Stewart MacDonald 5297, Assembly Instruction Manual, Page: 38 / 42

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Your bridge saddle may be too tall . Decide how much each
string must be lowered at the 12th fret . Twice that amount
must be removed from the saddle height (this is a proven
formula for lowering or raising the strings accurately) .
Decide how much each string must be lowered at the 12th
fret . Twice that amount must be removed from the saddle
height (this is a proven formula for lowering or raising the
strings accurately) .
The top of the saddle is already shaped, so we recommend
you remove material from the bottom of the saddle . Remove
the saddle and measure up from the bottom the required
amount to be removed . Use the same sanding method as
recommended in “Fitting the bridge saddle .” sanding evenly .
Work slowly and test often . You can remove a little more, but
once you've gone to far, it's impossible to add it back on!
Install the remaining strings and tune to standard pitch .
Using a small razor saw and several nut-slotting files, lower
the strings, one at a time, until they’re close to the desired
clearance over the first fret as measured with feeler gauges .
Here are good clearances: E (1st), 0 .012"; B (2nd), 0 .012"; G
(3rd), 0 .014"; D (4th), 0 .014"; A (5th), 0 .016"; E (6th), 0 .016" .
When filing the nut slots, angle the file downward toward
the peghead, and toward the appropriate tuning machine
string post (pictured ) . The bottom of each slot should be
slightly rounded, so each string will fit without binding .
When the slots are correct, remove the nut by gently tapping
it from the front and back sides to unseat it, and then pry
it upward gently . Place the nut in a vise, and file down the
top surface until the slots are approximately half as deep as
their string diameters . Re-contour the upper edges of the
nut, using a file, sandpapers and polishing compound .
The first stage of setup will produce a medium-high action
(this may be suitable for bluegrass players, but can be low-
ered for other playing styles) . The heights of the nut and
the saddle should be adjusted together; changes in one will
affect the other . Adjust the truss rod to make the fretboard
playing surface as straight as possible . If your neck has un-
even fret heights, you must level them in order to “read” the
frets accurately (see “Leveling the frets”) .
Install the two outside E-strings to establish the string clear-
ance over the first fret and the saddle height above the top
of the bridge . The latter two measurements determine the
action height, judged by measuring string clearance at the
12th fret .
Install a guitar capo behind the first fret and tighten it just
enough to pull the strings down for clearance between the
bottom of the strings and the top of the first fret . Set this
clearance at about .020" below the treble E-string, and .030"
below the bass E-string . Use .020" and .030" guitar strings to
measure the clearance as the capo is tightened (pictured) .
Now measure the overall string action at the 12th fret . A
comfortable medium action is about 3/32" to 7/64" under
the bass E-string, and 1/16" to 5/64" under the treble E-string .
Adjusting string action: nut slots and saddle height
36