Steel saddles vs. brass

[jjkrause84]

Hey guys...I was wondering what the consensus is on steel vs. brass saddles. I know that pickups change the tone more and I should practice more (I practice AT LEAST two hours every day already!!!!) but seriously.....what do you guys think?

 

[Telemarkman]

Everything that vibrates on a guitar will add to the timbre or "tone color" of the particular instrument.

As you say yourself, the pickups change the tone more - just think about the basic difference between a Humbucker and a single-coil - but since the brass saddles are softer and usually have a bigger mass than steel saddles, it's not illogical to assume that they will sound somewhat different.

Usually brass saddles are thought of as having a darker/softer/warmer tone than steel saddles. This is my personal experience too, though I haven't swapped pickups in my guitars, so maybe the difference is really due to different pickups or other factors.

But several others have said to have the same experience, and I can't remember hearing anyone complain about brass saddles being too icepicky.

I know a lot of the guys have swapped brass saddles for steel ones and vice versa, and they will probably chime in.

 

[Telesavalis]

I prefer Brass - vintage style 3 saddle - for my teles.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I prefer Brass - vintage style 3 saddle - for my teles.

I generally prefer brass but every guitar is different. Some perform better with a steel barrel on E-A and sometimes also D-G. Occasionally even on B little E.

Sometimes Aluminum barrels can be better.

Like going to the doctor. Each "patient" gets a treatment custom designed for him or her.

 

[stephent2]

I like the Glendale cold rolled steel saddles, they do sound different. To my ear it has to do with the initial attack. Has a faster attack and a bit of a grind.

 

[gonzo]

brad paisley customizes his bridge with alternating materials.
so, he must hear something he likes for specific strings...

 

[TeleVisor]

I just got a couple of sets of Glendale's too. One set was brass and one was brass with an aluminum E-A. Like them both very much. Intonation is spot on. Tone is good on both. The aluminum saddle is slightly brighter but the net overall balance is good. I also replaced the bridge plate on my '52 AVRI with a Glendale. The new saddles and plate made a noticeable improvement in tone and sustain.

 

[Brian blaut]

I had all brass, then went all steel, then went to the steel-brass combo. Best of both worlds. The high E,A,B (and D) enjoy the warmer tone of Brass, with less spikey harshness in the high end and slightly more mids compared to the steel. And the low A,E benefit from the slightly lounder, punchy, tight low end growl of the steel.

-thats my experience anyway. I've never had aluminum on a tele.

I do have an aluminum bridge on my Gretsch and find the aluminum to be bouncier, glassier. Brighter and poppier compared to the chrome plated steel that it came with.

Picks have a lot of variation over tone as well, especially in attack. Fender Celluloid picks are bright and quick, Delrin picks are mushy and dull.

 

[jjkrause84]

I should state this is a pureyl hypothetical question....in case anyone was unclear

 

[Martin R]

Just imagine if there were no hypotheticals.

 

[Sea Devil]

I just want to add that picks make a HUGE difference. Material, shape, and thickness all matter. A 1.5 mm ProPlek with a rounded end sounds warm and jazzy where a .73 mm nylon Dunlop is bright and snappy, for example.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I did a lot of experimenting to find the ones I liked best. I now use uncompensated brass on my hardtail and threaded steel on my Bigsby tele. Brass will mellow your tone out and I like that, but it was a little TOO mellow for me combined with the Bigsby, so steel put a bit of bite back in it. This discussion comes up a lot around here, and it always boils down to the same thing: It's your ears that gotta be happy! If you can, it'll be worth it to you to just bite the bullet and buy a few different sets and see what sounds good to you.

 

[stephent2]

I should state this is a pureyl hypothetical question....in case anyone was unclear

Then yes, you should practice more.

 

[Marc Rutters]

This is exactly why you should have at Least two Teles, this way you don't have to decide and if you feel like a slight change of tone just grab the other instead of having to change any hardware.

 

[olaftheholy]

This is exactly why you should have at Least two Teles, this way you don't have to decide and if you feel like a slight change of tone just grab the other instead of having to change any hardware.

The track in the posted video is made with ONE telecaster with a Aluminum Rutters bridge with al/br/br saddle set on...

 

[zoppotrump]

i´m with brian blaut,
i have callaham compensated brass saddles on the higher strings ( D,G,B,E ) and a steel saddle on the bass strings E and A. it gives a bit more twang on those big strings and they don´t loose their sound brilliance so fast, compared to brass saddles. IMO

 

[jjkrause84]

Then yes, you should practice more.

I can't! If I could afford more tiem to do so I would but I do sorta have to finish my degree before my scholarship runs out!

 

[Ignatius]

I generally prefer brass but every guitar is different. Some perform better with a steel barrel on E-A and sometimes also D-G. Occasionally even on B little E.

Sometimes Aluminum barrels can be better.

Like going to the doctor. Each "patient" gets a treatment custom designed for him or her.

I've been learning that this is indeed true. I used to be of the school that if it's a Tele then it's gotta have brass saddles. But I realized that some of my Teles were darker than others and then began to consider that some pickups are darker than others and I began to experiment. I now have one Tele that has aluminum on the E/A, steel on the D/G, and brass on the B/E. And I'm about to convert another one to steel/steel/brass.

There's no one rule of thumb, and no, Leo didn't "get it right the first time" because every guitar is different.

 

[HarpJim]

So there is no concensus here. Just make sure you dont use plastic or paper saddles ;-)

 

[fendorst]

cold rolled steel saddles, they do sound different. To my ear it has to do with the initial attack. Has a faster attack and a bit of a grind.

Agree. Steel sounds a little brighter/growlier and it seems mostly in the initial attack. Many folks interpret steel as being louder than brass.

Brass is a little more mellow and smooths out the attack. But brass is perfectly capable of good initial attack and growl depending on other factors... pickups, bridge construction, strings, type of wood and fingerboard, etc.

If your guitar is lively and bright sounding to begin with, steel saddles may sound icepicky, and brass saddles will have plenty of attack and growl.

If your guitar is mellow and warm sounding to begin with, brass saddles may sound dull or muddy, and steel saddles will brighten and clarify the sound.

Try both. Choose the one you like best with the Tele you're playing. And don't be surprised if you pick up a different Tele and prefer a different saddle material with that particular Tele.

Then get new pickups, or switch brand of strings, or get a new amp or stompbox, and start comparing saddle material all over again...