想DIY改吉他弦距? 你需要了解什麼是Saddle與Radius gauge
彈開吉他的你有沒有覺得吉他琴弦離指版太高很難按下呢?
如果你想自行調教琴弦高度，Radius gauge 是你必須要的工具。
以下會詳細解釋什麼是Saddle 與 Radius gauge，及兩者間的關係。
什麼是saddle？
吉他saddle是一種材料，可以是金屬、骨頭或塑膠，附在琴橋上，用於升起琴弦並將振動通過琴橋傳遞到音板。 改變saddle的高度會直接影響琴弦和指板之間的距離。 Saddle通常在琴橋上略微傾斜以改善音準。
電吉他saddle略有不同。 大多數情況下，它們被融合的到金屬琴橋中並具有特定高度（每根弦）和長度調節控制。
(圖片來源: https://zinginstruments.com/types-of-guitar-saddles/)
Saddle有什麼作用？
Action
動作是指板琴弦的高度。 由於指板略微彎曲，琴弦與指板的距離可能會有所不同。
一般來說，琴頸越靠近 12 品，琴弦高度應該越高。 對於某些演奏者來說，高弦可能是件好事，例如，吉普賽爵士吉他手喜歡保持高音，但大多數演奏者更喜歡低音，因為它更容易演奏，因為您不需要施加太大壓力 到品格比較器到更高的動作。
為了擁有一把可彈奏的吉他，您需要為自己調整最佳動作，而通過修改saddle，您可以徹底改變action。
Intonation
在intonation方面，saddle是影響其音準的重要部件之一。 音準是指您在指板上的不同位置按品時產生的音高的準確度。 例如，當您彈奏空心 B 弦並在 B 弦的 12 品上彈奏 B 音符時，它們應該是相同的音符。 如果它們聽起來非常不同，您可以將琴鞍向後或向前移動到這些音符以相同音高發聲的位置。
Tone
Saddle的材料對音色有影響。
在原聲吉他和古典吉他上，人們普遍認為某些鞍座材料（例如骨頭）比塑料等其他材料聽起來更好，但通常兩者之間的區別很小和根本不存在。
為什麼要調整吉他的saddle？
為確保吉他的音質與您收到時的音質一樣好，調整吉他的action是關鍵。如果琴弦坐得太高，它們就很難彈奏； 如果它們太低，就會出現嗡嗡聲。
如果琴弦太高或太低，則必須調整動作。 要調整動作，您需要升高或降低Saddle。
對於每個條琴弦的更正都略有不同。 在較粗的琴弦上它通常更大，這就是為什麼在製作精良的吉他上，琴橋上的saddle槽通常略微彎曲。 如果吉他製造商測量正確，那麼這種彎曲會使音調（指板上音符的準確性）足夠接近。
大多數電吉他都有單獨的琴橋saddle，您可以用螺絲刀輕鬆調節。
什麼是 radius gauge？
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吉他radius gauge用於比較琴弦的高度與指板半徑。 為了優化吉他的演奏性，建議弦高與指板半徑相匹配。
如何使用吉他 radius gauge？
- 找到與吉他琴頸的弧度（或半徑）相匹配的吉他半徑計。半徑計通常提供成套，因此如果您不確定要使用哪一個，請嘗試幾個並選擇最適合您指板弧度的那個。
- 使用刻度為 32 英寸或 64 英寸的直尺測量上下 E 弦的高度。 將這些琴弦的高度設置為您首選的action高度。
- 將gauge放在琴橋旁邊的琴弦頂部。 由於已經調整了高低 E 弦，請升高或降低四根內弦的高度，直到它們接觸到半徑規。
(圖片來源: https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/guitar-setup-how-do-i-use-a-radius-gauge/)
這裡有一個關於如何使用吉他 radius gauge的視頻
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Want to change the guitar string distance by yourselves? You need to understand what is Saddle and Radius gauge
When playing the guitar, do you feel that the guitar strings are too high from the fingerboard to be difficult to press?
If you want to adjust the height of the strings yourself, Radius gauge is a must-have tool for you.
The following will explain in detail what is Saddle and Radius gauge, and the relationship between the two.
What is a saddle?
The guitar saddle is a piece of material can be metal, bone or plastic attached to the bridge that lifts the strings and transfers vibration through the bridge to the soundboard. Changing the height of the saddle can directly affects the distance between your strings and the fingerboard. The saddle is usually slightly angled on the bridge to improve intonation.
Electric guitar saddles are slightly different. Mostly, they are integrated into a metal bridge with specific height (per string) and length adjustment controls.
(Picture Source: https://zinginstruments.com/types-of-guitar-saddles/)
What Does the Saddle Do?
Action
Action is the height of the strings from the fretboard. As the fretboard is slightly bowed, the distance of the strings from the fingerboard can be vary.
In general, the further up the neck towards the 12th fret, the string height should be higher. High string could be a good thing for some player, for example, gypsy jazz guitarists like to keep their “action” high, however most players prefer to have low action, since it’s easier to play as you don’t need to apply much pressure to the fret comparer to a higher action.
In order to have a playable guitar, you needed to adjust the best action for yourselves, and by modifying the saddle, you can drastically change the action.
Intonation
In term of intonation, saddle is one of the big parts that affect the intonation. Intonation is the accuracy of the pitches produced when you fret at different places on the fretboard. For example, when you play an open B string and play the B note on the B string at the 12th fret, these should be the same notes. If they sound very different, you may move the saddle back or forward, to the positions that these notes sounded in the same pitch.
Tone
The material of the saddle has an impact on the tone.
On acoustic and classical guitar, common belief holds that some saddle materials such as bone sound better than others such as plastic, but often that the difference is between slight and non-existent.
Why to Adjust the Saddle of Your Guitar?
To make sure a guitar sounds as good as it did on the day you got it, adjusting the action on a guitar is vital. If the strings sit too high, they’re hard to play; if they’re too low, buzzing may occurs.
If the strings are too high or too low, you have to adjust the action. To adjust the action, you need to raise or lower the saddles.
This correction is slightly different for each string. It’s generally greater on thicker strings, which is why, on a well-made guitar, the saddle slot on the bridge is usually slightly curved. If the guitar maker measured correctly, that arc gets the intonation (accuracy of notes across the fretboard) close enough.
Most electric guitars have individual bridge saddles, which you can easily adjust with a screw driver.
What’s a radius gauge?
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A guitar radius gauge is used to compare the string’s height with respect to the fretboard radius. To optimize your guitar’s playability, it is recommended that the string heights match the fretboard’s radius.
How to use a guitar radius gauge?
- Find the guitar radius gauge that matches the arc (or radius) of your guitar neck. Usually, Radius gauges come in a set, therefore if you’re unsure which one to use, try a few and pick the one that best matches the arc of your fretboard.
- Use a ruler graduated in 32nds or 64ths of an inch to measure the height of the top and bottom E strings. Set the height of these strings to the action height that you prefer.
- Set the gauge on top of the strings next to the bridge. The high and low E strings have already been adjusted before, so raise or lower the height of the four inner strings until these strings make contact with the radius gauge.
(Picture Source: https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/guitar-setup-how-do-i-use-a-radius-gauge/)
Here a video talk about how to use a radius gauges
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