Brass compensated tele saddles - that question again!

Mr_Claw

Hi all,

I have a tele partscaster with a Gotoh In-tune bridge with compensated brass saddles. I've always struggled with a dead-sounding G - no matter what strings I put on. The other 5 strings are fine - just the G. Wonder if it's due to the amount of contact the G has with the compensated saddle? It always felt a bit stiff too, so I want to try a top-loader bridge for lower tension.

Thinking of replacing the Gotoh with that Wilkinson bridge that allows both string-through and top-load (just in case I hate the top load and want to go back to string-through!). Given the shallower string break angle of top-loaders I figured I'd need saddles with grooves to stop unnecessary string movement across the saddle.

Is there a better option for a compensated saddle (with grooves) than the Gotoh? Thinking the staggered Philadelphia Luthier Tools saddles* look about perfect, but they cost as much as the Wilko bridge alone and then there's international delivery on top!

Any / all advice welcome! Thanks!

*https://www.philadelphialuthiertools.com/bridge-and-tailpieces/telecaster-bridges/compensated-offset-telecaster-saddle-5-16-diameter-set-of-3/

ICBM

Mr_Claw said:

Is there a better option

Yes. Steel saddles.

Funkfingers

Try raising the G end of the middle saddle very slightly.

What nut material did you use on partscaster?

What pickups did you install? Alnico 2, 3, 5 or some hybrid mixture? Equal length rod magnet polepieces or raised/"staggered"? How closely are they adjusted to the strings?

Mr_Claw

Funkfingers said:

Try raising the G end of the middle saddle very slightly.

What nut material did you use on partscaster?

What pickups did you install? Alnico 2, 3, 5 or some hybrid mixture? Equal length rod magnet polepieces or raised/"staggered"? How closely are they adjusted to the strings?

Thanks. I'll give raising the G a go.

I should be clear: the G only really sounds dead when played *acoustically*. Not such a prob when plugged in as the guitar is (electrically) reasonably bright. 

But for what it's worth:
> Earvana nut (installed by @FelineGuitars)
> Pickups are Klien Broadcaster 1950 Epics (so A3 bridge, A5 neck). Poles are flat; not staggered.
> I use bog-standard Fender pickup/string spacing. 

Mr_Claw

ICBM said:

Mr_Claw said:

Is there a better option

Yes. Steel saddles.

I did think about that, but the rest of the strings are quite bright already, and plugged in it's not such an issue. I don't want it to be too much...

stickyfiddle

I find slant-compensated saddles are a pain if they don't have grooves because big bends will move your strings around laterally. I'm currently using Rutgers straight-comp ones and they're really great

(also Steel FTW here!)

UnclePsychosis

Mr_Claw said:

ICBM said:

Mr_Claw said:

Is there a better option

Yes. Steel saddles.

I did think about that, but the rest of the strings are quite bright already, and plugged in it's not such an issue. I don't want it to be too much...

Its an electric guitar. Problem solved. 

paulnb57

Ive used several Wilkinson Tele half bridges, with the compensated saddles, because they top load, the strings never move side to side, so no grooves necessary

Mr_Claw

stickyfiddle said:

I find slant-compensated saddles are a pain if they don't have grooves because big bends will move your strings around laterally. I'm currently using Rutgers straight-comp ones and they're really great

(also Steel FTW here!)

That's what I figured. The Wilko ones don't have grooves; the Gotoh ones do, but not much. The PLT ones look like they'd be the business. But then cost....

Steel aren't too bright are they? The other strings are plenty bright already. 

Mr_Claw

paulnb57 said:

Ive used several Wilkinson Tele half bridges, with the compensated saddles, because they top load, the strings never move side to side, so no grooves necessary

Never had any bend based probs? 

Mr_Claw

UnclePsychosis said:

Mr_Claw said:

ICBM said:

Mr_Claw said:

Is there a better option

Yes. Steel saddles.

I did think about that, but the rest of the strings are quite bright already, and plugged in it's not such an issue. I don't want it to be too much...

Its an electric guitar. Problem solved. 

I guess. I mostly play unplugged at the moment, so the acoustic tone kinda bugs me. 

Mr_Claw

ICBM said:

Mr_Claw said:

Is there a better option

Yes. Steel saddles.

...then I suppose the earliest Broadcasters did have steel saddles.

Mine's not really a Broadcaster replica in any real way (4-way pickup selectir, candy-apple red/double-bound body, modern nut, etc), but it does have Broadcaster repro pickups, so maybe steel saddles would be fine? 

chickenbonejohn

Presumably you are using a plain G. I find compared to a wound G , a plain G can feel stiffer and quite dead sounding, but wound G's tend to only be used in heavier string sets. Depending on what gauge strings you are using, you might be able to try a wound G and see if that makes a difference.

ICBM

Mr_Claw said:

Steel aren't too bright are they? The other strings are plenty bright already. 

It depends what you mean by ‘bright’ - steel does have more true top-end and zing, but I find that preferable and easier to dial out on the amp than the upper-mid whine of brass, which is what I dislike about them.

skay

Are you sure it’s the saddle causing this, as a shallow break angle over the nut to the tuner is sometimes the culprit for this.

Try winding a few extra wraps around the G tuner to wind the string further down the post, and see if this helps.

You can test if this will work just by pressing the G string down behind the nut to simulate having a steeper break angle, and if it works it would be a nice quick and free fix!

paulnb57

Mr_Claw said:

paulnb57 said:

Ive used several Wilkinson Tele half bridges, with the compensated saddles, because they top load, the strings never move side to side, so no grooves necessary

Never had any bend based probs? 

Never

FelineGuitars

I assume this has happened over several G strings as you say you have always suffered with it?

That you tried another string at some point in case you simply had a rogue G string ?

distressed

paulnb57 said:

Ive used several Wilkinson Tele half bridges, with the compensated saddles, because they top load, the strings never move side to side, so no grooves necessary

I have the same (string through), no problems at all.

Mr_Claw

FelineGuitars said:

I assume this has happened over several G strings as you say you have always suffered with it?

That you tried another string at some point in case you simply had a rogue G string ?

Hi Jon. Hope all's going well? 

Yes - every (different) G I've put on there. 

Mr_Claw

skay said:

Are you sure it’s the saddle causing this, as a shallow break angle over the nut to the tuner is sometimes the culprit for this.

Try winding a few extra wraps around the G tuner to wind the string further down the post, and see if this helps.

You can test if this will work just by pressing the G string down behind the nut to simulate having a steeper break angle, and if it works it would be a nice quick and free fix!

Worth a go.

I did recently remove the string tree on the D/G as it made things feel a bit looser and didn't change the sound.