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Martin D28 Marquis Saddle
I have a Martin D28 Marquis that I need to install a pickup in for a customer. It has a glued in saddle. I am hoping to get some guidance from some of the amazing experts here…. I am concerned that the saddle in at the factory with hide glue, but am not 100% sure. I have 2 questions:
– Does anyone know what type of adhesive Martin uses to glue these things in? I have a suspicion that they use CA glue. I tried to ask Martin directly and just got stonewalled. No help at all.
– If it is CA glue, is it safe to remove using a heat lamp? I have heat shields made from cardboard/aluminum foil that I can place around it to keep heat focused on the saddle, but I am concerned with causing the bridge to release if I heat it enough to break down the CA glue.
I would appreciate any feedback you will provide.
Thanks.
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11 Replies
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Hello Buddy Cazee, Keith Schultz here from Krowne Guitar Werks. If it’s hide glue, I would think a flat solder tip end for a minute would show some loosening. With CA lightly apply some Acetone with a syringe along the joint and give it a few minutes.
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Thanks for the tip. Really have to be careful with acetone. Does the acetone work down into the joint pretty well? The saddle is a long through saddle, so I would have to figure out how to get it under the rounded edges. I was concerned about the possibility of the bridge being dyed as some manufacturers have started doing this. Thanks for your suggestion.
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Acetone softens CA but it wont leech through the bridge. I am only talking about a few drops worth and precisely placing along the joint
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If it’s the type of saddle that looks like the old through saddle, but has rounded ends, I’ve had luck with making it black with a sharpie (so it absorbs more light), masking the entire area except for the saddle with aluminum foil and hitting it with a 250 watt heat lamp. This can take a while.
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Thanks Ian. When you heat it, do you do it in short bursts taking heat on and off of it, or do you keep it on for the whole time? When I remove hide glue, I typically do (2) 3 minute soaks and it releases. Any idea how long it should take? Just don’t want to break down the glue under the bridge. Thanks again for your reply.
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For the through-type saddle, has anyone tried this approach: https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/learn-about-guitar-bridge-and-tailpiece-installation-and-repair/removing-the-glued-in-saddle-on-a-1937-martin-d-28-herringbone/#:~:text=Using%20a%20pipette%2C%20I%20dripped,under%20and%20around%20the%20saddle.
@patreon_88359397 curious which approach you ended up using
stewmac.com
Removing the glued-in saddle on a 1937 Martin D-28 Herringbone - StewMac
Someone shaved down the saddle on this great old Martin until there's barely a nub showing above the bridge. It needs to be removed, but it's glued in and so low you can't grab it. Dan Erlewine shows how to … Continue reading
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I haven’t done that. My move is to paint the saddle black so it will accept heat lamp heat and then heat it. I usually get one of the ends to kick up and then I start working in water on the ends. Once the water is introduced it doesnt take much.
Now the saddle that are those pocket/through hybrid saddles from Martin in the mid 10s, those could probably use a move like though, although the water is pointless on that adhesive.
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Thanks for the reply Ian. I’ll try that
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I’ve started using a soldering gun with a tip that I have rounded to fit on top of the saddle if the saddle is made out of bone. I just move it across the top of the saddle and usually the saddle is free in a minute or so. I’ve tried it with a regular soldering iron but it doesn’t get hot enough. If the saddle is Micarta or some man made material a heat lamp is probably your best bet. Just an fyi, it does scorch the top of the saddle a little, but usually the scorched part can be sanded off. If it is hide glue, just wick a little water down the side of the saddle to help soften the glue. I’ve made a new tip out of a coat hanger that matches the radius of the saddle and in theory, distributes heat a little more evenly, reduces the time I have to heat the saddle and reduces the scorching. I have not tried it yet though.
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That’s very interesting. Can you post a picture of the rounded tip? Thanks
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Yeah I don’t mind doing that at all. Just have to find it first. I’m rearranging my shop and things are all over the place.
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