Vintage bridge plates all about the same?

[shutterbiker]

I have the Wilkinson bridge and compensated saddles on my MIM Standard.
I am happy with the sound of the bridge, but I sometimes think about replacing
the plate with a Fender pat pending plate. I also think about trying the vintage saddles. Has anyone done this switch or have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Steve

[Rod Parsons]

I put the Pat Pend bridge and saddles on my '91 American Standard and I like it. I had to take a tiny bit of wood out underneath the plate to do it, but I think the old style plate looks better, and the sound is a bit more full or brassy, seeing that the saddles are brass. A slight compromise had to be made in setting up tuning as is almost always the case, but not enough to make a difference to me.

['56Teleman]

Steve, I don't think you're going to notice much, if any, difference between the Wilkinson and Fender bridges and the compensated saddles on the Wilkinson will give you better intonation.

[shutterbiker]

I'm sure you're right about the difference between the two bridges. The Wilkinson really is a good bridge.

Steve

['56Teleman]

Wilkinson


Half Wilkinson


No complaints with either of them.

[shutterbiker]

'56Teleman,

Have you done any aging on the Wilkinson on the natural tele?
I guess I've been looking at a lot of reliced bridges lately. My
Wilkinson is super shiny and new looking, but so is my tele.

Steve

[boris bubbanov]

Heck, all the Pat Pending plates are not even the same.

I buy batches of ten, and practice dropping them on a hard tabletop and listen for the way they ring out. They'll tend to fall into one of 3 categories. I use the clear ringers whole, cut the others down into half bridges.

The Wilkys are not my favorites; the first one I ordered, the chrome was bubbled around the Wilkinson imaging on the plate. I actually like that Stew Mac #0099 plate (with other saddles; I set the included ones aside) amongst the inexpensive non Fender ones.

[brookdalebill]

After mucking around with other plates, I'm back to
the original.
I find all the thicker, more "perfect" plates impart a metallic
brightness.
The original plate, and 3 brass compensated saddles do it all, for me.

['56Teleman]

Originally Posted by shutterbiker

'56Teleman,

Have you done any aging on the Wilkinson on the natural tele?
I guess I've been looking at a lot of reliced bridges lately. My
Wilkinson is super shiny and new looking, but so is my tele.

Steve

No, I haven't. Brass saddles tarnish quickly without any help and I'm guilty of not cleaning that one very often, plus it's never in a case...ever. It gets played too often to be put away.

[shutterbiker]

Now that you mention it, mine are beginning to tarnish a bit. Mine's in the case when not being played (keeps my grandson from relicing it for me).

[sacizob]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

I buy batches of ten, and practice dropping them on a hard tabletop and listen for the way they ring out. They'll tend to fall into one of 3 categories. I use the clear ringers whole, cut the others down into half bridges.

"Hey, that's exactly the same as I do"

[shutterbiker]

Just wanted to update. I went ahead and purchased a Fender pat. pend plate. I got it from Arkasas Music Works (actually their ebay site-pitchperfectmusic). The plate looks great and was marked as made in usa. Anyway, I used the Wilkinson saddles on it. It sounds as good or better than the Wilkinson (which sounded fine, but I like the looks of the Fender plate better).

[Colt W. Knight]

I really like the fever bridge plate.

[Suzi Uki]

If you're concerned about intonation over the three vintage saddles you should try using a set of strings that has a wound g. As well as generally sounding better, more focussed and longer lasting than a plain g; you don't have to have such a compromise when intonating that D and G string saddle, as the two strings behave in a more similar manner.

[SixShooter]

I really dislike the large Wilkenson logo on their plate. On the other hand I dislike the rough corners on the Fender Pat. Pending plate. On my last build I picked up either a Squier or MIM plate. No logo, smooth corners, nice chrome. It's steel and about the same gauge as as the Fender plate.

[SixShooter]

I think these are pretty nice for a vintage style plate:



Smooth corners compared to the Fender:



Fender still adds the vintage style scratch marks on the side: