The saddle

One last thing to do before glueing up the neck is to put the saddle on. It could also be done afterwards but in my small workshop it is easier when the cello is still small. I had prepared a bit of left over ebony from the fingerboard already. Similarly to the neck mortice, I marked the width and depth of the saddle and then cut it out. Once the cello body was ready I could shape the saddle appropriately.