Best modern strat saddles?

ThePrettyDamned

As title.  I have 6 callaham saddles, but I know that vintage style ones with the screws pointing out are going to draw blood...

So I'll likely sell the callaham ones on, they're great looking but I just know they're going to slaughter my palm.  

As it's going to be my 'ultimate' guitar, I am totally game for paying a bit of a premium for the best, but only if it's worth it.  Key points - must be well made to help stop the strings catching for tuning stability, and no sharp edges.  I play pretty hard.  

ICBM

Just set the guitar up with the screws not sticking out. The correct setup on a Strat is almost always like that anyway.

If absolutely necessary - it may be on the A and B saddles, even when the others are set right - you can file off a small amount from the bottom of the screws so the top becomes flush with the saddle.

ThePrettyDamned

@ICBM thanks.  I'll give them a go then, see how they are.  

If they don't work out, do modern saddles offer anything vintage style don't, or vice versa?  A couple of the screws that came with the saddles are fairly long... Presumably for the A and D strings which are the highest?

It's only got a 12" radius though, so not exactly the 7.25" they were really made for...

guitargeek62

Just buy some proper grub screws of the correct height!

timmysoft

I'm a big fan of graphtechs stuff, i used to always have them in my strats as i also play very hard.

xwolf5150

Get the new Highwood saddles.
I've got a set and they're unbelievably good.

xwolf5150

http://www.highwood-guitarparts.com/

ThePrettyDamned

Cool, highwood and graphtech seem like reasonable options.  I like the look of the graphtech ones - perversely, I think they will suit the Wudtone bridge really nicely.  

But I'll see how I get on with boggo callahams first

richardhomer

The Raw Vintage ones are meant to be superb and have shorter screws. They aren't that easy to get over here but reputed well worth the effort.

stickyfiddle

Graphtech saddles are unnecessary on a strat, and tbh sound a bit shitty (They work well on tunomatics though)

timmysoft

stickyfiddle said:

Graphtech saddles are unnecessary on a strat, and tbh sound a bit shitty (They work well on tunomatics though)

I dont find that at all! i find it adds a little to the low end attack of a strat and they certainly cut down on my string breakages, infact i've never broken a string on a graphtech loaded guitar. I'm going to drop some into my Godin as soon as i get the chance to.

fretfinder

guitargeek62 said:

Just buy some proper grub screws of the correct height!

^^^  This. I'm surprised there isn't some enterprising seller on eBay offering a range of shorter grub screws for Strat owners with lacerated hands. Years ago before the internet I went to a shop called Clerkenwell Screws and got some for an ESP I had. They had every screw and bolt type you could think of, as I recall. A quick google shows the shop still exists, and they have a website. 

http://clerkenwellscrews.com/html/cw_aboutus.php

Contrary to @ICBM when I set up my Strats the grub screws are nearly always protruding too far - maybe I'm doing it wrong. Anyone know what size and thread Fender CS saddle screws are, as I might try the Clerkenwell boys for some replacements?

ICBM

fretfinder said:

Contrary to @ICBM when I set up my Strats the grub screws are nearly always protruding too far - maybe I'm doing it wrong. Anyone know what size and thread Fender CS saddle screws are, as I might try the Clerkenwell boys for some replacements?

Just put a thin shim in the neck pocket. That will fix it straight away without needing to change the screws.

The screws are an American thread (#4-40) that's difficult to get in the UK - the usual guitar parts suppliers carry them if you really need to change them.

ThePrettyDamned

I'll see how I get on, but I rely on heavy palm muting for percussive stuff.  So I reckon it'll kill me 'and if there are screws sticking out.

But maybe I can just file them down.

Or maybe it'll be a total non issue! I'll ask for further advice when it's all set up

stonevibe

Mine don't come anywhere near the tops of the saddles.

This is a Callaham bridge on my own build Strat. 

ThePrettyDamned

stonevibe said:

Mine don't come anywhere near the tops of the saddles.

This is a Callaham bridge on my own build Strat. 

If mine turn out like that, I'm dead chuffed

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

But maybe I can just file them down.

Whatever you do, don't do what a friend of mine did years ago and file the tops of the screws down .

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

But maybe I can just file them down.

Whatever you do, don't do what a friend of mine did years ago and file the tops of the screws down .

LOL

That is actually the kind of thing I'd rush in and do, even knowing what I should do.

timmysoft

stonevibe said:

Mine don't come anywhere near the tops of the saddles.

.

This is a Callaham bridge on my own build Strat. 

Dirty guitar is dirty

fretfinder

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

Contrary to @ICBM when I set up my Strats the grub screws are nearly always protruding too far - maybe I'm doing it wrong. Anyone know what size and thread Fender CS saddle screws are, as I might try the Clerkenwell boys for some replacements?

Just put a thin shim in the neck pocket. That will fix it straight away without needing to change the screws.

The screws are an American thread (#4-40) that's difficult to get in the UK - the usual guitar parts suppliers carry them if you really need to change them.

Thanks @ICBM. Does the shim affect the ability to get a low action? I currently find that with a 9.5 radius and 6105s I can't get the action as low as I'd like without choking when bending on the top two strings above the 12th fret.

ICBM

fretfinder said:

Thanks @ICBM. Does the shim affect the ability to get a low action? I currently find that with a 9.5 radius and 6105s I can't get the action as low as I'd like without choking when bending on the top two strings above the 12th fret.

Have you checked the nut height and the relief?

If you have and they're good, and you can't lower the saddles without choking, shimming the neck won't help. All it does is tilt the neck relative to the body and so change the effective height of the saddles above the body.