Made in Japan Telecaster

Just picked up a used MIJ Tele and it has a cheesy set of six steel barrel type saddles.

I would like to replace these cheap saddles with new modern fully adjustable saddles and a new bridge plate, will a Stew Mac set fit right in, any other quality brand to look for ???

thanks all for your help

P.S. its a toploader if that makes any difference

Hello lager86 and welcome. From your description it sounds like it should be a straight swap but I would advise you do a forum search (in the blue toolbar) as theres lots of great info about this sort of thing here.
cheers
Steve

I assume your talking about this bridge from StewMac.

http://www.stewmac.com/catalog/images_1lg/0025_1lg.jpg

Won't work .............. it's not a toploader. If you don't want to drill the body for string through, you might just replace the saddles.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridge_parts.html

I'd own a bunch of the vintage if someone offered 'em, would be great for doing the Darrell mod.
May I suggest that you drill 3 one eighth inch holes through the back edge of your existing bridgeplate, chamfer the holes then install the Stew Mac # 5167 slanted brass 3 barrel saddles. Refer to a Fender Tele vintage bridge for correct drill hole placement. And mark your hole locations with a fine nail set on the chrome plate, and use a sharp high end drill bit. Good luck.

Bubbanov

Yeah Jwells, thats what I'm talking about, I wonder if those saddles will drop right onto the current bridge plate?

Boris, I'm not sure what you mean by the "Darrell mod" but I wanted to go with the modern saddles instead of the old style barrells anyway. (and thanks for replying, but now I just gotta' know what the "Darrell mod" is)

Steve G, thanks for the welcome !!!

Just picked up a used MIJ Tele and it has a cheesy set of six steel barrel type saddles.

I would like to replace these cheap saddles with new modern fully adjustable saddles and a new bridge plate, will a Stew Mac set fit right in, any other quality brand to look for ???

thanks all for your help

P.S. its a toploader if that makes any difference

lager86,

Does your bridge look like this? At least the geometry being the same, with the saddle screw to string offsets and the three mounting screws?

http://personalweb.sunset.net/~barron/elitebridge.jpg (http://personalweb.sunset.net/~barron/elitebridge.jpg)

Yegbert, thats it exactly ! Is that picture from your own guitar ?

Yegbert, thats it exactly ! Is that picture from your own guitar ?

lager86,

No, I borrowed that picture from 0le FUZZY.

We were discussing a related problem here (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech/77805-custom-tele-bridge-reduce-string-break-angle.html), where someone with an American Standard or American Series string through bridge wanted to decrease the break angle for ease of bending strings. I suggested a plate from an '83 Standard, which is I think what's in 0le FUZZY's pic; and I suggested that some MIJ/CIJ Teles look like they might have one for the same spec.

So I'm guessing that an American Standard / American Series spec bridgeplate would retrofit yours, provided you drill the string through holes in the body.

And then maybe one of those folks who want a shallower break angle, would want to buy your old bridge! :lol:

Thanks Egbert, I was able to follow your thread info back and found that Graphtec apparrently has what I need (hopefully), listed under Fender Elite.

These saddles have the string length or intonation adjustment screw on the left side of the saddle (just like the saddles that you pictured) as opposed to in the middle on normal six saddle bridges.

I'm trying to get away with keeping the toploader bridgeplate and just retrofitting some better saddles!

As soon as I'm able to dig up a set of these graphtech saddles I'll let everybody know if this is an easy retrofit, as I really don't want to have to drill out the body if I don't have too

Thanks again for the help!

I assume your talking about this bridge from StewMac.

http://www.stewmac.com/catalog/images_1lg/0025_1lg.jpg

Won't work .............. it's not a toploader. If you don't want to drill the body for string through, you might just replace the saddles.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridge_parts.html

HMMM....same problem..I just bought this type of bridge for my tele copy but for a humbucker..so I will have to get the body modified to be able to put this thing on huh?...

a toploader MIJ?????

i'd love to see some pics of THAT guitar.