Official Luthiers Forum!

For those who are fans of teles, which style bridge do you prefer?

It would seem that bridge styles where each string is adjustable at the saddle would offer better intonation for each string versus the paired saddles but there are still many who seem to prefer the vintage style or a modern paired version that allows for some compensation at the saddle such as the Wilkinson.

Has anyone had experience with both 3 and 6 saddles tele bridges?

I was leaning toward a Wilkinson type with compensated saddles but the more I think about it, a 6 saddle seems the better choice for intonation.

The more I've researched this, the more confused I've become. I generally play heavier strings on my electrics than most, as I'm primarily an acoustic player and try to keep similar gauges on my electrics. I generally go .13s on acoustic and try to do .12s or .13s on electric but could live with going to .11s. I'm afraid the heavier gauged strings would be harder to get a proper intonation with on a paired saddle design, even one that offers some compensation. (I've been told that heavier strings offer different compensation issues but I don't know if that's true).

Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

steve

...most(not all) bridge hardware is solid brass, no matter the color- they just plate over it with chrome or nickel or gold, or, anodize/powder coat it in black.
my beloved '80s strat has stainless saddles, but that is somewhat unusual.
i would worry less about the metallurgy and more about the individual saddle movement. gotta have it.

Have to disagree.Vintage Fender were a pressed steel base with first brass then stainless saddles.
Brass saddles sound rounder and more complex, stainless more bright and direct.
For good info and products on tele bridges try the Glendale guitars website. Pricey but sound great. Bardens are good also

correction: vintage fender STRATS....the old teles were brass......
anyway, in the 70s brass nuts were all the rage due to the amazing sound superiority(granted it would only apply on open strings)- but why did that fad fade away? and why aren't frets made of brass then? i suggest the answer is more about mass and less about material composition, when it comes to saddles. brass is most commonly used as it machines the best.....not because of sound.

Steve I have and play Teles' with either style.

It's not the style that matters to me- it's who made it and how they
made it.

Callaham is a good place to check out points of interest.
One that I didn't see addressed is that I like either style to have
mounting holes in the front. (may have missed)

He as well as Joe Barden have the Danny Gatton "scoop". Nice if
you finger or claw pick (as I do)

http://www.callahamguitars.com/brdge_T.htm

I just completed a Tele with a string-through bridge.
Big improvement over the top-load style bridge in my opinion.
The strings on a top-load interfere with the saddle springs and the string angle is shallow which can cause saddle rattling.
I've always used six saddle bridges so I cannot comment on the virtues of a three-saddle bridge although I am interested in opinions as well.

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I'm not using those heavy strings like you, but I can add that I don't have any intonation issues with my 3 saddle version. And I, too, like the brass a smidgeon better.

Thanks for all the replies.

I prefer the look of the 3 saddles so I think I'm going to go that route.

I lot of nice hardware recommendations posted above. I'll probably go with whichever company has a saddle string spacing close to 2 1/4" , I'm building from scratch so I can alter things around a bit. I think most teles at the saddle are somewhere in the 2 1/8" range if I remember correctly.

I'll keep you all posted and post pics when I get my parts together and get this thing underway.