(Over) compensated saddles?

[badscrew_projects]

This is about those 3 saddle tele bridges and the replacement saddles that are supposed to make the intonation better.

I’ve installed the 3 Wilkinson saddles with staggered edges and what I’ve got after installing them isn’t better than straight saddles! They introduce way more compensation than needed for the E-B and A-D.

When before the B was too sharp on the 12th fret, now it’s too flat compared to the E. The same is true for the fat E and A.

Anyone’s having the same problem?

 

[old_picker]

Stopped using Wilkinson saddles three years ago because of bad intonation. Using Gotoh Intune saddle sets ever since. They are dead on everytime.

 

[dougbgt6]

I've "several" guitars the majority are 6 string saddles, staggered 3 and 3, but I have a Tele with top E and B identical lengths. Weird! I think it can depend on the strings. So maybe try another set.

I also have an LPJ with a wrap around bridge, it has perfect intonation, HOW on earth does it work? I think it's rounder at bottom E and flattens out as it gets to top E and the thickness of the string lets bridge contact of D be further forward of G. Dunno, it's magic, acquired at the crossroads, possibly?

Doug

 

[badscrew_projects]

Cool I’m not alone

 

[RomanS]

What string gauges are you guys using?
I've got the Wilkinson saddles on two Teles, and Gotoh InTune on one - and they all intonate just fine with my GHS Boomers 11-50 strings (and definitely better than with straight saddles).

 

[badscrew_projects]

What string gauges are you guys using?
I've got the Wilkinson saddles on two Teles, and Gotoh InTune on one - and they all intonate just fine with my GHS Boomers 11-50 strings (and definitely better than with straight saddles).

9’s on this particular tele

 

[Sea Devil]

I think most compensated saddles are designed with a .010-.046" set in mind, but I also find that they work with with .011s and even .012s, as long as the G isn't wound.

 

[Wallaby]

It *is* astonishing, I look at them and my pea-brain says "No way, man".

Philosophick mercury maybe...

Dunno, it's magic, acquired at the crossroads, possibly?

 

[Wallaby]

I am a lucky one, my 2017 AmPro has Wilkinson saddles and it intonates pretty good knock wood.

I tried some different saddles, boutique-ey ones in fact, and went back to the Wilkinsons just to keep it stock, I can use the other saddles for other projects.

 

[Cyberi4n]

Gotoh user here, on a set of 9-46. Intonates fine for me

 

[BrettFuzz]

Some guitars simply don't need compensation. I replaced the 6 saddle bridge with a 3 saddle one on my MIM and used Wilkinson compensated saddles only to find out that I could not get it intonated properly. I should have known that because the 6 saddles fully intonated were almost in a perfect straight line. So, what I did is just flip the Wilkinson saddles over to the other uncompensated side and my intonation is great now.

 

[Fender_Player90]

Gotoh user here, on a set of 9-46. Intonates fine for me

Just got these. Which way are they supposed to go? One half has a forward notch and the other has a rear. So they can be installed two different ways. Which way is the intended way for them to go?

 

[Cyberi4n]

Does this help??

 

[badscrew_projects]

So I ended up with this setup: smooth sides on two outside saddles and a compensated in the middle

 

[badscrew_projects]

After some time with this setup, I can confirm that it works better than the previous all-three compensated saddles.

 

[AndrewG]

I've "several" guitars the majority are 6 string saddles, staggered 3 and 3, but I have a Tele with top E and B identical lengths. Weird! I think it can depend on the strings. So maybe try another set.

I also have an LPJ with a wrap around bridge, it has perfect intonation, HOW on earth does it work? I think it's rounder at bottom E and flattens out as it gets to top E and the thickness of the string lets bridge contact of D be further forward of G. Dunno, it's magic, acquired at the crossroads, possibly?

Doug

I get that; my Gretsch G6120-1960 has the uncompensated 'rocking bar' bridge and intonates surprisingly well, as did my old '57 Junior. That said acoustic players manage with barely any saddle compensation. I think we can get a little over-obsessive with these things!

 

[cousinpaul]

I rolled my Wilkinson saddles over and use them as standard barrels. I make small adjustments to the string height to fine tune them.

 

[Wound_Up]

I had slanted Wilkinson saddles and they intonated great. I swapped to the Gotoh saddles and they're perfect, also.