Compensated Tele Saddles

SG John

SG John

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I'm thinking of putting some compensated saddles on my '15 fifties classic Tele. I'll probably go with brass. Do any of you have any favorites, or suggestions of what the Tele folks like in theirs? I've got an anodized Alum pickguard on the way for mine, as the original plastic one likes to attract static. The pickups like to let you know the static is there. I guess it's a well known problem. Figured I'd swap both at the same time.

Sorry Ramo.

I may end up setting this one up with Nashville tuning.

Appropriate porn.



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In case anyone is following along, I ordered the set that Billy Gibbons & Redd Volkaert use from the link Plexi posted.

Even though I have a very long laundry list, I wanted to have parts in hand around the same time the pickguard arrives.

Now, do I break up a set of Pyramid strings that I have for the Rick 330/12, and have this guitar in Nashville tuning? Or buy a new set for a 12 string, that has .010" high E strings. The current set I have has .009"s. I don't like .009"s on a six string. Or, do I set it up normally? Many, many possibilities. Maybe, even set it up for Muddy Waters stuff.
 
Dave Sloven said:
The static is probably due in part to the steel plate on the bridge. Changing bridge plates from steel to brass (Gotoh) to aluminium (Babicz) apparently makes a big difference. The steel interacts with the magnetic field of the pickup whereas the other two do not.
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I read that around 2015, Fender used a batch of plastic that liked to attract dust and other airborne junk. The only real solution was to change the pickguard, and problem solved. I've been meaning to do it for ages. Granted, this is also the guitar I was playing when I had my radiation treatment. That might also be part of why it sounds like a Geiger counter,
 
Installed everything yesterday. I straightened the neck a bit while I was at it. The relief is still there, but may less than I need. Sounds good, intonation is good, and there's no more static. I like the look of the anodized pickguard on the transparent white finish.

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SG John said:
Installed everything yesterday. I straightened the neck a bit while I was at it. The relief is still there, but may less than I need. Sounds good, intonation is good, and there's no more static. I like the look of the anodized pickguard on the transparent white finish.

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i really like the way it looks.
i dont know if youve said already, but what pickups are in it?
 
heltershelton said:
i really like the way it looks.
i dont know if youve said already, but what pickups are in it?
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Good question. The best I can find on that particular model is "Vintage Style Tele Pickups." One of the retailers says Alnico, but not which type. It's a 2015 Classic Series '50s Tele Lacquer model I bought new, but haven't done much with until now. It's a nice guitar, and hopefully now I'll play it a bit more often.
 
SG John said:
Good question. The best I can find on that particular model is "Vintage Style Tele Pickups." One of the retailers says Alnico, but not which type. It's a 2015 Classic Series '50s Tele Lacquer model I bought new, but haven't done much with until now. It's a nice guitar, and hopefully now I'll play it a bit more often.
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i studied up a little on that model.
what i got from reading is people think the bridge pickup is "spikey", but blends well with the neck in the middle position. many say the neck pickup sounds great so they change out the bridge pickup with something like a lollar or sd antiquity. but maybe those saddles you put on will tame some of that spikeyness.
 
heltershelton said:
i studied up a little on that model.
what i got from reading is people think the bridge pickup is "spikey", but blends well with the neck in the middle position. many say the neck pickup sounds great so they change out the bridge pickup with something like a lollar or sd antiquity. but maybe those saddles you put on will tame some of that spikeyness.
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I never played it much, so now I'll have to give it a better evaluation. It was always to crackly, so I never played it much. Now that it's quiet, I'll leave it set up for a while. I like the round neck profile.
 
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