What are you Tele guys using for bridges and saddles?

[zcostilla]

A luthier I know is building me a custom guitar body to go with an old Cort snakehead neck I am reworking. It’s going to have a Telecaster bridge pickup, and Firebird middle and neck pickups. I prefer top-loading Tele bridge instead of string through body, and really want nickel appointments as much as possible, but am leaning towards brass saddles. If any of you have a quality bridge recommendation, I’d be grateful.

Edited to add that I’m leaning towards this one: https://www.redstarguitars.com/produ...bridge-nickel/

Zac

[dlew919]

I’ve got a Wilkinson tempered bridge with three brass saddles. Made my guitar sound like I paid twice as much.

On my other Tele I’ve got a Jaguar bridge into a bigsby. I love it.


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[Hammertone]

I recommend you get a dual-loading bridge plate.
-Wilkinson makes a cheap one (@$30, w/saddles);
-Klein makes a mid-priced one ($70 w/out saddles, $108 w/saddles);
-Rutters makes an expensive one (@$140-150, depending on saddles);
-Glendale makes a few expensive ones (@$125 without the saddles);
-Callaham Vintage Tele Bridge Specialized for Bigsny Flat Mount Styled Vibratos (@$160);
-Mastery 4.2 or 3.2 (@$185 with interesting 2-piece saddle setup).

The Gotoh bridge the OP mentions does not have holes for top loading. Gotoh does make one, but modern, not vintage. Hipshot also has a similar one:
-BS-TC2 tele bridge has a dual-loading bridge plate (@$60 w/brass saddles);
-Hipshot Retrofit Tele bridge (@$132 w/brass or steel saddles)

[mr. beaumont]

Glendale Bridge plate, with one steel saddle and two brass.

Why? I was changing strings once and a screw popped out of the E/A saddle and disappeared.

At that time the E/A was Allen screws and I didn't have another, but I did have a spare steel saddle.

I thought it was a fun story, so I kept it, and eventually made it so all my screws were the same.

[marcwhy]

Rutters, there ya go.

[guavajelly]

Just the cheap fender standard old school bridge with brass saddles. Like this: Fender Vintage Tele Bridge – Thomann UK
I tried a Gotoh (Also labeled Kluson or Göldo) bridge with 6 individual saddles and a thick brass plate (Goldo HW40C – Thomann UK) which is also good but adds more midrange and looses the airy quality the original has. It would be great for a rock tone IMHO.

[Stefan Eff]

The simple cheap Fender 30 bucks bridge is the best bridge for the natural Telecaster sound.
Combine this cheap part with high quality compensated and slotted brass saddles (Rutters d.g.) and you‘re in that classic Telly ballpark.

[kris]

I have two Tele with different bridge set ups.
1.Gotoh with titanium saddles-exelent/Japan made/-very good for my playing.
2.Korean or China made bridge with KTS titanium saddles or Graphtech/I like experiment/.You can put strings thru body or set in the bridge.
Best
Kris

[ruger9]

For me, it's all about intonation first. I don't pay much attention to the "tone" part of saddle metal on teles. Teles sound like teles, regardless. I have Fender "American" 6-saddle bridges on 2 of my teles, they intonate very well; altho I did have to cut the springs behind the saddles on the G strings to accomplish that. My 3rd tele had the 3 barrel "angled" saddles, OEM from Fender. They did not intonate well. And by the time I pulled the D/G saddle back far enough for proper intonation, it's adjustment screw was sticking up into the strings! I ordered a set of Gotoh In-Tune brass saddles, and couldn't be happier.

I have a Bigsby B5 I'm getting ready to install on one of them, and that requires a bridge change as well, and I have a Callaham bridge with STEEL saddles for that, only because, in this case, the guitar it's going on has steel saddles, and I didn't want to change more than one thing at a time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[mad dog]

Glendale, Callaham or Rutters. All very high quality, bridges and saddles. The Callaham bridge is a little thicker. Seems to change the sound somewhat. I prefer the thinner bridge plate, and steel or brass intonated saddles.

[CharlesR]

Using this...like the intonation adjustments for each string and the materials used.

3-Saddle American Vintage Hot Rod Telecaster(R) Bridge Assembly | Parts

[Skip Ellis]

I've been using the Wilkinson with 3 brass saddles on all my Teles - pretty cheap and they work for me. Comes in a 'dual load' configuration.

[ThatRhythmMan]

I really like the Hipshot bridges.

Telecaster(R) Retrofit Bridge – Hipshot Products

[citizenk74]

My '66 Custom Telecaster sports a three-barrel brass bridge from Stewart MacDonald. It's modeled on a Danny Gatton bridge, and intonates perfectly. I really like the tone of the brass saddles over the stock threaded steel barrels. YMMV.

[gitman]

I've used a normal Fender bridge with compensated brass saddles for ages on my '93 Parts-Tele but last year a bug bit me and I bought a Mastery Bridge ! Not only because Bill Frisell recommended it ;-) No, I just heard/read a lot of positive reports and some serious builder also use these so when a good deal came up I jumped - Success !!! The guitar was a resonant one since birth but this new thingy tickles even more good stuff out the wood and the strings : to my ear the sustain increased slightly but noticably,
the note-separation is clearer and the guitar has more bottom end. This might not come over as a success for everyone but I like the guitar even more than before. End of story for me, it stays. And please take note : they offer a Tele-bridge that has pre-drilled holes in the back lip for top-loading your strings.

M4.2 - Mastery Bridge

[Ronstuff]

I'm also using the Wilkinson with brass saddles!

[vintagelove]

Wanted a left-handed Toploader Tele Bridge.


Had to take a bottom loader six saddle plate, use the pre-existing holes for the strings, drill out three holes for saddle screws, then grind down the saddles to get acceptable action.


Oh the joys of being a lefty...

[Hammertone]

Wanted a left-handed Toploader Tele Bridge.
Had to take a bottom loader six saddle plate, use the pre-existing holes for the strings, drill out three holes for saddle screws, then grind down the saddles to get acceptable action. Oh the joys of being a lefty...

Lefty toploader?
Hipshot offers their toploader as a lefty bridge.
My guess is that Glendale, Rutters, and Callaham would make one for you as well.

[lammie200]

For saddles I like these. Available in two sizes and three materials. For plates I like clean unbranded thin to medium gauge plates with full edges. Pretty much as close to the original Fender design as possible. I used to insist on rear loading, but I have a top loader on one of my three Tele partscasters and am fine with it. From an aesthetic standpoint I have found that most chrome bridge plates are either entirely polished chrome or they have a peened finish from the pickup to the back edge and a polished finish from the pickup to the front edge. I did find one that had a complete peened finish from the UK on EBay and purchased it for one of my builds. It is very well made and cost the same as a Wilkinson or comparable. Not a Glendale or Rutters price. More like a third including the shipping to my door.Compensated Telecaster Saddle - Brass - 5/16" Offset Barrel - Set of 3 - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC