Find the Correct Saddle for Your Guild® Acoustic Guitar

Looking for a Guild acoustic guitar saddle? Guild Guitars history is a long one, spanning over seventy years and several different factory locations, and during that time a number of different saddle sizes have been used. Finding the correct saddle for your Guild acoustic guitar can be difficult, but this article will help.

Please Note: This article contains guidelines to finding the correct saddle, but you should always measure your current saddle slot to ensure a proper fit. In particular, if you are not the original owner, a different saddle from the original may have been installed at some point, or the saddle slot itself may have been adjusted.

Step One: Determine Your Guitar’s Fretboard Radius

A large number of Guild acoustic guitars have a 12 inch fretboard radius, particularly Guild models built in the US. However, you’ll also see Guild models with 14 or 16 inch radii fretboards. Try contacting Guild with your serial number for your specific guitar’s radius. Note that Guild has changed ownership several times over the years, and since documentation may have been lost, they may not have the specs for older Guild models. If so, you may need to purchase or print radius gauges, or take your guitar to a professional technician.

Note: Guild Westerly Era and Westerly Collection are two different groups. Guild Westerly Era refers to guitars that were built in Guild’s Westerly, Rhode Island, factory from 1967 to the 1990s. This is often referred to as Guild’s “golden era.” Westerly Era guitars often have non-compensated saddles with a 12 inch radius.

Conversely, Guild Westerly Collection guitars were first announced in May 2015 and were named to pay tribute to the Westerly era. Guild Westerly Collection guitars are made in China. These guitars often have B compensated with slanted bass saddles with a 16 inch radius.

Step Two: Determine Compensation Pattern

Guild acoustics often have one of the three below compensation patterns.

Non-Compensated Center Line

Many Guild models built before 2014 will have centerline non-compensated saddles – please see our article on non-compensated saddle types for more information. These models often have bridge saddle slots with a length of around 71.5 to 72 mm.

 

Center Line Non-Compensated Guitar Saddle for Pre-2014 Guild Guitars

 

Saddle thickness will vary significantly from guitar to guitar, and can be anywhere between 2 and 3.2 mm, although a thickness of 2.5 mm is common. Radius is often 12 inches. Saddle heights are often in the 9 to 10 mm height range, but this varies from guitar to guitar. 

We offer a center line non-compensated saddle for many pre-2014 Guild models. This saddle has a 71.5 mm length, 10 mm height, 2.5 mm thickness, and 12 inch radius. Please measure your current saddle before ordering. Need a saddle with different specs? Please contact us.

Compensated B with Slanted Bass – 12 Inch Radius

This saddle type combines a B compensation with a slanted bass and is often seen on New Hartford Guilds (2009 to 2014), and the Guild USA models, which were announced in 2014 and built in Southern California, beginning in 2015.

Guild USA Bone Saddle for Guitars with Undersaddle Pickup - Angle View
B Compensted with Slanted Bass Saddle with 12 Inch Radius

Saddle length is often around 72.8 mm. Thickness varies, but New Hartford models may use a 3 mm thick saddle, whereas Guild USA saddles often use a 3.25 mm thick saddle. Please see our saddles for post-2014 Guild guitars. We offer this in a 3.3 mm thickness, but can adjust to your specs.

Compensated B with Slanted Bass – 16 Inch Radius

Similar to the above type of saddle, but with a 16 inch radius, sharper lines, and decorative rounded corners. This saddle type is often found on the discontinued Guild GAD Series models, and on the current Guild Westerly Collection models. Saddle height is often low – around 8 to 9 mm. Please see our saddles for Guild Westerly Collection models. 

Bone Saddle for Guild Westerly A
B Compensted with Slanted Bass Saddle with 16 Inch Radius

Which Saddle for Your Guild Acoustic?

Still wondering which saddle would work best for your Guild acoustic guitar? Please contact us with the below information:

  • Fretboard Radius – Confirm by contacting the manufacturer with your serial number
  • Current Saddle Length, Maximum Height, Thickness – Must be measured with a caliper
  • Bass to Treble Edge Height Difference
  • Guitar Saddle Slot Length, Thickness (if different from saddle specs) – Must be meausured with a caliper
  • Guitar string spacing at the bridge
  • Current Saddle Compensation Pattern (Please send a picture if you are not sure which type you have)

We will respond within 48 hours.