String Balance on Anthem: Low E has low output in comparison to other strings

[m_mullett]

After installing the Anthem on my Taylor 310ce, I noticed that the low and high E were more quiet than the other strings. I initially attempted to check that there were no burrs anywhere under the saddle or UST. That was good so I then went to making sure that the saddle was completely flat to eliminate that being a possibility. It seemed I got that nice and level, but both strings still seemed quiet. After this I went in, with the saddle back off, and drilled the hole on the treble side to allow for the UST to be inserted a little further in the saddle slot. Once I did this, it certainly seemed to correct the high E problem, as it is better compared to the rest of the strings, but the low E is still quiet with poor bass response, or punch, when compared to all the other strings. My question is based off of this. Would it be possible that I am just not flat enough on the saddle, or could I have inserted the UST too far in to where the low E is no longer above an active section of the UST? I know the UST has a "dead" spot at the end where the black dot is, but is there a point in the UST where it goes "dead" on its way back to the preamp? Thanks, any help in this matter is appreciated!

[Caleb_Elling]

After installing the Anthem on my Taylor 310ce, I noticed that the low and high E were more quiet than the other strings. I initially attempted to check that there were no burrs anywhere under the saddle or UST. That was good so I then went to making sure that the saddle was completely flat to eliminate that being a possibility. It seemed I got that nice and level, but both strings still seemed quiet. After this I went in, with the saddle back off, and drilled the hole on the treble side to allow for the UST to be inserted a little further in the saddle slot. Once I did this, it certainly seemed to correct the high E problem, as it is better compared to the rest of the strings, but the low E is still quiet with poor bass response, or punch, when compared to all the other strings. My question is based off of this. Would it be possible that I am just not flat enough on the saddle, or could I have inserted the UST too far in to where the low E is no longer above an active section of the UST? I know the UST has a "dead" spot at the end where the black dot is, but is there a point in the UST where it goes "dead" on its way back to the preamp? Thanks, any help in this matter is appreciated!

It doesn't sound to me like the dead portion on the end of the pickup is an issue, or the saddle being too far into the slot. If the pickup is coming in from the treble side, and the low E is quiet, with the pickup tip touching the end of the slot, then that should be a good position.

How is the fit of the saddle? Is it tight in any one or more spots? If the saddle is binding in the slot, length-wise or width-wise, it can also cause incorrect contact with the pickup.