny looking guitar : Talk about bending them strings I think you're going for "parallel" here

Trev :

Doh!: Yep.
As you can see, I flunked geometry