Jazz Tele build bridge (and other parts) recommendations?

[pants]

So, I found myself wanting a tele set up for jazz and decided to go ahead and make my own with a little help from Warmoth. I got an alder body one of their boatneck profile necks with a rosewood board. I scored a pretty good deal on a gently used Lollar Charlie Christian that's going in the neck position, and the bridge pup doesn't really much matter to me but a friend had a Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue bridge pup sitting in a drawer that he gave me for the cost of shipping so I figured we'd start there.
I'm trying to make the bridge decision at this point. Anyone have a particular bridge that they like for a jazz tone? I've read nice things about brass saddles. 6 saddles or 3 compensated? I really like the Graphtech saddles I have on my strat bridge... discuss?
Also feel free to leave thoughts on other build components if there's something you really love about your tele (e.g. some kind of specific electronics setup). All I've got locked in so far is the body, neck, pickups, and finish (not that there is much more to it!). I'll probably do a build diary post as well, but will start that once I get components settled and begin some actual work.
Thanks!

[Cunamara]

I prefer a heavier bridge plate to the bent sheet metal ones. I like GraphTech saddles, too.

[ThatRhythmMan]

I went with the Hipshot bridge and I've been really happy with it. I think one could worry that it being all stainless steel could make the guitar too bright, but I haven't found that to be the case at all.

Hipshot Stainless Steel Tele Bridge 3 Hole Mount with Standard Saddles Chrome | Musician's Friend

[pants]

I went with the Hipshot bridge and I've been really happy with it. I think one could worry that it being all stainless steel could make the guitar too bright, but I haven't found that to be the case at all.

Hipshot Stainless Steel Tele Bridge 3 Hole Mount with Standard Saddles Chrome | Musician's Friend

Yeah, I don't know if I can bring myself to spend $110 for a metal plate with some string saddles attached. What would make that one twice as pricy as, say, the Gotoh version that would seem essentially the same? I ask in all seriousness, not trying to discount your opinions.
Gotoh Modern Bridge for Tele | stewmac.com

[Bach5G]

What size of frets and fingerboard radius are you thinking about?

[pants]

What size of frets and fingerboard radius are you thinking about?

The neck has 6150 frets (Jumbo) and the Warmoth "compound" radius. 10-16.

[docbop]

I built myself a Jazz Tele a few months ago and love it. I had a Fender Baja Tele neck (soft-V Tele neck). The body I got was a Warmoth chambered Tele with rear route for controls. I have a Lollar CC in humbucker size in the neck and Lollar Special T in the bridge. I swear by the Joe Barden Tele bridge with the 3 compensated saddles. That heavy bridge plate and round bridge pieces are key to the classic Tele sound.



Vintage Bridgeplate for Telecaster | JBE Pickups

[pants]

I built myself a Jazz Tele a few months ago and love it. I had a Fender Baja Tele neck (soft-V Tele neck). The body I got was a Warmoth chambered Tele with rear route for controls. I have a Lollar CC in humbucker size in the neck and Lollar Special T in the bridge. I swear by the Joe Barden Tele bridge with the 3 compensated saddles. That heavy bridge plate and round bridge pieces are key to the classic Tele sound.



Vintage Bridgeplate for Telecaster | JBE Pickups

This was one I was looking at. The lack of a groove for the string on the barrel of the saddle makes me feel like they would slide around to some extent? But then again these barrel styles have been used for decades on several Fenders, so they must work out.

[ThatRhythmMan]

Yeah, I don't know if I can bring myself to spend $110 for a metal plate with some string saddles attached. What would make that one twice as pricy as, say, the Gotoh version that would seem essentially the same? I ask in all seriousness, not trying to discount your opinions.
Gotoh Modern Bridge for Tele | stewmac.com

The main difference that I see is that the Hipshot, being stainless steel, is made of non-ferrous metal. I don't know what, if anything, that can mean for the magnetic field around the bridge pickup. However, it won't corrode.

The Hipshot's quality level feels a little bit higher than the typical Gotoh product to me, but the difference there is probably small.

