Tele bridge saddles

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ricorico Frets: 1220
Since playing my new Tele I have broken more strings in the last month than in the last three years with my LP or Strat (which is none by the way). The last couple of breaks have been at the bridge and yesterday broke a 36 gauge new Paradigm string at the saddle!

Is this an inherent 'characteristic' of this guitar or a specific bridge issue? This guitar has compensated brass saddles.

Any advice or saddle upgrade recommendations?

Cheers!
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Comments

  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    edited July 2017
    What bridge and saddles does it have now? 

    EDIT: ignore me - you've said compensated brass. They should be no problem. Could be a slight sharp burr on the saddles?
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    Should be less prone to break than a strat IME, are you sure the break is the saddle and not on the bridge plate? Get a small file and smooth the break points.
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    It has the cutaway bridge and compensated brass saddles - guitar is the American Pro Tele.
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    Should be less prone to break than a strat IME, are you sure the break is the saddle and not on the bridge plate? Get a small file and smooth the break points.
    Yes - 100% sure. The wound strings break at the saddles.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    If they're the compensated saddles with a ridge rather than the whole saddle being set at an angle, it's probably that - most likely a small burr has formed at the contact point. You could try smoothing them off, but the chances are the burr will re-appear because brass is too soft for a bridge saddle really, unless it's a plain round bar.

    Personally I would put steel saddles on it anyway, because I hate the sound of brass ones :).

    I probably wouldn't pay good money for snake-oil strings either...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 6914
    tFB Trader
    "Introducing Ernie Ball PARADIGM, the most advanced electric and acoustic guitar strings known to man. Legendary tone meets superior break resistance
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    edited July 2017

    I've never had issues with string breaks but fitted Glendale's for another reason (grooves wearing into the the stock brass Fender saddles)

    See my post here: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/103321/

    These intonated Glendale saddles are excellent and the screws are flush so no grating on the palm when muting.

    Using Ernie Ball .010s


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  • bacchanalianbacchanalian Frets: 880
    If it is a new American Pro then there is no way it should be breaking strings.  Can you take it back for a set up?
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    ICBM said:

    Personally I would put steel saddles on it anyway, because I hate the sound of brass ones :).




    I actually think any saddles are fine on a tele, except 60s threaded ones, which are stupid. They're ok on JMs/Jags, and probably floating bridges w/ a bigsby, but not on a 3-saddle tele. Harsh sound and sustain vacuum (and I barely care about sustain)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I like the threaded ones best, although the plain 2-groove steel ones are fine too. The threaded ones seem to have a slightly more aggressive sound, with a  more biting top end and rougher lows, which I prefer - although I may be imagining it. I've never found any difference in sustain.

    I hate brass, they have a nasty 'whangy' midrange overtone. I've never tried aluminium or titanium, which you seem to be able to get now...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    ICBM said:
    The threaded ones seem to have a slightly more aggressive sound, with a  more biting top end and rougher lows, which I prefer - although I may be imagining it. I've never found any difference in sustain.
    They definitely do have a LOT of treble, which doesn't suit me at all. I found that the strings weren't properly seated in the threads so there wasn't goo contact between the string and the saddle, which seemed to kill off notes really quickly. I think the glendale threaded saddles would probably counteract that problem but they look silly, they're expensive and I don't need angle/compensation intonation hacks. Straight brass is fine for me.
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    My Tele had threaded steel saddles. It sounded like a good Tele should and I never broke a string on it.
    Mind you, I never break strings on anything.
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  • streethawkstreethawk Frets: 1631
    I just got some Barden comp brass saddles in which are meant to be good. Different design to the fender Deluxe ones - angled not ridged. 
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  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    +1 for threaded steel saddles makes for a manly Tele :)
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    Look for the new American Pro Tele bridge 
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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553
    I've got a Bigsby on my Tele and had problems with string spacing  - Bigsby spacing is a wee bit narrow so you need to notch the saddles to correct this. After a bit of vibrato use the strings start to saw into the brass  - I'm on my third set currently using these which sort out the spacing nicely

    Not had any problems with the strings cutting into these yet, lubed them with graphite from a 2B pencil. If I have any problems in the future I'll be giving up with brass and reverting to something similar in steel.
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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2331
    I've given up on brass, it sure ain't what it was....tried Callaham, Fender Custom Shop and Bardens and they all wear the same eventually giving the sitar effect, maybe its cos I pick near the saddles. So I have fitted KTS Titanium and Rutters steel compensated to all my Tele's now. 
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  • koneguitaristkoneguitarist Frets: 4125
    Never had a problem with brass saddles, I have standard barrels which are compensated by being drilled at an angle. Never broke a string with them, never worn the saddles out either.
    Over last few years my string gauges have gotten lighter from 11's down to 9's my playing and pick gauge has changed to compensate for this. 
    Occasionally you can have a run of string breaks for no real reason, look at your playing first, sometimes it could be down to playing harder than normal, and if a string is gonna break its gonna be at the bridge. 
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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553
    edited July 2017
    I've now officially given up on brass - it's completely useless with a Bigsby as the unwound stings soon cut into them. A wiser man than me would have came to this conclusion before going through as many sets of brass saddles as I have! Anyway went looking for a steel notched set and saw these on eBay for 99p. 

    Being tight I decided they would do fine so after a wee soak in WD40 and a a wee spin in the chuck of the drill being scrubbed with fine abrasive - especially in the slots - they look like this. They sound a bit louder acoustically then the brass I think.


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