3 Saddle Bridge Setup...

Raton · March 18th, 2004, 10:22 PM

Do you , Like me, setup your tele bridges only to remove the saddles again and trim the screws and cut down the springs? I always do this, as if one day I will have a Tele that doesn't require spring trimmin' and excess screw cuttin. No, I ain't talkin' bout vintage here, just modren replacements, thank you very much. What do you do?

Mike

Fatmanstratman · March 20th, 2004, 03:27 PM

Hi Mike,

Why are you cutting down the screws? It's not like they get in the way of your strings or anything. The length of screw they provide is only so you can adjust the intonation, and I've had Tele's which have all but needed the whole screw length at times!

Is it just a cosmetic thing, or am I missing your point?

Michael Murphy · March 20th, 2004, 03:38 PM

Sometimes the length of the screw (depending on your individual guitar and setup) can protrude ABOVE the level of the strings- occasionally sticking out quite a ways.

This can really eat up the palm of your hand if you do any right-hand muting...

-Michael
Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316

Fatmanstratman · March 20th, 2004, 03:55 PM

Point taken, but if they are protruding THAT far you must have those saddles wound up to their maximum height! I suppose that may be an appropriate setup if you play a lot of slide, but then you probably wouldn't be doing much palm muting if you did!

Michael Murphy · March 20th, 2004, 05:23 PM

It's not an uncommon occurance. I've seen lots of Teles that required that amount of saddle height, just from different tolerances on the parts.

If the neck pocket is a little shallow for instance, and/or the saddles need to be closer to the back of the bridge to achieve proper intonation, the result can be screws that stick up higher than optimal.

It just depends on how the parts on any given guitar happen to fit together- being set up expressly for slide isn't necessarily the determing factor.

-Michael
Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316

Raton · March 25th, 2004, 10:10 PM

Yea, sorry for the delay, I've only had 3 Teles, but they all needed the back of the E/A saddle to be about 1/4" away from the back of the bridge to intonate correctly... I'm not complaining, as I do believe I got one for a song B/c the previous owner thought it sounded horrid... It did, till I cut down the springs and screws and set it up. I was just kind of wondering if anyone has ever had the saddles way out on the ends of the screws? I've seen other peoples midway down, but never the opposite extreme.

Mike

Michael Murphy · March 25th, 2004, 11:37 PM

Mine have all been pretty close to the middle of the screw.

My first one (in '63) had screws that stuck up past the strings, but I used the cover on the bridge all the time in those days so it didn't matter. After I started using with the cover off, I just dealt with it.

Back then (I was 17) we didn't know you could modify 'em...

-Michael
Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316

Raton · March 26th, 2004, 11:17 PM

I love to pick right up against the bridge sometimes, and it really messes me up with that screw sticking up between 'em!

Thanks,
Mike

March 18th, 2004, 10:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
Raton Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Locust Valley, New York Posts: 204	3 Saddle Bridge Setup... Do you , Like me, setup your tele bridges only to remove the saddles again and trim the screws and cut down the springs? I always do this, as if one day I will have a Tele that doesn't require spring trimmin' and excess screw cuttin. No, I ain't talkin' bout vintage here, just modren replacements, thank you very much. What do you do? Mike __________________ _________________________ "No man born with a living soul can be workin' for the clampdown."

March 20th, 2004, 03:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fatmanstratman Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Fatmanville, Cambs., UK Posts: 2,845	Why? Hi Mike, Why are you cutting down the screws? It's not like they get in the way of your strings or anything. The length of screw they provide is only so you can adjust the intonation, and I've had Tele's which have all but needed the whole screw length at times! Is it just a cosmetic thing, or am I missing your point?

March 20th, 2004, 03:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
Michael Murphy Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: I can hit the Pacific Ocean and/or Canada with a rock from here... Age: 62 Posts: 1,073	Sometimes the length of the screw (depending on your individual guitar and setup) can protrude ABOVE the level of the strings- occasionally sticking out quite a ways. This can really eat up the palm of your hand if you do any right-hand muting... -Michael Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316 __________________ *Just an analog boy in a digital world...*

March 20th, 2004, 05:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Michael Murphy Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: I can hit the Pacific Ocean and/or Canada with a rock from here... Age: 62 Posts: 1,073	It's not an uncommon occurance. I've seen lots of Teles that required that amount of saddle height, just from different tolerances on the parts. If the neck pocket is a little shallow for instance, and/or the saddles need to be closer to the back of the bridge to achieve proper intonation, the result can be screws that stick up higher than optimal. It just depends on how the parts on any given guitar happen to fit together- being set up expressly for slide isn't necessarily the determing factor. -Michael Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316 __________________ *Just an analog boy in a digital world...*

March 25th, 2004, 10:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Raton Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Locust Valley, New York Posts: 204	Yea, sorry for the delay, I've only had 3 Teles, but they all needed the back of the E/A saddle to be about 1/4" away from the back of the bridge to intonate correctly... I'm not complaining, as I do believe I got one for a song B/c the previous owner thought it sounded horrid... It did, till I cut down the springs and screws and set it up. I was just kind of wondering if anyone has ever had the saddles way out on the ends of the screws? I've seen other peoples midway down, but never the opposite extreme. Mike __________________ _________________________ "No man born with a living soul can be workin' for the clampdown."

March 20th, 2004, 03:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
Fatmanstratman Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Fatmanville, Cambs., UK Posts: 2,845	Point taken, but if they are protruding THAT far you must have those saddles wound up to their maximum height! I suppose that may be an appropriate setup if you play a lot of slide, but then you probably wouldn't be doing much palm muting if you did!

March 25th, 2004, 11:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
Michael Murphy Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: I can hit the Pacific Ocean and/or Canada with a rock from here... Age: 62 Posts: 1,073	Mine have all been pretty close to the middle of the screw. My first one (in '63) had screws that stuck up past the strings, but I used the cover on the bridge all the time in those days so it didn't matter. After I started using with the cover off, I just dealt with it. Back then (I was 17) we didn't know you could modify 'em... -Michael Charter Member S. Texas He-Man Emoticon Haters Local #316 __________________ *Just an analog boy in a digital world...*

March 26th, 2004, 11:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
Raton Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Locust Valley, New York Posts: 204	I love to pick right up against the bridge sometimes, and it really messes me up with that screw sticking up between 'em! Thanks, Mike __________________ _________________________ "No man born with a living soul can be workin' for the clampdown."