Strat bridge saddles

M

micah_jm550

New member
Hey everyone!

Been wanting to swap out the bent steel saddles on my MIM HH Strat to the flat ones that come on the American guitars. Are the graph tech saddles any better and worth the money over the normal Fender flat saddles?

Thanks!
 
i really like the graphtech classic saddles, got em on a few guitars. honestly, unless you are having breakage issues, the bent ones are usually fine
 
Graph tech work and sound a little bit better (a little more beef and sustain, but the graphite contact point with the string lessens the effect), but you have to get the import scale bridge saddles. You can't just take saddles off an American Strat and stick them on a MIM, They won't fit on the bridge plate or line up with the adjustment screw holes at the back of the plate.
 
I've always liked Graph Tech saddles...just replaced them on my Wilkinson bridge. I would get those if you notice the strings binding at the bridge. The USA saddles are fine and perfect if you don't like the bent steel ones cutting into your hand.
 
Just an FYI. I am sure there are loads of people out there without issues, but I find that there is a lot of string breakage on my Am Std. It's the only guitar I own that strings break on.


At some point I'll need to either do something with the saddles or replace them with some graph techs I have on another guitar.
 
Your strings are breaking over the saddles?!!! If not, then changing the saddles isn't going to help. But it's hard for me to imagine that strings actually break over the saddle.

If the height adjustment screws are irritating your hand, there is a bent steel addle that looks like the original but the screws are threaded into the bottom of the saddle so they can be below the top of the steel. I forgot the name of those, but I believe they have "wood" in their name.
 
If it were me, I'd just get some nice Gotoh block saddles.

I was recently researching the Graphtech stuff and reviews are really mixed.

I actually like the idea of the Highwood saddles, they are literally non-locking versions of the Wilkinson VG300 saddles, but they come in very few finishes and are a bit overpriced for bent steel.
 
thanks for all the info y'all!

I actually don't have any string breakage issues at all - I more just prefer the look and feel of the block saddles.

Seeing that the reviews are mixed for the graphtechs I think I'm just gonna hold off on upgrading them for now. Thinking if it ain't broke, don't fix it, ya know
 
as some one who has graphtech saddles on a few guitars, im curious what the mixed reviews are. do they change the tone, yes a bit less high end. do they lessen breakage at the saddle, absolutely.
 
jeremy said:
as some one who has graphtech saddles on a few guitars, im curious what the mixed reviews are. do they change the tone, yes a bit less high end. do they lessen breakage at the saddle, absolutely.
Click to expand...

I always liked what they did to the tone. Softened the attack, too. Great on strats and teles.
 
jeremy said:
those look cool!

doc, when i break strings, its always at the saddle.
Click to expand...

You're talking about the bent steel Strat saddles or just saddles in general?

If the strings are breaking at the saddles I would check them for a bur or sharp edge. If the string grooves are smooth you shouldn't be getting any breakage there.

When strings break, it is almost always because there is a bur or sharp edge that causes a nick in the string, especially if the strings are consistently breaking at the same spot. It's very rare when I break a string but when I do it is because of a mfg defect & it usually breaks at the winding at the ball end. But like I said...VERY rare that that happens (at least with the brand strings I've been using for the past 5-10 years).

If you lived close to me, I'd gladly fix your guitar no charge.
 
thanks man, i appreciate that! i think its the way i play as much as anything else since its consistent across many of my guitars. i have tried to de-bur the saddles, even got some abrasive cord in small sizes to do it since sometimes its hard to get at the contact points on some saddles with a file or paper. i use 11's usually dr pure blues, sometimes d'addario, but i have a pretty heavy right hand and tend to pick close to the saddles at times. its usually the wound strings i break rather than the skinny ones. the graphtech saddles do seem to help with this for whatever thats worth
 
I like the vintage style bent saddles myself. If I did have any strings breaking at the saddle, it was always because if a burr. Running a Q-Tip or small cotton ball over it slowly can reveal the smallest burr. I've been able to eliminate them with a very fine file. No more string breaking. I did have an issue with strings breaking where they come out the sustain block and I did the same thing, fine file around the edge of the hole to smooth it out. It was almost always on new bridges too. If I did change my saddles, I would probably go for those from Highwood.
 
Bent steel saddles suck and are a disgrace to see in a high end guitar. Brass material is great for saddles BTW.
 
I never liked what brass did to the attack of the tone. Worth exploring if you need more attack, I'd guess, but not for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top