3-Saddle bridge VS 6-Saddle bridge: is this important?

[none]

Hi all.

This weekend, during a trip to a local music store, i felt in love with the looks of an American Deluxe Tele in Candy Apple Red. I didn't had the chance to play it, as the store was about to close, but it really caught my eye.

So i'm really into getting a Telecaster to my guitar collection, my first Tele. The "problem" is, the bridge...

Everytime i think Tele's, i think the vintage 3 saddle brass bridge. But the American Deluxe (or the American Standar) have the 6-Saddle bridge.

Now, being a complete newbie to Tele's, is this vintage 3-Saddle brass bridge an important factor to get that "authentic" twang Tele sound, is an integral part to make the Tele a "real" Tele? Or should I not worry about this, is this just "looks" and the 6-Saddle bridge is about as good as a Tele with that vintage 3-Saddles? I'm looking for a Tele with the most Twangier sound possible.

I guess these 6 saddles bridge could not be "bad", i think, as the higher-end models like the American Standard and Deluxe have these newer bridges. I could always get the American Special that has the older 3-Saddle, but would it be in the same league as the Deluxe (or the Standard)?

So i really wanted to hear an opinion of more experienced players like you.

Thanks!

 

[jammers5]

Hi all.

This weekend, during a trip to a local music store, i felt in love with the looks of an American Deluxe Tele in Candy Apple Red. I didn't had the chance to play it, as the store was about to close, but it really caught my eye.

So i'm really into getting a Telecaster to my guitar collection, my first Tele. The "problem" is, the bridge...

Everytime i think Tele's, i think the vintage 3 saddle brass bridge. But the American Deluxe (or the American Standar) have the 6-Saddle bridge.

Now, being a complete newbie to Tele's, is this vintage 3-Saddle brass bridge an important factor to get that "authentic" twang Tele sound, is an integral part to make the Tele a "real" Tele? Or should I not worry about this, is this just "looks" and the 6-Saddle bridge is about as good as a Tele with that vintage 3-Saddles? I'm looking for a Tele with the most Twangier sound possible.

I guess these 6 saddles bridge could not be "bad", i think, as the higher-end models like the American Standard and Deluxe have these newer bridges (although the American Special has the older 3-Saddle...), but i really wanted to hear an opinion of more experienced players like you.

Thanks!

good question. i, like you, prefer the vintage 3 saddle brass bridge for purely aesthetic reasons - along with vintage tuners etc. however that would not turn me off the deluxe. what does turn me off the deluxe are those noiseless pickups. if you want maximum twang, look elsewhere. i have a MIJ Pink Paisley Tele that does it for me!

J5

 

[waparker4]

Pick the guitar that plays and feels and sounds right to you

 

[none]

good question. i, like you, prefer the vintage 3 saddle brass bridge for purely aesthetic reasons - along with vintage tuners etc. however that would not turn me off the deluxe. what does turn me off the deluxe are those noiseless pickups. if you want maximum twang, look elsewhere. i have a MIJ Pink Paisley Tele that does it for me!

J5

Hummm... I wasn't aware of that. Yes, i noticed that it has the noiseless piclups, but can you please elaborate? Are these noiseless not good for that twangier Tele sound?

 

[Mr_Mer]

Guitar looks good, right?

You can always change pups, bride, tuners, neck, pickguard, wiring at a later date and make it whatever you want it to be.

 

[none]

Pick the guitar that plays and feels and sounds right to you

Yes, i know, the problem is that the stores near where i live don't have any MIA Teles, jusat Squiers, that have a 3-Saddle bridge, so i really can't compare them side by side...

 

[none]

Guitar looks good, right?

You can always change pups, bride, tuners, neck, pickguard, wiring at a later date and make it whatever you want it to be.

But isn't the 3 saddle plate different than the 6 one? Looking at the photos, at least, the screw places and numbers aren't the same, so i think i won't be a direct swap...

 

[Mr_Mer]

But isn't the 3 saddle plate different than the 6 one? Looking at the photos, at least, the screw places and numbers aren't the same, so i think i won't be a direct swap...

Chances are the plates are different... which is why I said bridge change possible..

There are 3 and 4 screw after market bridges in 3 and 6 saddle. You just have to look around.

 

[Chriss945]

I agree with J5 about the noiseless pickups, they aren't great, but the rest of the guitar will be absolutely lovely, and you could pick up a set of Duncan's or something quite cheap and then sell on the noiseless and make your money back!

As for the 3 way or 6 way, I had a six way on my tele, albeit with brass saddles, but I changed it to a fender standard 3 way with brass saddles and it didn't particularly 'twang' any more than before but the sound got thinner, to my ears. So I reinstalled the 6 way and I'm good to go for any country twang song.

I say go for it!

 

[waparker4]

Yes, i know, the problem is that the stores near where i live don't have any MIA Teles, jusat Squiers, that have a 3-Saddle bridge, so i really can't compare them side by side...

If I were going to buy a $1500 guitar I would get myself to a location where I could play a few first.

 

[none]

Regarding the pickups, and forgetting the 3 VS 6 saddles now, would you say that right out of the box, the pickups on the Special or the American would be better than the noiseless ones on the Deluxe for that classic twangy Tele sound?

