Tele saddle spacing with a Bigsby

robinbowes

I recently got a Vibramate and Bigsby for my Tele. I also went for some Graphtech compensated saddles which arrived today so I've fitted everything. I've still not screwed down the bridge as I need to drill new holes (it's a 4-hole and the original was a 3-hole).

It looks like this:

I've done a (very) rough set up in that I've adjusted saddle height and rough intonation and overall I'm pleased - it sounds great (I've got Graphtech saddles on my main strat and I like the sound they give).

However, it seems to me that the saddles are too wide for the bridge. Both pairs of outside strings are on the inner limit of the saddle. Did I buy the wrong ones, or would it be acceptable to sand/file the inner end of the outer two saddles and both ends of the middle saddle to make the strings sit more centrally?

R.

paulnb57

Pic doesnt work on my iPad, how do the new saddles compare to the old ones, could you fit the old ones to the new bridge plate just to try them for size, then you could make a judgement call about modding the Graphtecs?

stickyfiddle

Pic not showing for me either, but no reason you couldn't sand a little off each end of the saddles. The graphtechs don't have grooves, I assume? (The ones on my Tele from about a decade ago don't, at least!)

GuitarMonkey

Can't see the picture either but I see what you mean. If the outer saddles are splayed then either get shorter saddles or file them shorter as you suggest.

If all the intonation screws are parallel then filling won't make any difference.

ICBM

I can't see the pic either but it sounds like you've got the wrong bridge, if it doesn't fit either the guitar or the saddles.

robinbowes

Have edited the pic - hopefully working now?

R.

GuitarMonkey

Yes, you need different saddles. Filing these would make the screws too close to the edges I feel.

ICBM

Still no pic.

What bridge did you get? It sounds like it may have 'far-east' string spacing (typically 52mm) instead of 'US' (56mm). That would make the spacings between the intonation screws roughly 2mm too close together for the saddles.

robinbowes

ICBM;968532" said:

Still no pic.

What bridge did you get? It sounds like it may have 'far-east' string spacing (typically 52mm) instead of 'US' (56mm). That would make the spacings between the intonation screws roughly 2mm too close together for the saddles.

I bought a Vibramate c/w bridge and Bigby from Mr. @stickyfiddle. I bought the Graphtech saddles separately.

R.

not_the_dj

I can see the pic (but I can't help with the solution)

robinbowes

GuitarMonkey said:

Yes, you need different saddles. Filing these would make the screws too close to the edges I feel.

That was my concern. Am debating whether to give it a go or use different saddles.

ICBM said:

Still no pic.

What bridge did you get? It sounds like it may have 'far-east' string spacing (typically 52mm) instead of 'US' (56mm). That would make the spacings between the intonation screws roughly 2mm too close together for the saddles.

So, I need saddles with the narrower string spacing. Doesn't look like Graphtech make the string-savers in that width.

Anyone know any compensated saddles with this narrow string spacing?

R.

ICBM

No, you need a wider bridge really - a three-screw one that fits the body. That would fix the issue of having to drill the guitar too.

Or modify the original bridge?

robinbowes

Well...

The original bridge is a 6-saddle affair.

The Vibramate bridge is kinda special and adapted to suit the Vibramate + Bigsby.

Also, the width of the string anchors on the Bigsby is also fairly narrow so a wider bridge wouldn't necessarily sort things.

R.

ICBM

What type of Tele is it - USA Standard? If so Vibramate do a correct 3-screw plate for that. That still might not help though, since US Std string spacing is 52mm. Any way you can post a pic that we can see?

Winny_Pooh

It looks fine from here, I would notch the saddles. 

robinbowes

ICBM said:

What type of Tele is it - USA Standard? If so Vibramate do a correct 3-screw plate for that. That still might not help though, since US Std string spacing is 52mm. Any way you can post a pic that we can see?

It's a MIJ Tele - not sure what age/year. Serial is T024378 - is that 94-95?

The pic seems to work OK for most other people (a few people here at work have tested)

R.

ICBM

robinbowes said:

It's a MIJ Tele - not sure what age/year. Serial is T024378 - is that 94-95?

I don't know.

Is it a flat USA Std-style bridge?

robinbowes said:

The pic seems to work OK for most other people (a few people here at work have tested)

It doesn't work for most of the people on this thread! It doesn't work on either of my computers or my phone, and if I try to open it as a new image I just get a Google User Content download which is a blank webpage document.

One way or another you're going to have to drill or modify something though, I think.

robinbowes

The original photo was a bad link but I changed the link to one that should be public.

Can you see this?

https://goo.gl/photos/6dosyAVMDAtbertc8

R.

ICBM

Aha! Yes.

It's not as bad as I expected - I would just carefully take a bit off the ends of the saddles - making sure you don't go through to the screw threads - and notch the saddle tops for the strings, since the only real issue is them touching the non-sloped sections.

If you're careful you could even angle the ends of the saddles slightly, that will allow you to take a bit more off without hitting the screws.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a MIJ Tele with a three-screw bridge. I almost certainly must have done but I can't remember it!

stickyfiddle

My Paisley Tele is MIJ (well, CIJ, iirc) and has a 3-saddle bridge. 

Anyway, if it intonates correctly and the E strings are falling off the fretboard I'd leave it as-is. Maybe take a tiny bit off the edges of the saddles but I wouldn't sweat it tbh.