Graph tec String saver saddles and a lack of harmonics an sustain?

[Mincer]

Well today I got my mighty sight lighted magnifying glasses out and really looked close at the saddles on the Purple DC 127. All 6 are cracked in exactly the same place. Dead center the section above the the intonation screw. Some are worse than others but all 6 are cracked so its no wonder the guitar lacks some life and sustain! Makes no sense as there it is no evidence of any type of impact and the saddles are not jammed up on the bridge nothing just a small crack in each saddle from the intonation screw to the top pf the saddle. Haven't a clue on this one guys so anybody got a clue on this?
Guitar is intonated perfectly and is solid as a rock in tuning but those cracks are definitely there so??
Won''t put full Graphtecs back on it I can guarantee you that!

Wow, that is weird. I've never had that happen to one, much less all 6. No wonder it doesn't sound so good.

 

[Ascension]

Wow, that is weird. I've never had that happen to one, much less all 6. No wonder it doesn't sound so good.

Yep shocked me when i saw it.Two were all the way through obvious and the first ones I saw but under the magnification all 6 have cracks to some extent in exactly the same spot. Center of the top of the screw hole for the intonation screws to the top of the saddle. What I cant believe is that it was holding tune and intonatiing at all like this!

 

[Mincer]

Yep shocked me when i saw it.Two were all the way through obvious and the first ones I saw but under the magnification all 6 have cracks to some extent in exactly the same spot. Center of the top of the screw hole for the intonation screws to the top of the saddle. What I cant believe is that it was holding tune and intonatiing at all like this!

Snap a pic and send to Graph Tech, and ask what could cause that.

 

[ehdwuld]

Snap a pic and send to Graph Tech, and ask what could cause that.

This has been my go to procedure for Daddario strings.
twice now i have had to send them images of some defect and they have responded with replacements
thats two packs of strings over the course of 7 years
And probably less than 10 packs of strings.
I dont change strings on my harem very often

 

[Ascension]

Snap a pic and send to Graph Tech, and ask what could cause that.

My thought also will see if I have a camera that will get a detailed enough photo of the worst two saddles to send. If so will post the photo here.Never ever seen this one before so??

 

[Gtrjunior]

Not sure why type of cell phone you have but the iPhone camera is pretty damn good

 

[Wattage]

I avoid using them, I hate the sound difference

 

[GuitarDoc]

This has totally been my experience with the graph tech saddles...they DO have a dulling affect on the sound, and they crack. Every one I have used has cracked, most of them right where yours cracked, at the intonation screws. If you replace them, my advice would be to NOT use Graph Tech again...you will just be replacing them again soon, and suffering with poor tone in the mean time. Get steel saddles and be happy with the tone and longevity.

 

[jeremy]

ive used em on a few guitars and seen tons when working at a shop. never seen one crack before. i only have em on two guitars at the moment, that i can recall anyway, and they are the classics that only have a little of the graphite material

 

[Mincer]

I guess that is good we have the choice, being that we had vastly different experiences.

 

[LLL]

Cracking saddles to me would indicate cheap pot metal material.

And cheap pot metal does not transfer vibrations as well as say steel.

That's my theory anyways.

 

[LLL]

And seems like Graphtec String Saver saddles save your string, but not the saddle (or tone).

 

[ehdwuld]

Cracking saddles to me would indicate cheap pot metal material.

And cheap pot metal does not transfer vibrations as well as say steel.

That's my theory anyways.

You realize that Graphtech saddles arent metal at all
right?

 

[Demanic]

I must be the only one to find that they made the guitars that I put them on brighter and with more harmonics.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

I must be the only one to find that they made the guitars that I put them on brighter and with more harmonics.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Wow! Must have been some pretty bad saddles that you replaced.

 

[LLL]

You realize that Graphtech saddles arent metal at all
right?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...6-inch-spacing

Special metallurgical recipe reduces broken strings

and these metal blocks have a little strip where the string sits:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tainless-steel

Stainless steel saddles with String Saver insert to reduce breakage and enhance tuning stability

So yeah, there's metal in both styles.

 

[ehdwuld]

hmm
I would have thought (without that metallurgical reference) that they were the same material as the nuts, string trees, acoustic bridges, etc...
hmmm

touche

 

[Demanic]

Wow! Must have been some pretty bad saddles that you replaced.

Maybe so.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Ascension]

These saddles are a composite material not metal. I sent graphtec an email on the issue and they have responded back. They think some one ether cross threaded the saddles after disassembling the bridge or adjusted the intonation with the saddle under full string tension cracking the saddles. I suspect it was the latter and evidently adjusting intonation under full string tension is not a great idea with these composite saddles. They have been really cool and offered a discount if I wanted a replacement set from them fully knowing I bought the guitar used with the saddles on it. Impressive CS from them and they now have my respect for it!

 

[Mincer]

The saddles are a composite material not metal. I sent graphtec an email on the issue and they have responded back. They think ether some one ether cross threaded the saddles after disassembling the bridge or adjusted the intonation with the saddle under full string tension cracking the saddles. I suspect it was the latter and evidently adjusting intonation under full string tension is not a great idea with these composite saddles. They have been really cool and offered a discount if I wanted a replacement set from them fully knowing I bought the guitar used with the saddles on it. Impressive CS from them and they now have my respect for it!

I've only had good experiences with GT customer service. Happy they are doing the right thing.