GraphTech TUSQ barrel saddles for tele

No experience with those. I did put a set of String Saver saddles on a Strat a long time ago. I felt they changed the tone slightly, but noticeably. However, I did break fewer stings after the change. I seldom break strings on my Teles, so I haven't felt any need to change the saddles because I'm OK with how they sound.

 

I don't know what reviews you may have read.

This was a heavily promoted product, and nevertheless the users of this product, on TDPRI, are few indeed.

I don't mean to be disrespectful of people who have fallen into this vortex, but they write glowing reviews when they know or should know, eventually, the vast majority of us won't like them. Or the review was written on the day they installed them and they're too sheepish to retract it.

Stewart MacDonald sells them and so on someone's recommendation I got 3 sets - the 3 or more discount they have is substantial. At first I was optimistic ,with fresh strings and all, on the 3 guitars I installed them on. No problems, first hour or so of real use. That keening "over the top" sound of fresh strings was avoided. But from there the voice of each guitar became muted and in the end, into what is the heart of a product's life use, they came to sound like that proverbial blanket over the amplifier. I gave one guitar away with a set on there, I think and took the other two sets off and their fate is lost to time.

To me, they're strictly for brutes who break strings routinely, or for people who run their signal through so much processing the actual voice of the guitar is long abandoned.

I spent hard earned money on them. I wanted to like them, also. Ten years later, I know my money was totally wasted. I'm just glad I realized my mistake before I took anyone down that same garden path.

If anyone wants to know a bit more about this saddle material, try to find a stock Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature model MIM Stratocaster. I've played a couple of those in stores, so basically these were hardly played guitars. I think the presence of these saddles robbed me of the confidence to buy one or more of these Strats - otherwise pretty nice guitars.

You may say "But Bubba, isn't Graphtech (black) and Tusq different?" OK. Do this. Prepare a couple of Tusq nuts and Graphtech (black) nuts for installation. Tell me the essence of these two materials is any different. The density, the apparent elasticity - all that stuff is precisely the same. All the properties. Only the color is different. I've prepped scores of these precut nuts in both materials, ironically these materials are optimal for making nuts from, and the "get" as you shape and finish these Graphtechs of the two colors is essentially the same.

 

Looks like there was a Bigsby on there at one time. Have you tried them with the Bigsby.

 

I haven’t tried those. Not especially tempted to either.

Most noticeable positive difference I ever had was I put Callaham rolled steel compensated saddles on a partscaster I made in place of some regular grooved ‘60s style vintage steel saddles which were Ok but not quite hitting the mark. Both tone and intonation were much better. Expensive but worth it.

 

I have string saver classics on my Strat. I like them. They work as advertised by taking the high frequency spike out of the attack. That is what I wanted to have happen.

 

Cool! I would be interested to see if they are better or worse than brass with a Bigsby.

 

I like the look of those

 

I liked them very much of in a Tokai ES-335. It gave more substance to the thinner thinline sound and was smoothing out the harder attack. It works similar to the nylon abr bridges of the 60ies.

 

+1

I think they would be a good match, for someone with an extremely heavy hand, playing extremely highly processed sounds, as well.

Except I can't see a Death Metal guy using a pale color saddle. :^)

 

That pickup looks kinda high. That could introduce some wierd overtones as well.

 

Right on. Let us know what you think. I use their picks.