when your saddles buzzes

[Ivan]

im so close to finishing my first part/frankencaster, and i had to hit another problem!!

i have an ashtray bridge with six compensated saddles.
The problem is the saddles just wont stay still and they tend to wobble! (so that the vibrations from the strings cause them to buzz)

At first i just though it might be the uneven height, so ive been adjusting the it in hopes of finding an angle which will make the saddles stay still. But when i do succeed, i realise that picking the string hard enough or tuning, moves the saddles again.

is this common with these saddles? ive only tried them in guitar shops so im not too familiar with them. (this bridge set is a no name brand bought off ebay, so im not sure if ive just got some crappy hardware)

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR!

[Bluesbob]

Use Locktight or Permatex (medium blue).

[Wild Rice Chris]

6-saddle ashtray bridges have a nasty habit of buzzing. Set your saddles to the height you want, and then tighten any loose screws by a very small amount. Locktite will help also, but you need the screws to touch the plate.

Chris
htp://RiceCustomGuitars.com

[chickenpicker]

What's the break angle like over the bridge? Mine was a 6-saddle toploader, with a low break angle and consequent low downforce on the saddles. I converted it to string-through, which increased the pressure on the saddles and solved that problem. No need for loctite in my case.

[Ivan]

well still not much success.... all the screws are touching the plate but they still move.

mines string through...
in fact with the thicker strings you can make the saddles tip over if you press on them. I think it may be to do with the poor construction of the saddles.... (mainly where the slot is located)

does anyone know if i can buy just saddles? because ive never seen them sold.
also are there any 6 saddles made of brass?

[yegbert]

Originally Posted by Ivan

does anyone know if i can buy just saddles? because ive never seen them sold.
also are there any 6 saddles made of brass?

In this old thread I shared my experiences with brass G&L saddles, and there's a link there to the G&L store where you can buy them online. They will fit a bridge plate made to vintage 6-saddle ashtray specs. I had them on a stock '98 CII Squier Tele bridge plate.

I don't have any confidence they will remedy this kind of buzzing problem though.

Shimming the neck and raising the saddles higher, which will create a steeper break angle, may help. If I was intent on trying to make them work, that's what I'd try.

My preference is for the 3 saddle setup. Compensated 3 saddles intonate as close as I need.

[Ivan]

thanks for the link!