New Kentucky Km150 Bridge hieght is crooked, help

[Flowlikewater1]

I just got this Kentucky, i restrung it and set it up but the bridge height is a quarter inch higher on the high e side from the treble side. Is that normal, the action feels right, all the notes play, no string buzz. I just wanna know if I'm freaking out about nothing.

[Flowlikewater1]

sorry didn't mean to send three pics, I'm new to this

[MikeEdgerton]

Did you replace the strings one at a time or did you remove the bridge entirely? Can you post a picture of the bridge from the top down?

[multidon]

Mike brings up a good point. If you removed the bridge to replace the strings it could be on backwards, at least the base. It would be normal to have the bass side set a tad higher, not the treble. That is to prevent buzzing of the thicker strings.

[roysboy]

I have that model and my saddle is the same way ....higher on the bass end . My mandolin also intonates and frets flawlessly with no buzz or dead areas whatsoever . It was set up superbly by the in-house luthier where I purchased it .

[David Houchens]

Some mandolins I've had in my shop have this configuration. It comes from the neck being rotated toward the bass side at the neck joint. The bridge height has to follow suit to have proper string height over the finger board.

[Willie Poole]

I adjust all of my bridges with the bass side a tad higher than the treble side, always seemed like the right way to do it since the bass strings are thicker.....

Willie

[bernabe]

all the notes play, no string buzz. I just wanna know if I'm freaking out about nothing.

What happens if you lower that side? i.e. try bringing it down to the point the strings are buzzing and/or all notes wont play. Then, go up from there until there is no string buzz, all notes clearly heard, and the action feels good to you. If you totally got the setup right on both sides of the bridge for your playing, and its still like that, then it is what it is. As long as it feels ok, play on!

[Flowlikewater1]

thanks for the feedback! I dunno just looks weird, I think I've got the action pretty much as low as it will go, and I'll take pics from the top down, as far as it being backwards, saga sent it strung like that with the action already adjusted that way like the luthiers had already tested it, then I took it to the local shop and had them restring.

[Flowlikewater1]

heres the photo of the bridge looking down as someone asked.

[Flowlikewater1]

I'm as low as i can go without string buzz, is there a coin you can use like on the 12th to gage the right action, like a guitar, I'm guessing it would be more like a dime for mandolin, and i just checked a dime barley fits under the 12th on the high e, still touching the string, i can probably come down on the treble side actually, which seems so weird its crooked like that.

[MikeEdgerton]

Compare your bridge to the diagram on the top of message #16 in this thread. That will tell you if the saddle is on right.

[fscotte]

Maybe the treble side is deflecting more than the bass. You can tell by looking at the f-holes.

[bernabe]

heres the photo of the bridge looking down as someone asked.

Looks right

[mandobassman]

It's hard to tell from the photos, but I'm wondering if the top might be a bit sunken on the treble side. That would make the bridge need to go higher to maintain the same action. I had a cheap Johnson mandolin a couple years ago the had some sinkage on the bass side and the I had to really crank the bridge up quite a bit on that side so it would play.

I lightened the first photo you posted and also noticed that the fit on the bridge doesn't seem so good. Appears to be a gap between the bridge foot and the top. Might want to have that looked at as well.

[MikeEdgerton]

They might have put the bridge bottom on backwards.

[Michael Lewis]

The main point is to have a playable instrument. All else is cosmetic, or of little consequence. As long as the strings are about right above the frets and the intonation is good, there is very little else you can do but just play it.

Not all mandolins are symmetric. There are probably at least small variations in most mandolins. Just play it.