Tele Bridges?

[Lazarus1140]

HHHH EEEE LLLL PPPP!

There are too many to choose from .... vintage style stamped steel base plates (string through body) with 3 ungrooved, unplated brass saddles, 3 nickel plated saddles, 6 grooved nickel plated saddles..

There are heavy brass bridge plates with six allen-adjustable brass saddles.

Wilkinson Adjustable Compensated Vintage Tele Bridge, vintage style

and on and on.

I don't know which to use. Are the barrel types difficult to intonate? What about the various materials? My first impression is that I would probably prefer the block type saddles like last year's American strats used. Is it possible to use Graph Tech saddles? How would they affect tone?

Stability and intonation are the most important things to me. Can you Tele builders/players make any recommendations?

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Tele Bridges?

i love the Gotoh Modern Tele Bridge a lot.... i have a few Vintage bridges and they do not intonate even close for me... that i hear is part of the tele sound but it's not for me!!!!

that being said the best Tele tone comes from a light base with 3 brass barrel saddles.... componseted saddles is a must for better intonation in these modern times......

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Comparing a compensated brass barrel system with the Gotoh modern bridge, what is the difference in the tone? I mean what, in your opinion, is it about the barrel style that makes it the "best" Tele tone?

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Tele Bridges?

I can say from experience that the Wilkinson Compensated Tele bridge is a good approximation for intonation and sounds great. You could probably get closer with the intonation on a 6-saddle bridge, but you won't get the same sound (not to say thats a bad thing, just different), and unless you're having a good tech set it up you shouldn't notice much of a difference in the intonation anyways.

My advice is go to a store and spend some time with the various Fenders, which shouldn't be too hard to find, to get a feel for each the vintage 3 brass barrel type bridge and the 6 saddle type. After that if you decide to get the vintage style bridge, I'd highly recommend the Wilkinson.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Thanks. I'm already a fan of Wilkinson products and use their two post trems on my strats.

Are the Wilkinson barrels slotted for the strings?

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Thanks. I'm already a fan of Wilkinson products and use their two post trems on my strats.

Are the Wilkinson barrels slotted for the strings?

They're not slotted, but you don't have to do anything other than make sure the string is resting on the right spot the first time you're stringing it up. After that the pressure makes the notch for you. Real easy.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Tele Bridges?

I have the Wilkinson compensated vintage-style on my MIM - it's a great bridge for the money. The intonation is a bit of a compromise, but it's fine; certainly better than a normal uncompensated 3-barrel. Three-barrel bridges give better tone because the couple to the bridge plate better - six height screws pressing harder than the 12 you'd have on a 6-saddle bridge. I think the Wilkinson is a nicely-designed bridge, we engineers would call it "elegant" design. Functional and well-thought out. It looks like is was manufactured in a real factory, not homemade in someone's basement like many retrofit compensated saddles.

I can also recommend the Gotoh 6-saddle modern style bridge, which I have on my Schecter PT. It's really the only game in town when you want a Tele bridge with a HB cutout. Tele twang isn't quite as important, and the Gotoh is rock-solid with all adjustability you'd need.

 

[baritone]

Re: Tele Bridges?

What about the Callahams? I don't know how they sound, but they look like they give better intonation than regular 3-barrel saddles.

 

[jdier]

Re: Tele Bridges?

vintage style stamped steel base plates (string through body) with 3 ungrooved, unplated brass saddles


Personal favorite bridge on any of my guitars. Made biggest difference when I installed it. Absolutely love it. Would not own a tele without it.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tele Bridges?

vintage style stamped steel base plates (string through body) with 3 ungrooved, unplated brass saddles QUOTE]


Well, that seems to describe the Wilkinson pretty well! It just has the added benefit of the compensation.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Boy, this situation looks all too familiar. When I spec'd out my Esquire project, I wasn't sure which bridge to go for. Then I decided to make it a Hot Rod and put a humbucker in it so that narrowed it down to two options, the Gotoh Tele Humbucker like Rich has or a Strat hardtail. I couldn't decide so I let the wife make the decision (she also picked the color) and she chose the Strat hardtail. It's in the mail. The pickup will be in a chrome mounting ring.

Ya know, one of these days I need to get the wood for the darn thing. All this hardware and nothing to put it on...LOL.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Well, I have a project strat about 1/3 built, have everything purchased except the lacquer ........ and then went out bought a Tele. I haven't owned one since the late 60s.

Maybe I need a wife to give me some direction .... or something.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Tele Bridges?

I've fitted the Wilkinson bridge to my Tele. It's a great unit, with the advantage of being able to string up as either through body, or top loader...

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Tele Bridges?

I've fitted the Wilkinson bridge to my Tele. It's a great unit, with the advantage of being able to string up as either through body, or top loader...

Have you strung it top-loaded? I have yet to try it, but I'm expecting a noticeably different feel.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Tele Bridges?

Have you strung it top-loaded? I have yet to try it, but I'm expecting a noticeably different feel.

Yeah, I've got mine top-loaded. I don't have holes through the body of my Tele, so I can't compare, but I gave mine it's first run out, and it certainly gives a big tone. Perhaps slightly less sustain, but not by much. It does feel quite slinky too. I've got it strung with 10's and it's not as much of a fight as I expected.

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: Tele Bridges?

6 saddle vintage style nickel. Its works for me, It works for keith richards. It will work for you too!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Tele Bridges?

What about the Callahams? I don't know how they sound, but they look like they give better intonation than regular 3-barrel saddles.

i have the older style callaham compensated saddles and i think its a fantastic bridge. the newer style saddles look like they would be sweet. its a little extra work to get the guitar to play in tune with the three saddle setup but i think its worth it for the tone.

the top loading will cut the the string tension very noticably with a little loss of sustain like steve mentioned