C+ saddle mod

[jtharris18]

Hi,

So excited to be a new Crowdster owner. I have wanted a true hybrid for SO many years and none fully fit the bill until I touched my first C+.

Here is the question for Tom or whoever can answer:
Is it possible to get my guitar retrofitted with an alternate saddle intonated for the following guages (phosphor):
11
15
18p
32
42
52

I know no one makes that exact combination...I'd be piecing in the 18. If this can be done, what would be the cost and turnaround time? You can email me or PM directly if you prefer.

Thanks,
Jimmy

[tom]

if you go with the 18 plain you will also need to change the mag pickup. the magnetic field is made to balance with the wound G string. the 18 will be very loud compared to the d wound string.
as for the saddle, it would have to be done by hand and any buzz retrofitter should be able to do it. we have put a regular .011 elixir set on crowdsters and the intonation works out very nice.
my advise would be to try those strings with the acoustic sound and see if you love them enough to justify the mods.

[jtharris18]

Ok, well I know a buzz retrofitter nearby. Not cheap tho. I'm about 90% certain I want to go this way. I'll try the .018 first though.

It's crazy, but I was running a D-18 with a plain G (up to a .020) through the PA and a silvertone 1482 tube amp many years ago. I know that's a sacrilege in some circles, particularly bluegrass. But I dug up some old recordings of that time period and I really liked what I was getting sonically. I guess it was an attempt at hybrid before there was a name for it.

Anyway, so the pickup would have to be changed to reduce the G. Does that mean each pole is wound individually? Or would it just be a straight swap for the standard electric pickup. I really do want to stick with the phosphors because I agree they have a huge impact on the "acousticness".

What would the pickup switch out cost and would it then still work with the phosphors? This is actually a C that was made into a + about a year ago.

Thanks for your help and expertise.

[Pietro]

I had to use an unwound G one time on the C+ and it was horrible.

especially electric.

[jtharris18]

Yikes...Well, I'll have to experiment a little. Guitar should arrive Tuesday. If i recall I used to do interesting tricks at the saddle (like lining the G with a tiny strip of wire insulation sleeve at the saddle contact point) to make that work as well.

If there is a way to make it fly I'm pretty determined about it.

But mostly I'm so excited to be joining the Crowdster club.

[tom]

the unwound G is the main problem, and mostly for the magnetic pickup. the piezo would be as good as your martin was.
we can swap you the mag pickup n/c. i would still first try the strings to see if you can live with the feel and tone of the piezo. then worry about intonation and getting the mag swapped.

[jtharris18]

Ok, that sounds like a plan. Thanks Tom.

[bruce]

I might suggest this for the intonation mod...

1. Determine the size height of the saddle in the guitar now, (Tom has short, medium, tall, etc.). It should be hand-written in pencil on the backside of the saddle.

2. Obtain from Anderson that same size saddle you have and mod this new one for the plain G retrofit. (You will need to have it cut back where the G sits). Make sure the tech is Feiten Authorized that does this work.

This way you can go back to the factory wound-G set up easily with just a drop in saddle.