[Ray175]

I have a Peavey Omniac Jerry Donahue which came with 3 brass saddles and an ashtray bridge plate. I found the bridge assembly on this to be very unconformatable for damping and also difficult to get good intonation on all strings.

I installed an ABM 3456c Tele-Bridge in Chrome and am delighted with the results. Cost about 90€ and built like a brick sh*thouse - solid German engineering

• Smooth finish and no ashtray edge makes it more comfortable for my right hand when resting on the bridge or damping
• Each string saddle is individually adjustable for height and intonation, so should handle most neck radii; they are also lockable.
• Solid brass ensures good sustain, which is what I want from this particular guitar
• Chrome finish is attractive and sits well with other metal parts
• Maybe it's not as ice-pick twangy as it was before but that's not a sound I use a lot - and I can compensate with an MXR M190 eq pedal

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I don't like Tele bridges and bridge plates. There, I said it! They look like something you made in your garage and they feel rough on your picking hand. I'm also not a fan of twang. I prefer something like this Schaller:



I has a G&L and really like their SaddleLock bridge, but it has a foot that sticks into the body so it would require routing on your part:



Sorry to rain on the Tele bridge parade, but I'm not a fan.

[pants]

To each their own for sure. Not one right answer.
In terms of sound, I'm definitely not after twang. Prefer a smooth mellow tone with maybe a little bite and shine, but subtle. I love the tone Tim Lerch gets, but I don't think I want to pursue the low tuned route as that introduces other complications like transposition.

[pants]

To each their own for sure. Not one right answer.
In terms of sound, I'm definitely not after twang. Prefer a smooth mellow tone with maybe a little bite and shine, but subtle. I love the tone Tim Lerch gets, but I don't think I want to pursue the low tuned route as that introduces other complications like transposition.

[Frank67]

I definitely like a heavy bridge with compensated 3 saddle brass. That is *the* Tele tone for me.

Here re is my build thread - I am super happy with that guitar.

Building a Partscaster tele

[rpguitar]

I hate to be perceived as a Luddite, but the original Tele formula needs no improvement to be "good for jazz." A Tele with too many component changes becomes a 25.5" scale solidbody guitar loosely based on the Telecaster body shape, not a Tele. And that's okay of course.

I have 3 Warmoth Teles, strung with 11-49 rounds, very traditional parts, and they are great for all kinds of music. That's just how they roll. With a standard circuit using high quality components, the tone control interacts beautifully with traditional Tele single coils to get a great jazz tone. I have a neck humbucker on one of them, but my 2 favorites are both single coil equipped.

All of mine have traditional bridge plates with three compensated brass saddles. I do like the saddles with grooves, but they are definitely not necessary. The strings don't move.

[jazzbow]

If you go for a vintage bridge system shim the neck, that way the saddles raise up higher than the surrounding bridge plate sides and the strings and saddles fall under the palm better for muting.
Fender had shims in the factory for swimming the necks, there's a collector's market for them!

I prefer the vintage plate as I can grab it with my right hand pinky and ring finger.

Kluson Harmonic brass saddles are cool and reasonably priced. If you're going 11's or higher then the harmonics fall in well with the Klusons. I have flatwound 12's and the sound and tuning is spot on.

[pants]

I hate to be perceived as a Luddite, but the original Tele formula needs no improvement to be "good for jazz." A Tele with too many component changes becomes a 25.5" scale solidbody guitar loosely based on the Telecaster body shape, not a Tele. And that's okay of course.

I have 3 Warmoth Teles, strung with 11-49 rounds, very traditional parts, and they are great for all kinds of music. That's just how they roll. With a standard circuit using high quality components, the tone control interacts beautifully with traditional Tele single coils to get a great jazz tone. I have a neck humbucker on one of them, but my 2 favorites are both single coil equipped.

Yeah, other than the Lollar Charlie Christian pickup (which I have heard and love) I'm not really looking to depart much from the tele formula. That's part of why I went alder and opted for the straight slab as opposed to belly cuts or forearm contours. I suppose a rosewood board breaks tradition, but that's just my preference. With the electronics, I plan to stick with a standard set up. Bridge will be either traditional lipped tele bridge or one of the "modern" tele bridge plate options without the lip. Mostly just researching options and gathering opinions to inform my final decision. I totally get that the tele "as is" is a perfectly respectable instrument. I certainly didn't mean to imply otherwise.

