Find the Right Saddle for Your Eastman® Acoustic Guitar

Are you in need of an Eastman steel string acoustic guitar saddle? Eastman has only been making flat-top steel string guitars since 2008, but has gained a reputation for making quality instruments. Finding the correct saddle for your Eastman can be a bit difficult because there’s no single saddle size for all Eastman guitars.

This article provides tips on finding the right saddle for your Eastman flat top steel string acoustic guitar, but we advise that you also measure your guitar’s current saddle and saddle slot for a proper fit. If you are not the original owner, at some point someone may have installed a different saddle or have adjusted the saddle slot, producing different specs from the factory’s.

Step One: Measure Saddle Length, Thickness, Maximum Height, Bass/Treble Height Difference

From the factory, almost all Eastman acoustic guitars have a 12 inch fretboard radius. Please note that if you are not the original owner, another neck may have been installed at some point. You may want to check the fretboard radius with a gauge.

However, other saddle dimensions will vary. A large number of Eastman models will have a B compensated with slanted bass saddle – more on this in the next section. However, this saddle type length will vary, typically between 69 and 71 mm. In our experience, models made before 2022 tend to have 69 mm long saddles, and models built after 2021 tend to have 71 mm long saddles, but please measure your current saddle and bridge saddle slot before ordering. Please see our article on How To Remove Saddle Without Completely Restringing for tips. 

Your saddle may be longer than 71 mm as well, particularly if you have a through saddle – discussed later.

Eastman saddles will vary from 2.9 to 3.2 mm thickness. Be sure to measure your current saddle and compare the thickness to the saddle you intend to buy. We make our Eastman-style saddles in a 3.2 mm thickness, but please contact us if you need a different spec. While it might not seem like much to adjust a saddle from 3.2 to 2.9 mm thickness, doing so by hand is difficult as there’s little to grip on to. Please see our article on How to Adjust Saddle Thickness for more information.  

Eastman saddles will typically be somewhere between 9 and 11 mm maximum height. If you have an undersaddle pickup, your saddle is likely closer to 9 mm, if not, it’s likely closer to 11 mm, but this will vary for each guitar, so please measure before ordering. 

Also check your bass to treble height difference as this will vary. We make our Eastman-style saddles with a 1.0 mm difference, but can make to a different spec upon request. Please see our article on Bass to Treble Height Difference for more information. 

Step Two: Determine Saddle Type

Eastman steel-string acoustics often have one of the three below saddle types.

B Compensated with Slanted Bass

A large number of Eastmans have a B compensated with slanted bass saddle with a 12 inch radius. These saddles are often 69 mm or 71 mm long – please measure your saddle slot before ordering a replacement. They are often 3.2 mm thick, but can be as thin as 2.9 mm. Height for models without undersaddle pickups is tall – often around 11 mm. Models with undersaddle pickups often have saddles around 9 mm tall.  Please see our bone saddles for Eastman guitars for options in both lengths. 

At first glance, this saddle type might look just like the Taylor B compensated saddle. However, there are a number of key differences. First, the Taylor B compensated saddle is forward line B compensated – please see our Guide to B Compensated Saddles for more information. Second, the Taylor saddle has a 15 inch top radius. Third, the Taylor saddle is 72 mm long.