Saddle fit question...

I searched for an answer to this but didn't come up with anything. I've been assuming that the saddle should press into the bridge snugly -- an "interference" fit. I read somewhere recently that it should be more of a "slip" fit -- in other words, if you flipped the uke over and whacked it the saddle should fall out (clearly assuming no strings and a whackable uke).

The theory behind this was that the saddle actually works best if it's free to move up and down. Although this makes no sense to me I've been wrong before. It seems to me that the saddle isn't going to move independently of the bridge, considering the pressure of the strings -- and that a snug fit would be more efficient acoustically.

Thoughts? What works best for you?

Thanks!

You want a snug fit in which the bottom of the saddle has full contact along the slot in the bridge. I've seen too many ukes where the fit was so tight that I could see a gap between the saddle bottom and bridge. By the same token, you want to avoid a saddle that is so thin that it wiggles or tilts in the slot. When shaping the saddle, there is a very fine line between these two conditions, so go very slow. Good luck!

Slip fit. You don't want it to rock back and forth in the slot.

If you can press the saddle in with no effort, but it stays there when the instrument is inverted, you are exactly where you want to be.

The saddle is where the energy of the strings is going to be transmitted to the saddle and then the top. Very important part. You want this contact to be as tight as possible and yet you want to be able to get the damn thing out if need be. A tight snug slip fit and it is good to go. If it is too tight a little sanding on a flat surface will do. It it is too loose, well... ya gotta start over. Loose is not good.