saddle screws on bridge screws. Is it ok?

Guitartom_ca · March 12th, 2008, 04:06 PM

some of my saddle screws are setting on my bridge screws. is this normal? what should i do if anything?

thanks

pbenn · March 12th, 2008, 04:18 PM

No experience with six-saddle bridges, but on three-saddle OV bridges before 1968, it is sort of an issue on two or three of the screws, usually around the A and D strings.

If your bridgeplate mounting screws are not down, level, and flush, you can have interference problems and/or height issues that you must adjust for.

A worst-case scenario involves a guitar whose neck/body geometry demands a backwards move of the saddle for correct intonation--and the mount screw head is in the way, and maybe sticking up. Re-do the mount screw angle with a toothpick in the hole.

That being said, this problem (on pre-1968 type three-saddles) has always been around. The '68-'82 big groove three-saddles seem to have been engineered with this problem in mind.

boris bubbanov · March 12th, 2008, 06:58 PM

Guitartom, I'm in the same boat, with this set of Strat bent steel 'CG' saddles from Bill Callaham on a stock Am Se Tele bridge plate. (these BTW are great on Am Se Strats).

My solution will be to replace the existing hemi or pan head plate screws with flat head screws of the same size and depth. This works great on the vintage style plates (tho I am not currently having an issue with that on any of them I have).
I haven't actually decided whether this set of bent steels are staying on here, as I am pushing the limit on the length of the high E intonation screw, as well as the height of the grub screws on the low E and high E bent steel saddles, and I'm not sure if the improvement, while good, is good enough.

mellecaster · March 12th, 2008, 08:35 PM

Yep...one of those Ole Bugaboos..as Boris stated, replacing the oval head mounting screws w/ the same size Flathead ones should help.

March 12th, 2008, 06:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 8,579	Guitartom, I'm in the same boat, with this set of Strat bent steel 'CG' saddles from Bill Callaham on a stock Am Se Tele bridge plate. (these BTW are great on Am Se Strats). My solution will be to replace the existing hemi or pan head plate screws with flat head screws of the same size and depth. This works great on the vintage style plates (tho I am not currently having an issue with that on any of them I have). I haven't actually decided whether this set of bent steels are staying on here, as I am pushing the limit on the length of the high E intonation screw, as well as the height of the grub screws on the low E and high E bent steel saddles, and I'm not sure if the improvement, while good, is good enough. __________________ Bubban0v

March 12th, 2008, 08:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
mellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,776 17 Photos	Yep...one of those Ole Bugaboos..as Boris stated, replacing the oval head mounting screws w/ the same size Flathead ones should help. __________________ I have never owned an Ipod or Blackberry..and doubt that I ever will......

March 12th, 2008, 04:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
pbenn Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto Age: 52 Posts: 593	No experience with six-saddle bridges, but on three-saddle OV bridges before 1968, it is sort of an issue on two or three of the screws, usually around the A and D strings. If your bridgeplate mounting screws are not down, level, and flush, you can have interference problems and/or height issues that you must adjust for. A worst-case scenario involves a guitar whose neck/body geometry demands a backwards move of the saddle for correct intonation--and the mount screw head is in the way, and maybe sticking up. Re-do the mount screw angle with a toothpick in the hole. That being said, this problem (on pre-1968 type three-saddles) has always been around. The '68-'82 big groove three-saddles seem to have been engineered with this problem in mind.