Find the Right Saddle for Your Takamine® Acoustic Guitar
Are you searching for a Takamine steel-string acoustic guitar saddle? This guide provides tips for finding the correct saddle size for your Takamine steel-string acoustic guitar.
Unfortunately, no single saddle size exists, and with Takamine Guitars, there are numerous different types of saddles used along with different sizes among these. This can make finding the proper saddle for your guitar difficult. Although this guide will help, we suggest that you also measure your guitar’s bridge saddle slot for a proper fit. If you are not the guitar’s original owner, someone may have installed a different saddle, adjusted the saddle slot, or even installed a different bridge or neck at some time, thus producing different specs from the factory’s original specs.
Split Saddles
Although rare from the 1960s to the 1980s, split saddles become common in the 1990s on Takamine guitars. However, please note that Takamine split saddles will vary in many ways. First, length, height, thickness for the two different saddle pieces will vary based on year and series. Notably, there are three different split saddle sizes for the current G Series, and two differrent sizes for the current Pro Series, and none of these are interchangeable.
Additionally, although at first glance, split saddles might appear to be non-compensated, a closer look may reveal subtle compensation done for that specific guitar, and to replicate this may require that you purchase a custom saddle or have a guitar technician make one for you. Additionally, saddle corners will vary. You’ll often see Takamine Pro Series replacement saddles that are sold without any compensation or corner adjustments, and these saddles will need adjustments to your specific guitar.
Both the G and Pro Series will use either split saddles or full length saddles depending on the model. Additionally, different types of split saddles will appear for different models within each series. Take close measurements to ensure that you get the correct type of split saddle. See our Guide to Acoustic Guitar Split Saddles for more information.
Non-Compensated Saddles – Single Piece
Takamine guitars built in 1960s through the 1980s commonly used non-compensated center line saddles, but this saddle type can be seen on a guitar from any decade, including on the Pro and G Series. Takamine guitars commonly have a 12 inch radius fretboard, but your guitar’s saddle may have a different radius, even if it’s the factory saddle. We suggest checking both your fretboard and saddle radius. Please see the following link: Printable Radius Gauges.
Lengths will vary anywhere from 64 to 95mm, while thickness will vary anywhere from 2.8 to 3.6 mm. As such, you’ll need to remove your current saddle and measure both your saddle and your saddle slot.
Below are some non-compensated saddle sizes for some G and Pro Series, but we still advise that you measure your current saddle.
G Series Non-Compensated
For pure acoustic G Series models GN11M-NS or GD11M-NS, then your saddle may be a 72.3 mm long saddle with 3.2 mm thickness and 12 inch radius – Takamine Part TGP0751. Height will vary for each individual guitar, but please see our Bone Guitar Saddle – Fits Takamine GN11M-NS or GD11M-NS. If you have a G Series with a pickup, then this saddle will not work for your guitar as you will need an integrated pickup saddle.
Pro Series Acoustic Electric Non-Compensated – 64.3 mm Length
If your guitar was built at Takamine’s Pro Series facility with a pickup and a single piece non-compensated saddle, then you may need a 64 mm long saddle with 2.8 mm thickness and 12 inch radius – Takamine Part TP0706AE. Height will vary for each individual guitar, but please see our Bone Guitar Saddle – Fits Some Takamine Pro Series 64.3 mm. This model will also fit some Legacy models.
Pro Series Acoustic Without Pickup Non-Compensated – 72 mm Length
If your guitar was built at Takamine’s Pro Series facility without a pickup and with a single piece non-compensated saddle, then you may need a 72 mm long saddle with 2.8 mm thickness and 12 inch radius – Takamine Part TP0706A. Height will vary for each individual guitar, but please see our Bone Guitar Saddle – Fits Some Takamine Pro Series – 72 mm.
Height Adjustable Saddle
Height adjustable saddles appeared on a number of Gibson models from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Although quite rare on Takamine guitars, a few of the “lawsuit” Takamine models from the 1970s, such as some of the F340 models, had height adjustable saddles. If your guitar has one of these and you wish to replace the saddle, you’ll likely need to have a custom saddle made.
Compensated B with Slanted Bass
Some Takamine guitars from the 2000s through the 2020s models have a compensated B with slanted bass saddle, including the G10, G15, and Taka-Mini Series. We suggest that you check your fretboard radius, which is likely 12 inches, against your saddle radius, even if it’s the factory saddle. Please see our Guide to B Compensated Saddles for more information.
G Series Integrated Pickup Saddles
Some of the G Series models have integrated pickups, in which the bottom of the saddle has notches to fit into the pickup. These saddles come either as split or as a single saddle, will have different compensation patterns, and come in either low or high height options. Unlike most acoustic guitar saddles, you cannot lower an integrated pickup saddle by removing material from the bottom as this would negatively affect the fit with the pickup.
Although you will find some bone saddles designed for integrated pickups, we advise against these as hum problems can appear. Please see this link for integrated pickup saddles.
What Saddle Size Does Your Takamine Need?
If you are still unsure of which saddle your Takamine acoustic guitar needs, please contact us with the below details.
• Guitar Year, Model, Fretboard Radius
• Current Saddle Length, Height, Thickness
• Bass to Treble Height Difference
• Guitar Saddle Slot Length, Thickness (if different from saddle specs)
• Current Saddle Compensation Pattern (please send a picture if you are not sure what type you have)
• String Spacing at the Bridge
We reply to all messages within 48 hours.