Tele bridge, what to do

[Tempest]

So my next build is going to be a new Jazzcaster!

I'm set on a lot of things so far.  One of the big issues though is the bridge.  I don't know what to get!  I have a gotoh humbucker bridge on my warmoth tele, but I'm not super happy with the look of that one for this guitar.  The strat looking saddles just don't have that vibe that I want.  So I kind of want a more vintage style bridge for this. 

Is this a quality bridge? http://www.warmoth.com/Vintage-Telereg-6-Saddle-Bridge-Chrome-P612C704.aspx I like the six saddle adjust-ability

I've also heard good thing about the Joe Barden bridge, I understand the compensated saddles work well on those, and they have the vintage style I like.

:help:

 

[leo12.]

This is the Bridge i went for. For vintage look with more mordern take on intonation.
Its still a work in progress, its the "Wilkinson compensated saddle tele bridge".

Here's some more to checkout
http://www.axesrus.com/axeteleh.htm#VintageTele
Good Luck.

 

[Tempest]

This is the Bridge i went for. For vintage look with more mordern take on intonation.
Its still a work in progress, its the "Wilkinson compensated saddle tele bridge".

Here's some more to checkout
http://www.axesrus.com/axeteleh.htm#VintageTele
Good Luck.

Seems interesting, how well does it intonate while still being able to only move the saddles in pairs?

 

[leo12.]

The guitar is not finished, still need some bits, can't answer the intonation issue yet.
Check TDPRI http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/
Pick a bridge run it through the search function  you will get some feedback.
Good luck Tempest

 

[keeper006]

For a vintage look with all the modern accoutrements of adjustability, I think these are top notch...
http://www.warmoth.com/Schaller-475-Flat-C712.aspx

 

[stubhead]

I have a Barden I'll sell you, it's unused but I have let it get authentically dusty... :hello2:

 

[tfarny]

The Barden is good, and good value, and looks vintage. The Hipshot (either one) is better quality and better designed, and gets reasonably close to a vintage look.

 

[leo12.]

tfarny since your saddles look some what similar to mine could you answer the intonation
issue how close to in tune do they get? Thanks Leo.

 

[tfarny]

About as good as you get with a standard nut (non-earvana) and frets - within a cent or two, much less than the effect of having a heavy fretting hand, for instance. I think the string gauge might change things, if you use lighter or heavier than whatever they used as reference it might be off a smidge. But it is a telecaster, so.....

 

[stubhead]

If you go over to TDPRI:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/index.php

which is, after all the "TELECASTER" forum, you will find thousands and thousands of words expounded on this subject. There are some who say the Callaham bridge is best because of the thickness of the steel, there are some who say it's TOO thick and the Barden is best because it duplicates the Fender steel, only it's flat, which may times the Fenders aren't... the Hipshot is stainless steel, which is "wrong"... the Gotohs are plated brass, which is wrong...

http://www.callahamguitars.com/brdge_T.htm
http://www.joebarden.com/main.php?section=Products&pageID=JB%20Bridgeplates%20and%20Saddle%20Kits
The Wilkinson is realer than the Gotoh, but not realer than the Barden:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_Guitar_Bridges/Wilkinson_Adjustable_Compensated_Bridge_for_Tele.html
The Glendales are most expensive of all, so they MUST be the best:
http://www.glendaleguitars.com/bridgeplates.htm

Real, hardcore Teleheads can go quite insane over this stuff, you can descend into their madness quite easily. Here you go:
http://billlawrence.com/Pages/ForTeleLovers.htm
http://www.300guitars.com/articles/eliminate-unwanted-feedback-from-your-telecaster/

 

[swarfrat]

Real, hardcore Teleheads can go quite insane over this stuff, you can descend into their madness quite easily. Here you go:

It's a short drive given that starting point.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[stubhead]

I have designed new string ferrules for Tele style guitars. The ball-end of the guitar string fits nice and snug and almost  flush with the end of the ferrule. This makes for much better string contact with the body allowing more vibration through the guitar, adding sustain, brilliance and improving overall tone. You can choose from titanium, brass, cold rolled steel, and aluminum sets or you can mix and match to achieve your own personal sound. For example; aluminum for the low E/A strings, cold rolled steel for the D/G strings, and brass for the high B/E strings. The brass removes harsh overtones from the high strings and adds harmonic richness. The titanium is very well balanced and is a  little brighter than brass,  it also removes harsh overtones from the high strings and adds harmonic richness. Titanium works very good on all six strings. The aluminum tightens up the low end giving more punch and a touch more volume.

