Fender stamped metal bridge saddles are Crap=O=la

[JMP/HBE]

Am i right ? Nothing but a PITA. I'm sure they were great in 1954.



I ordered some machined Brass saddles hopefully an improvement.

[beaubrummels]

I've found Graphtech and solid Bad-Ass saddles to be much better for the strings and the sound. The originals 'worked' and that's all they were designed to do.

[Benjy_26]

I like Graphtecs, I like brass, and I also like bent steel, Fender saddles. They all sound different and I use them for different sounds.

I've never really noticed a huge functional difference between the three, TBH.

[PFDarkside]

I like bent steel tone for a vintage Strat. The Brass will definitely sound different. There are improved steel ones that are bent differently and don’t scrape you hand, rust, etc.

If you like the tone of the brass they should work well.

[Mincer]

Graph Tech, I don't give a damn about traditional tone, I just want my hands not to get chopped up (but Graph Tech sounds better to me).

[LLL]

Callaham steel bent saddles FTW.

[treyhaislip]

I prefer the vintage bent steel saddles–not for vintage tone just prefer them for my ears. I've had great luck with Gotoh–looking at the Callaham bridge for my next project.

[JMP/HBE]

I like bent steel tone for a vintage Strat. The Brass will definitely sound different. There are improved steel ones that are bent differently and don’t scrape you hand, rust, etc.

If you like the tone of the brass they should work well.

I remember back in early 80's i replaced a LP nut w/a Brass one, huge difference for the better.
I like the tone on this Strat bridge but the saddles are so worn the little allen pegs are becoming stripped and the saddles are just impossible to deal with.
The cool thing about the Brass block saddles is the pegs go all the way thru the block for stability.

[PFDarkside]

That’s a cool guitar.

There’s no question those are structurally more sound!

[ErikH]

I prefer the bent saddles over stamped. I have 2 Strat builds with the Gotoh 6-screw vintage style trem and a Squier Classic Vibe Strat with MIM Fender Standard bridge. I got some shorter adjustment screws for the saddles on the Fender bridge. No issues. I simply prefer the tone and feel of them.

[NegativeEase]

I have the Graph Tech, makes for a very slight mellower brightness on the attack which is fine, but I love that I can travel/flight with a guitar and it's still in tune when you arrive if you have Graphtech on the nut and saddles, -no I don't detune my guitars usually.

[Dudeman7]

Graphtech saddles are on all of my electric guitars; three Strats and two ESP Hybrids.

I like the way they feel under my hand, they stay in adjustment and I have never broken a string since switching to them.

Those machined brass ones should definitely work out better for you. I think they will look great on that guitar too. The black Graphtechs would look out of place on your guitar, IMO.

[beaubrummels]

Graph Tech, I don't give a damn about traditional tone, I just want my hands not to get chopped up (but Graph Tech sounds better to me).

Yeah, foilks forget those were originally hidden under an ashtray cover, so your hand would never touch them in practice, if used as designed. But then we'd never have muted, staccato, chugga chugga guitar playing if we went along with 'as designed.'

[Mincer]

Yeah, foilks forget those were originally hidden under an ashtray cover, so your hand would never touch them in practice, if used as designed. But then we'd never have muted, staccato, chugga chugga guitar playing if we went along with 'as designed.'

Right, and heavy strumming can really cut into your hands, too.

[Blille]

I don't get why they didn't put the adjustment screws like in the Highwood ones feeding from the bottom so it doesn't chop your hand