American Standard
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Single-Coil Broadcaster
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop "Twisted" Single-Coil Tele

American Special
Bridge Pickup: Texas Special™ Single-Coil Tele
Neck Pickup: Texas Special™ Single-Coil Tele

 

[Starshine]

I haven't compared the two guitars myself, but the pickups on the Standard are probably going to have a more authentic Tele sound. The Texas Special Tele pickups sound great IMO, but they have a thicker sound that takes away some of the twang.

 

[songsmith1950]

I have and love, my American Special tele. I also have a Deluxe tele, but it is older and before the noiseless pups. Deluxe is one beautiful guitar. Mine is Candy Apple Red with white binding and pick guard. Sound is pure tele from head to toe. Very twangy indeed. Perhaps even ice pick twangy if you are not careful. It has the six piece bridge, and it works quite well, giving near perfect intonation. I love that guitar dearly.
But, my American Special is also a fine instrument. It is in Vintage Blonde, a wonderful color for a tele. The pups are full sounding and very different from the Deluxe. The Special can really lean into a midrange pump the way not tele I have ever played could. You dig in a little more with your pick and you can almost see the lights dim in a beautiful and very musical way. You can back off and it brings the high end back up nicely. It is more midrange and bottom end than your historic tele sound, but I love it dearly.
A word on the three piece bridge. I love it too and may put one on my Deluxe.
where you can really get each string right at perfect with the six piece, the three is a little different. You can set intonation on a string pair getting one perfect and the other very close. Or perhaps split the difference and have both just the tiniest bit off. The three string pairs are handled in that way. Keep in mind that when tuning your tele you can get each string perfectly tuned.
But then, at different places in the neck the very miniscule "imperfections" of neck tuning and bridge tuning take over. The imperfections add together and give the tele a much "wider", kind of like a choruser with the speed turned to zero.
That is also what makes a choir sound better when there are more members. Some singers are perfect, others close but not so. The perfection added to the very slightly detuned voices combine to make a very magical effect.
Just my own thoughts, yours are just as valid as mine. Maybe even moreso.
Tom

 

[JohnS]

3 saddle bridge, 6 saddle bridge, Ford, Chevy, you decide. It's all good.

 

[unixfish]

I have been looking for a Tele for some time now. I though I wanted a six saddle. I played a three barrel just to see what it was like - and I really, really loved it.

My advice - for what it's worth (not much) - get what you like and what feels good. There is a reason that models across the whole line have three and six saddle bridges.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I like the concept of waking up one morning and deciding that a Tele or Esquire I had needed something new. Something like a whole different bridge, If currently a Modern 6, then a 3 barrel. If currently a 3 barrel, then into a Modern 6 saddle guitar.

Now, with the 4 mount hole bodies you can do that, presto! Take a brass Gotoh 6 saddle that Ron Kirn and others like so much, and switch it with some form of 3 barrel Leo style bridge whether Stew Mac or Callaham or Marc Rutters or Fender pieces.

What irks me about American Standards, American Series, American Deluxe and older FCS Custom Deluxes and Custom Classics is, they use a 3 mount hole body template and that means you're basically paralyzed. You better like the bridge you got because you ain't goin' nowhere.

If a guy is gonna extoll the virtues of an American Standard or American Deluxe, hasn't he got the duty to come clean and admit he's on one side of the fence (maybe the expensive side) and he's got no pass to get to the other side of that fence?

None wants to know, is the difference, six saddle modern bridge versus 3 barrel vintage bridge "Important". I think one of the best ways to determine how important it is TO YOU and which one is the one you want, is to buy a Fender Tele which can be equipped with either type. In the end, that's the only really definitive answer.

 

[teleman55]

I have a tele with a 3 saddle bridge, and one with a 6 saddle bridge. I love them both They both sound like a tele. They both touch my heart. If I'm on stage playing somewhere, I could not tell the difference between the bridges. There are differences between these two guitars, but not really how the bridges effect them. I kinda like the like the old ashtray bridge plate with the 3 saddle on the one. Reminds me of the ones I started on (except it doesn't have those crazy threaded saddles that one had). But, the 6 saddle is my #1 and it 's a lot easier to set up and intonate.

 

[bun malaey]

3 saddle vs. 6 saddle is only important on the internet.

In real life, it all depends what you like.

If you find a guitar that speaks to you that has 6 saddle, by all means get it. It's the guitar for you.

If you find one that has 3 saddles and it speaks to you, get it's the guitar for you.

 

[superfuzz03]

I like the concept of waking up one morning and deciding that a Tele or Esquire I had needed something new.

I woke up last Saturday and decided I needed to try a vintage bridge on my RWP. No real reason other than the desire to know what it would sound and feel like. Before this experiment, I was in neither camp. Now I am leaning towards the 3 saddle camp, but who knows... I might wake up one day and decide I need to try the modern 6 saddle again

 

[dharleyfan]

I personally never liked the three barrel design, I think it was and still is a terrible design, if you like playing in tune all over the neck, unless the barrels are notched, or compensated, or the screws are bent to allow the barrels to be at angles, the three barrel system WILL NOT intonate properly. How playing a guitar that is out of tune with itself, is EVER better then playing a guitar that is in tune with itself, I don't understand and never will. Just my opinion.