Tele saddle that sounds like brass for string breakers?

[vinceman]

Hi,
I break a lot of strings with my '52 RI tele, and I used to use graphtech saddles.
I'm in a tele-pickup-test period these days and I've tried to put back the original brass saddles : WAAAAAAAOOOOOH !!! My guitar came back to life....

Do you know if there is a saddle set (3 saddles) on the market that could avoid string breaking (like graphite) but that preserves the Twang of brass saddles? If it's compensated, then it's christmas...:drool

[teXum]

Don't really know whether is the brass saddles that is to blame here. Set-up might also be an issue.

Regardless, Glendale and Callaham are widely recognized around these parts for making the best tele saddles.

[Old Tele man]

aluminum saddle for E6 & A5 strings

brass saddles for D4 & G3 and B2 & E1 strings.

[Dana Olsen]

aluminum saddle for E6 & A5 strings

brass saddles for D4 & G3 and B2 & E1 strings.True, and I think Steel saddles have more twang than brass. Brass saddles, and slotted steel as well are very smooth. If you're breaking strings on brass saddles, there's got to be some other problem with the setup.

I see you're in Paris - cool! A little harder for you to drop by a store that sell lots of different Tele saddles, huh?

Any good electric guitar setup guys in Paris? Maybe go to one of them and spend the $30-$50 Euros ... it could be well worth it.

Good luck, Dana O.

[Realfi]

Maybe have a look at your old brass saddles to make sure that sharp edged grooves haven't formed as brass is quite soft.

If the strings move position even a little to run across these sharp edges it can certainly cause problems.

[fr8_trane]

Did you try the TUSQ IOS compensated graphtech saddles? These are white and much harder than the black ones. They're harder than brass and should preserve more hi end than the black ones.

If you must have brass then I like these callaham saddles.
http://www.callahamguitars.com/t_sd_bv.jpg

They are compensated without being angled just like the graph techs. I like this style much more than the slanted ones because your strings don't slip toward the adjustment screws.

[walterw]

Did you try the TUSQ IOS compensated graphtech saddles? These are white and much harder than the black ones. They're harder than brass and should preserve more hi end than the black ones.

If you must have brass then I like these callaham saddles.
http://www.callahamguitars.com/t_sd_bv.jpg

They are compensated without being angled just like the graph techs. I like this style much more than the slanted ones because your strings don't slip toward the adjustment screws.

sorry, but in no way are tusq saddles "harder than brass". also, if you're a string-breaker, the sharp angles presented by saddles like these might make things worse.

i like the angled type, because you can put a slight notch behind the contact point, where the string isn't vibrating, to keep it from sliding around without contributing to breakage like a notch right at the contact point would tend to do.

some 1200 or 1500 grit sandpaper will serve to smooth out the contact points on your brass saddles, and a tiny drop of oil at each contact point can also help.

[vinceman]

I'm interrested in he Glendale twang kit.
Isn't it a bit strange to play with mismatched saddles? No problem with the different tonal response of the first 4 strings with E and A?

[fr8_trane]

sorry, but in no way are tusq saddles "harder than brass". also, if you're a string-breaker, the sharp angles presented by saddles like these might make things worse.

Brass is a soft metal. I find it VERY plausible that many plastics would be harder than brass. There are a bunch of guys over at TDPRI who are using the Tusq saddles on their B-bender tele's because they don't form grooves as easily as brass.

[RomanS]

If you must have brass then I like these callaham saddles.
http://www.callahamguitars.com/t_sd_bv.jpg

They are compensated without being angled just like the graph techs. I like this style much more than the slanted ones because your strings don't slip toward the adjustment screws.

www.guitarfetish.com sells a Wilkinson Tele bridge with very similar brass saddles.

[Jack Briggs]

Check out Budz Guitars compensated brass saddles:

http://www.budzguitars.homestead.com/bridges.html


http://www.budzguitars.homestead.com/wonderdog_pics_1_008.jpg

[Dana Olsen]

Nice looking saddles Jack - thanx for the pic. My pal Jim Lombard in Santa Barbara started (years ago) filing flat spots in regular brass saddles to intonate better - works great and it's fun to make your own. I'll look for the pics of his work. They wind up looking like the ones in your pic, but the flat spot isn't as extreme on Jim's.

Brass is pretty soft, so it's pretty easy to do as a DIY project.

Thanks, Dana O.