Threaded saddles. What.

I've got an MIM 60s Classic with the truly horrible threaded-type saddles like these.

http://angela.com/images/products/detail/TeleThreadedSaddleSetBetter.jpg
Look at that smug sonuvva...

Can someone please explain to me why they ever put these on a guitar, because all I seem to have is strings not sitting right, rattling about in their saddle and a distinct absence of sustain.

I have some Wilkinson brass compensated saddles on a £50 nonamecaster off eBay, but I'm kind of tempted by the fancy pants saddle makers like Glendham, Rutters, Callahan. These sure look nice but without knowing what the difference will be between those and my threaded saddles (steel versus brass is well documented but everyone seems to assume they're NOT talking about threaded - probably because everyone agrees with me on how damn cheap threaded feels) plus the pretty high costs (including international P&P because guitars don't happen much outside of America) mean that I can't just buy a bunch of saddles and decide which ones I like best.

So I am basically asking two things of you, my six-string brethren:

Is there anything gained from having threaded saddles?
What reasonably inexpensive replacements would be reccomended?

Towards the bottom of this page (http://www.axesrus.com/axeSaddlesh.htm) they have some proper Fender brass ones for pretty cheap. Would the compensated brass ones be worse quality (bear in mind I don't really have intonation issues with the current 3 threaded saddles)?

At the time it was a less costly way to manufacture.

Oh, I have Telecasters with threaded saddles and I am fine with them. I also have Telecasters with brass and steel saddles.

Can someone please explain to me why they ever put these on a guitar, because all I seem to have is strings not sitting right, rattling about in their saddle and a distinct absence of sustain.

...

So I am basically asking two things of you, my six-string brethren:

Is there anything gained from having threaded saddles?
What reasonably inexpensive replacements would be reccomended?


I can imagine rattling saddles would rob lots of sustain. As a first measure, what then can you do to stabilize those saddles before resigning to getting replacements? Loctite in the height screws? Adjusting the height screws / filing flat if necessary? Lubricant or something to help the larger screws grip the saddle? Do your strings all fit in the threads? You can also lubricate that point with graphite perhaps. This post is more of an appeal to the techs :cool:

1. They allow you to place the string where you want to personalize string spacing up the neck
2. Joe barden saddles are nice. Not much experience with other makers

I've always had good service from Axesrus. For 6 or 7 quid you can't go far wrong...

The saddles themselves don't move or rattle, so my only theory is that the string is vibrating against the saddle in a way it shouldn't be, causing the rattle.
If this is what's happening, I should be good with any smooth-type saddle.

And on the Joe Barden saddles, not only am I a little sceptical of compensated saddles (I'd rather just go six-saddle and find another means of propping up my 'mojo') but they're a little pricey for what they are.

From a practical point of view, threaded are my favourites! As someone earlier stated, you can place the strings exactly where you want them and they'll stay there. The sound, compared to brass is very lively, pingy and toppy.

I have several Teles and I wish I could have threaded saddles in 'em all. But some are very bright sounding so I find brass tends to tame that quite noticeably.

You sure you don't have a loose truss rod rattling in the neck? Tighten it a 1/4 turn to find out.

I've kept them on my MIM 60's Classic basically on a dare, and they bugged me but I've gotten to the point I don't think they hold me back any more.

One thing you can do (no kidding) is to swap the saddles' positions. You can randomly get a pattern where the string is better aligned, and that trashy sound from the string making contact over too long an area is reduced or eliminated. I've done that on other sets, never had to do this one once I had it set up right.

Sustain is overrated, anyway. I like the attack, and I just move on to the next note and don't pine for that last note that might've stayed longer. May sound silly, but you're taking what the guitar is giving you and not pushing the guitar around.

If I were to break down and replace mine, I'd get the chromed slotted Rutters ones. They'll look just great.

I've no beef at all with threaded saddles. I have 2 Teles with Bigsby B5s and 3 saddle bridges. String slip on smooth saddles was an issue, so one has slotted brass saddles and the other threaded saddles. They both perform flawlessly, no rattles, no shift in height, no string slip, and sustain of a typical-for-a-Tele nature. You might have a bum set, but I don't think threaded saddles as a whole should be ruled out because of it.

I've kept them on my MIM 60's Classic basically on a dare, and they bugged me but I've gotten to the point I don't think they hold me back any more.

One thing you can do (no kidding) is to swap the saddles' positions. You can randomly get a pattern where the string is better aligned, and that trashy sound from the string making contact over too long an area is reduced or eliminated. I've done that on other sets, never had to do this one once I had it set up right.

Sustain is overrated, anyway. I like the attack, and I just move on to the next note and don't pine for that last note that might've stayed longer. May sound silly, but you're taking what the guitar is giving you and not pushing the guitar around.

If I were to break down and replace mine, I'd get the chromed slotted Rutters ones. They'll look just great.what a great post!
i just looked at the Rutters...yeah...i'm using the callaham, but i like the notches/slots.

yes, a few years ago i bought my cherry db '62 MIJ. came with threaded, of course. i bent them...used 3in1... no problem. but working up this guitar i got one each the callahams ve.

They were cheaper to make and they are the worst design period. They are on my 66 Jazzmaster and they are annoying. Flatwound strings help.

After playing a bit earlier, I'm starting to think the rattle isn't as bad as I made out (it was really bad on the strings it came with but since I've put my .11s on, it's not really noticeable) but the sustain is definitely an issue. There's barely any decay, and it does annoy me.

The other thing is, try and I might to not let purely visual things affect my opinion of a guitar, the threaded saddles look rubbish. Am I right?

Glendale.

I use 'em and like em. It's kinda like boxers vs. briefs vs. commando. Everyone has their preference.:lol:

You've got plenty of options for replacing the saddles, starting with buying a set of plain barrel saddles from someone who upgraded/modded their bridge to use compensated saddles. Stewart MacDonald sells saddles without buying a whole bridge. So does Guitarpartsresource. Hipshot makes an affordable set of compensated brass saddles if that's the way you want to go (they're the type with a bevel on top of the saddle, not the type where the saddle sits at an angle). And of course there are high end saddles from well regarded sources like Glendale.

And yeah, the threaded saddles look like they ran out of stock and improvised from leftover bolts. I'm all for the charm of a bolted-together plank but that bit goes to far for me. So if the look ruins the mojo for you, that's a good enough reason to swap them out.

After playing a bit earlier, I'm starting to think the rattle isn't as bad as I made out (it was really bad on the strings it came with but since I've put my .11s on, it's not really noticeable) but the sustain is definitely an issue. There's barely any decay, and it does annoy me.

The other thing is, try and I might to not let purely visual things affect my opinion of a guitar, the threaded saddles look rubbish. Am I right?

The last line really says enough; if you don't like the look, change them! Brass saddles are a cheap and popular place to start, and they look pretty good.