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/
Comments
"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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?
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.
(also Steel FTW here!)
Steel aren't too bright are they? The other strings are plenty bright already.
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?
"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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!
With so many comparison web sites out there, how do I choose the best one?
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!
I have the same (string through), no problems at all.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg_imQDC4eUOjuBBRl2mBwA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyQgllCIpqY
https://rozaliftwave.bandcamp.com/
Yes - every (different) G I've put on there.
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.