Wilde + Brass Bridge

I asked some weeks back about the squealing
with my Wilde bridge pickup. The answer was
I needed a non-magnetic bridge pickup.

Well, I order and installed an "L" bridge from
Armadillo in Austin, TX. And it did, in fact,
eliminate the problem. And the pickup sounds
better to boot. Makes me wonder if the Wilde
200tl that I replaced with the 290tl wouldn't sound better
now. I didn't care for it with the magnetic bridge.

Anyway, it's now posted here so others can find it with a search
if anyone should need to know. But who searches for anything, right?

It's always good to have another testimony! I wonder about the L200TL too. It could possibly be a superior bridge mechanically, but the electrodynamic influence (which affects all pickups) could have been too much salt in your soup :D The L280TL/L290TL/L298TL are more vulnerable to less than ideal bridge performance because they're particularly sensitive to the bridge (they can sense it directly), which is part of the classic Tele twang vintage enthusiasts are looking for. Traditional designs (at least in part) rely on mechanical transfer from the bridgeplate to the baseplate that the pickup then "picks up". I'm really happy the bridge worked out for you! I'm unsure if any other Wilde users had previous experience with it, so it's good to know. Have you tried setting up the bridge pickup with the "nickel method"? That's always my favorite way.

You mean the distance of two nickles between the top
of the pole piece and the high "E" string?

No I haven't tried it, but I will.

One word of advice to anyone getting an
Armadillo bridge - either ask him to make the
opening for the pickup a few 32nds larger, or
be prepared to file down the flange in between
coils on your pickup. I had to file mine down so
it would fit. I wish Bill Lawrence would just make
those a little smaller.

You mean the distance of two nickles between the top
of the pole piece and the high "E" string?

I thought the rule of thumb was, 2 nickels height between top of pole peice and Low E
1 nickel height between top of pole peice and high E

Yup, but be sure you measure it while pressing the last fret. From Pickupology:

The distance between pickup and string is a very important factor for output and sound.

As a general rule for the bridge pickup - put a nickel on top of the pickup under the high E string and play the highest note on that string. Adjust the height on that side of the pickup till the string touches the nickel. Repeat the same with the low E string, but use two nickels on top of each other. If this gives you too much output, you can reduce the height slightly. Don't forget that twice the distance will reduce the output by about 60%, and the sound will lose some lows. NOW, you can adjust the neck pickup to match the output of the bridge pickup. For the sound test, use stage volume.

Ahhh, I stand corrected.

Memory is a gimmick.

Useful info there, thanks!

Thanks for the clarification there, Derek. I thought I had the "nickel" thing right but wasn't absolutely positive.

One word of advice to anyone getting an
Armadillo bridge - either ask him to make the
opening for the pickup a few 32nds larger, or
be prepared to file down the flange in between
coils on your pickup. I had to file mine down so
it would fit. I wish Bill Lawrence would just make
those a little smaller.

I was thinking about this same setup on one of my Baja teles. Is the Armadillo bridge opening undersized compared to a stock Fender bridge? Did you have any issues with BL pickup fitting your old bridge?

Do you have any pics of your guitar with the new bridge and pickup?

Thanks