Bowl Back mandolin saddle.

[ZacGordon]

Greetings!
I recently purchased an excellent condition American Conservatory bowl back mandolin. Theres only one problem with it, The bridge is attached and what appears to be a bone saddle is cracked right on one of the E string grooves. Im finding it extremely difficult to find a replacement that would fit, Any suggestions on where to buy or how to fix this would be extremely helpful. Thank you.

[DavidKOS]

If you can't get a replacement, perhaps baking soda and superglue could work to repair the saddle.

[Tavy]

That's a very unusual bridge for a bowlback, but to replace that, you start with a guitar bridge saddle and sand it down to fit. And yes it's going to be really fiddly, but there's no other way. Use a strip of 80 grit taped to a flat surface and move the saddle over the paper not the other way round. If it get's too small to hold use some double sided tape to attach it to a flat piece of wood to act as a handle and away you go. Good luck!

[bennyb]

Lmii sells a bone saddle that's 5/64ths(around .080"). Yours looks thinner. If so, Tavy's approach is the way to go.

[MikeEdgerton]

Greetings!
I recently purchased an excellent condition American Conservatory bowl back mandolin. Theres only one problem with it, The bridge is attached and what appears to be a bone saddle is cracked right on one of the E string grooves. Im finding it extremely difficult to find a replacement that would fit, Any suggestions on where to buy or how to fix this would be extremely helpful. Thank you.

Is that bridge glued in place? You might try heating the bridge up a but to get it loose and then make the slot a little wider to accept a size you can get.

[rcc56]

This would be a routine job for a seasoned repair person.

[DavidKOS]

This would be a routine job for a seasoned repair person.

First, they could cut a new saddle!

BTW, jeweler's saw can cut very thin material.

Next, where do you think I learned the baking soda/super glue trick from? I sure did not invent it. I learned it from a "seasoned repair person"

Yes the best thing is a new saddle. If you can't get one, careful use of the baking soda/cyanoacrylate trick will work.

Elegant?

No

functional?

Yes.

I learned in the early 80's from Jimmy and Gene Foster. They had the number one pro guitar shop in New Orleans for decades.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...my_Foster_Dies

https://reverb.com/marketplace/elect...e=jimmy-foster

[DavidKOS]

Is that bridge glued in place? You might try heating the bridge up a but to get it loose and then make the slot a little wider to accept a size you can get.

Good point, Mike, but I bet the bridge is just stuck on the finish surface.

Second good point - adapt the bridge to a large saddle.

3rd idea.

Make new bridge and saddle.

[ZacGordon]

I decided to try this first, And it worked great! Took a few tries to get it straight but it did work and you can't even tell it was ever cracked! Thank you very much!

[ZacGordon]

Yeah it's weird, Never seen a bowlback with a glued on bridge. Could try that, but right now the bakingsoda/glue trick is working. Thank you!!

[DavidKOS]

Yeah it's weird, Never seen a bowlback with a glued on bridge. Could try that, but right now the bakingsoda/glue trick is working. Thank you!!

It often does work! Enjoy playing.