Mind you, these are the tonal changes you can achieve just by using the right Glendale string ferrules.... it goes without saying but it's implied, of course -

IF YOU CAN'T HEAR THE DIFFERENCE,
YOU DON'T DESERVE THE VERY BEST!

It should probably go without saying that those titanium ferrules go for $59.99, too! :hello2:



(mommy mommy i want solid GOLD ferrules! mommy mommy mommy....)

 

[mayfly]

I personally like the Joe Barden bridge. 

It's fairly cheap and the intonation is pretty good.  The other thing I like about it is it has the ashtray lips on it - which I tend to use all the time to plant my fingertips to manipulate the guitar position.  Its a unique thing about telecasters that tele freaks tend to find important - especially if you have a bender to deal with!

 

[Tempest]

Thanks for all the replies.  Upon further thought and investigation I think I'm going to get to Gotoh, cause the look is really growing on me, and it's just the easier choice.  I like the six saddles.

So I may go for one of these bridges in the future on a different tele-style build, but not this time.

Thanks again for all the responses, you guys are great.

 

[stubhead]

It's hard to believe that the machinists on this forum aren't interested in launching a product that will be so successful they'd have to quit their day jobs and get rich! I mean, I've suggested it before, and I find it bizarre that I can't just buy one. Look at these pictures and tell me what's wrong:

OK, I'll tell you what's wrong: the middle saddle of the Barden has to go through drastic (and unbecoming) tilt action to intonate correctly. Now look carefully again at the PRS bridge.

:blob7: :hello2: :toothy10: HEY - WHAT IF YOU MADE A TELECASTER BRIDGE
WITH ONLY TWO BRASS SADDLES?!? !  :toothy10: :hello2: :blob7:

Obviously you can make it intonate in a far more graceful manner; my instincts tell me it would look & work better with the next size up brass rod for the saddles. Now if you want to get really stingy, you can even buy the Wilkinson bridge - which is top loading and bottom loading - AND USE THE TOP-LOAD STRING HOLES FOR STRING 6 AND 4 FOR THE SCREWS HOLDING THE WOUND-STRING SADDLE AND THE STRING HOLES FOR 1 AND 3 FOR THE SADDLE FOR THE UNWOUND STRINGS!!

And even sell off the Wilky saddles on Ebay too... I mean, duh. The first one out of the gate is going to sell one to every single guitarist on TDPRI. I don't even want any money, I just want a couple of my next minting-cash invention, the instantly adjustable-for-slide-guitar nut.

 

[swarfrat]

I'm convinced that like the hum afficionados, poor intonation is DESIRED by the die hard 3 saddle tele guys. It's not authentic if it intonates correctly, and will ruin your sound.

 

[AutoBat]

I recommend going beyond vintage and using a brass acoustic style saddle.  intonation adjustments are for the weak!

 

[Cagey]

I'm convinced that like the hum afficionados, poor intonation is DESIRED by the die hard 3 saddle tele guys. It's not authentic if it intonates correctly, and will ruin your sound.

I think that's probably true. Plus, back when Teles were the cheapest "pro" guitar you could buy, the hillbilly trailer trash contingent was all over those things and they played a lotta whiney slide-type stuff where tuning was a secondary consideration, if it was addressed at all. Nothing they did was ever really in tune to start with. It was all a constantly variable whine, so the only reason they needed a bridge was for a place to anchor the strings.

 

[Dan025]

ive wanted to make tele bridges for a while. life gets in the way but i'll work with someone on something if they have a specific request... and i have considered the two saddle aproach myself.

the real issues with doing it full time is exposure, and manufacturing process. cnc while fast and flexible isn't as fast as say a press for the plate. the parts are easy to make but to be profitable you gotta get setup to produce quickly. if it takes all day to make a single bridge manually and you make $30 profit that's not a good way to do buisness. if you can make 30-100 a day (very possible with 2-3 people and some dedicated equipment) and make $10 profit it's a different story but they gotta sell!. to do it right you need a sheer, a mill (preferably cnc), a lathe, and a press and the time to make the dies and fixture. if people are willing to spend say $150 on a bridge ill make them one by one but with bridges in the $50 range i dont think that'll happen.

 

[-CB-]

Part of me thinks... what on earth did we do before all this technology.  We had six round saddles, that worked reasonably well for lots and lots of years.

I guess I'm gonna have to go refit my... what... is it six Telecasters?  NOT!