[pants]

If you go for a vintage bridge system shim the neck, that way the saddles raise up higher than the surrounding bridge plate sides and the strings and saddles fall under the palm better for muting.
Fender had shims in the factory for swimming the necks, there's a collector's market for them!

I prefer the vintage plate as I can grab it with my right hand pinky and ring finger.

Kluson Harmonic brass saddles are cool and reasonably priced. If you're going 11's or higher then the harmonics fall in well with the Klusons. I have flatwound 12's and the sound and tuning is spot on.

This is one of my concerns. Is just how much the lip would/wouldn't interfere with my playing. I tend to play up closer to the neck and am not much of a palm muter so, I'm thinking pretty much a non-issue. I have read some testimonials that the raised lip plays a role in increasing microphonics on the bridge pickup for some of that characteristic tele tone.

[Frank67]

I hate to be perceived as a Luddite, but the original Tele formula needs no improvement to be "good for jazz." A Tele with too many component changes becomes a 25.5" scale solidbody guitar loosely based on the Telecaster body shape, not a Tele. And that's okay of course.

I have 3 Warmoth Teles, strung with 11-49 rounds, very traditional parts, and they are great for all kinds of music. That's just how they roll. With a standard circuit using high quality components, the tone control interacts beautifully with traditional Tele single coils to get a great jazz tone. I have a neck humbucker on one of them, but my 2 favorites are both single coil equipped.

All of mine have traditional bridge plates with three compensated brass saddles. I do like the saddles with grooves, but they are definitely not necessary. The strings don't move.

spot on! The classics became classics for a reason. Small, careful improvements are ok of course, but by and large Strats, Teles, Les Paul's, ES 335's, Gretsch 6120s, etc are just great the way they were originally perceived. I am definitely over the 'the-my-custom-thingy-does-it-all' thing.

[Cunamara]

I hate to be perceived as a Luddite, but the original Tele formula needs no improvement to be "good for jazz." A Tele with too many component changes becomes a 25.5" scale solidbody guitar loosely based on the Telecaster body shape, not a Tele. And that's okay of course.

Well, if you want a Tele you really need to buy a Tele. Mess with the pickups, wiring, bigass ugly bridge plate, etc., and it's not really a Tele any more. The recipe is both simple and specific.

So I have one Tele and one Tele-like guitar. I actually play the latter more (has a Vintage Vibe HCC, no bridge pickup, and thinline hog/maple body.... doesn't really sound like a Tele, now that I think about it).

I'd love to replicate Julian Lage's '54 Tele, though. That is a fine sounding axe.

[cosmic gumbo]

I've got nothing against tradition, but I've found myself preferring the comfort and precision of the modern edgeless six saddle tele bridge.

[pants]

Update:
I went with the Barden bridge. The classic look and true to vintage spec materials appeal to me, but with the added perk of improved intonation, plus a price at sub $50 is a big perk.
I also went on a bit of a Reverb/Amazon shopping spree and ordered most everything (minus strap buttons) to finish out the build. Nickel hardware, Gotoh (vintage kluson style sd-91) tuners, a white pearloid pickguard (finish is going to be a cherry red stain (Wudtone kit)), and since I haven't done soldering in a long time and want minimize risk on what I'm hoping shapes up to be a nice build, I decided to go with a pre-wired harness. Quality components, classic 3-way, volume, tone. And that's really all there is to it. Now I just have to wait a few weeks until I have sufficient time to start building up the finish.
Thanks everyone for the input!

[jazzbow]

Update:
I went with the Barden bridge. The classic look and true to vintage spec materials appeal to me, but with the added perk of improved intonation!

Get yourself an 'ashtray' cover too. Just as Leo designed!

[pants]

Parts are in, except the switch tip which I totally forgot about. Did a quick mock up. Ready to start the finish work in a couple weeks when the semester is over for school.