What is your favorite fixed bridge and why?

[WarmothRules]

I love the gotoh wraparound. It's the most comfortable TOM style bridge, IMO.

I have a hipshot fixed bridge. It's nice, but I have a few gripes.
1. I have an early one, amd the saddles are soft. The high e string cut a groove in the saddle and created a buzz. I fixed it easy enough. First and only time this has happened in 25 years.
2. The super tiny hex wrench needed to adjust the saddles.


My favorite flatmount is the ibanez tite end series.
View attachment 63200View attachment 63201
Best feel under palm ever! Plenty of adjustment range, and locking saddles. They have only 1 height adjust screw per saddle due to the tight tolerances of the block saddles.

That’s a solid looking bridge

 

[mayfly]

Favourite: Telecaster bridge.
Why: Because it's attached to a telecaster.

 

[Waraxe]

That’s a solid looking bridge

Which? All 3 are super solid

The ibby ones also have locking saddles.
Note the "hinges" where the saddle meets the intonation screw as well.

They're very well designed bridges.

 

[WarmothRules]

Favourite: Telecaster bridge.
Why: Because it's attached to a telecaster.

But what makes a tele a tele. The bridge or the shape

 

[WarmothRules]

Which? All 3 are super solid

The ibby ones also have locking saddles.
Note the "hinges" where the saddle meets the intonation screw as well.

They're very well designed bridges.

The ibanez tite end series one

 

[mayfly]

But what makes a tele a tele. The bridge or the shape

Chicken and egg, baby. Chicken and egg.

 

[WarmothRules]

Chicken and egg, baby. Chicken and egg.

correct

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

I haven't looked to see what bridges Warmoth is selling these days, but fwiw I've had a Schaller 3D-6 roller bridge on two different guitars and I have no complaints.

(...although fwiw both 3D-6 bridges I owned had the saddle-locking screw, which doesn't appear on their current model: https://schaller.info/en/3d-6/1212 )

 

[Mitch]

My favorite bridge, by far, is the Babicz Full Contact bridge. Height and length are both easy to adjust. Far more comfortable on the palm than the standard Fender-type design - doesn’t have the little height adjustment screws sticking up. And it literally doubles the acoustic volume of the guitar which translates into improved sustain and tone when plugged in.

Bill, tgo

I agree with the Babicz Full Contact bridge. Once you get the string height and intonation set, the saddles are locked in place and will not need any further adjustment. The full contact feature of the Babicz bridge really does enhance and increase the un-plugged tone of the guitar and with baritone strings that would be even more noticeable. In addition to being more comfortable under the palm, I really like the esthetics of the Babicz bridge especially when compared with a Fender flat mount. It makes the guitar look more high end.

 

[Lbpesq]

I just wish the “Original Series” didn’t have “BABICZ” emblazoned on it in large letters. I generally prefer the “Z Series” for this reason.

Bill, tgo

 

[Spud]

I am gonna say the Golden Gate as it is pretty.

 

[Hodgo]

But what makes a tele a tele. The bridge or the shape

Whatever Fender sez…

 

[Hagwood]

I was doing a build where I was going to use the gotoh wraparound, but I just don't like the string beads showing on top (picky I know, but that's why we build our own). So I went with the Schaller wraparound. Awesome build quality and adjustability, but it is more expensive.......

 

[Hagwood]

I leave those arguments to the people at TGP, those insisting on the genuine paper-in-oil cables and tuning machines, of course.

And don't forget the $500 amp power cords that magically transform all of the regular 14 gauge wiring in your house in that 3 feet.......

 

[Spud]

And don't forget the $500 amp power cords that magically transform all of the regular 14 gauge wiring in your house in that 3 feet.......

Haggy,14AWG Romex for lighting circuits, 12 AWG for outlets...............................

 

[Ribspare]

The G&L bridge on their ASAT models is probably my favorite. It’s probably nothing really special but it’s designed by Leo Fender so it does have a cool vibe to it.

 

[db82]

I'll preface this by saying I thoroughly dislike anything with a fixed radius or where I have to cut bridge saddle so I'm biased. My TOM style guitars play and sound great, but there's a different level of patience and skill involved in setting them up that I didn't ever want to have to achieve.

I have 6 solidbody + multiscale that use the hipshot hardtail. I dig that bridge. Something about the mass or construction seems to work very well with the extended lows that I don't get from instruments with similar parameters but differernt bridges (i.e. Ibanez mono-rails, Gibraltar)
I will say that since I started lurking here a few months ago, I've been very intruiged by the Babicz designs though...

 

[Spud]

The good old Fender American Hardtail is tough to beat for tone, price, fully adjustable. Some may look cooler but.................

 

[Bruce Campbell]

The good old Fender American Hardtail is tough to beat for tone, price, fully adjustable. Some may look cooler but.................

Had the Hipshot on my Warmoth and liked it, but changed to the Fender and can't go back. My first electric guitar is a 1997 Fender American Standard Strat so that's also what I have the most experience with. I've had Callaham and String Saver saddles on that guitar but ultimately went back to the originals, which gave me the impetus to change bridges on my Warmoth.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I had forgotten about that Schaller, but that is top shelf!