535 Saddle

[JazzyPete]

I have acquired a lovely 2014 535. I notice that when I bend a string it slips off the bridge slot. In the bridge there's a light indentation per each string, to hold each string in place. It takes little pressure to make a string slide out of the groove in the bridge. Is this normal for a 535?

[kidsmoke]

no.

They should tolerate bending without displacing. The following is pure speculation on my part: there was a period of time when these beautifully handcrafted instruments would leave Parsons St with a less than stellar set up. A good shop, Wolfe's or similar, would make it a point to scrutinize things like nuts slots, fret ends, bridge set up, upon receipt, address it, and the customer would never be the wiser. I'd venture to guess that one reason that guitar even went on the market at it's tender age is that it missed getting that attention, fell short of the buyers expectations, and was passed on.

Take it to your local luthier and get a proper set up. Problem solved. This should be done occasionally anyway, and depending on where you live, downright often. (northern climes where there is a wide hot/humid to cold/dry swing throughout the year, a quality axe may get bi-annual set-ups) 

 

Welcome to the forum and the Heritage.

and, ahem, pics please??

 

[JazzyPete]

Yes I've taken it to my local luthier and they said they'd cut deeper grooves. I am slightly taken aback that a hand crafted Heritage would have such a basic issue but I guess nothing is necessarily 100% perfect. The 535 certainly plays and sounds intoxicating, (even alongside my custom les Paul R8). My luthier seems quite confident about making the grooves a bit more "groovy". Maybe the groove maker guy was feeling a bit tired the day he made my bridge saddles!

... as you say, sounds like a quality control mess up that day.

Thank you very much 

Pete

(pics to follow!)