Help please? Telecaster bridge mod

Placidcasual79

Any help or advice would be gratefully received..... I've never made any modifications to a guitar before (save changing a pick guard)

I have a 2015 MIN tele. I'd like to change the 5 saddle bridge for a 3 brass saddles...... is this possible? Reasonably achievable? Or will it require skills I don't have (I can just about manage a screwdriver!)

mgaw

pretty staright forward as long as the base plate has the right amount of holes in the right place, i can do it and i am an idiot

Placidcasual79

Lol -  I am pretty strong in the idiot department myself. I'd have to take out the bridge pick up and I'd have no idea where to start with something like that..... I guess, like you say, if the holes on the new plate are in the right place it should be easy (he says with confidence)

mgaw

assuming your existing bridge plate is no use, you will have to remove the pick up, then remove existing bridge resolder pickup wires and  fit a new bridge and saddles ....my solution to all these things unless mind blowingly easy is to get my mate to do it for beer money

Placidcasual79

woah..... soldering!??!?!!? that sounds a bit high tec for me! Where's your mate mgaw?

EricTheWeary

I've never done it but watching someone on YouTube do it seemed to involve a screwdriver, no soldering and looked pretty straightforward ( and I put the I in idiot). I guess being certain that it's a compatible replacement part otherwise it would get more complex.
If you've ever thought of having a pro set up on your guitar I suspect a tech would throw in changing the bridge ( again assuming you have ordered the correct part) as part of the service. 

Placidcasual79

Cheers Eric - I've never had a pro set up....! I have to confess to not being entirely sure what would be involved! I am only a few years in to seriously trying to play guitar
I guess the key is making sure the replacement component fits.
BTW I was watching some 2 tone automatics video's he other day....some brilliant stuff on there Eric.

mgaw

there is no soldering..... see i am an idiot..you unscrew the pup lift the bridge plate out change it and your off

Placidcasual79

lol - phew! Its best for all concerned if me and the soldering iron maintain our conscious uncoupling.

EricTheWeary

  

I know plenty of folk on here will say ' I've saved thousands over the years on not having to pay for set ups and learned to do it all myself ' but if you aren't 100% confident in adjusting action, truss rod, intonation, etc, then paying someone else to do it may be worth while. At least once so you know what your guitar feels like at it's best and then just do any minor tweaks yourself over time. 

Placidcasual79 said:

Cheers Eric - I've never had a pro set up....! I have to confess to not being entirely sure what would be involved! I am only a few years in to seriously trying to play guitar
I guess the key is making sure the replacement component fits.
BTW I was watching some 2 tone automatics video's he other day....some brilliant stuff on there Eric.

alanchanxd

Placidcasual79 said:

Any help or advice would be gratefully received..... I've never made any modifications to a guitar before (save changing a pick guard)

I have a 2015 MIN tele. I'd like to change the 5 saddle bridge for a 3 brass saddles...... is this possible? Reasonably achievable? Or will it require skills I don't have (I can just about manage a screwdriver!)

For buying the correct bridge
I assume you have a mexican standard telecaster with 6 separately adjustable saddles? (the one on the right in the picture below) 

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/552/Telecaster_Bridges.jpg

Good news is, mexican telecaster standard bridges can be replaced easily with vintage ashtray 3-saddles/6-saddles bridges without additional modding/redrilling holes, like this one:

https://www.callahamguitars.com/t_brdgf.jpg


For setting up the guitar

Follow these official Fender instructions here in order to set up your Fender to factory specs:

https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/214343803-How-do-I-set-up-my-Telecaster-guitar-properly-

It is actually not that hard and daunting, obtain the right tools including (but not limited to) the following: feeler gauges, fretboard radius gauges, and the correct mexican allen wrench (don't use incorrect wrenches even if they fit because you will risk stripping the hex screw in the truss rod. I believe mexican standard Fenders all use 3/16 wrenches for truss rods and notice this wrench size is not in metrics - i.e. mm)

gavin_axecaster

Yep, good advice above. Assuming you mean a 2015 Mexican Standard Tele the string through and mount holes are the same as on a vintage bridge plate.
No soldering required - remove strings,  remove pickup from old bridge, unscrew old bridge. When fitting new bridge just make sure the ground wire is contacting the plate before screwing down.

Placidcasual79

Thank you @alanchanxd and @gavin_axecaster - very helpful and much appreciated. That's exactly what I want to do - swap the 6 saddle bridge for a 3 saddle on my 2015 MIN Tele.

Doesn't sound too difficult even for a novice like me. Just got to make sure I find one that fits by the look of things.

Thanks again guys. Definitely going to give this a go.

alanchanxd

Placidcasual79 said:

Thank you @alanchanxd and @gavin_axecaster - very helpful and much appreciated. That's exactly what I want to do - swap the 6 saddle bridge for a 3 saddle on my 2015 MIN Tele.

Doesn't sound too difficult even for a novice like me. Just got to make sure I find one that fits by the look of things.

Thanks again guys. Definitely going to give this a go.

The overall process should be something like this:

1. remove strings from the tuners (you don't need to remove the strings completely out of the body if you are not planning to change new strings)
2. unscrew neck plate screws that are attached to the neck, then remove neck
3. unscrew all the bridge screws and slide the bridge out of the strings
4. with the new bridge, slide the bridge through the strings and reassemble the screws (the screw holes are located in the same places for both bridges, so no need to drill new holes)

It should be a simple swap and restring procedure. Have fun!

NickL

@alanchanxd there's no need to take the neck off to change the bridge is there?

Placidcasual79

NickL said:

@alanchanxd there's no need to take the neck off to change the bridge is there?

I hope not!

alanchanxd

Placidcasual79 said:

NickL said:

@alanchanxd there's no need to take the neck off to change the bridge is there?

I hope not!

Oh yea ur right, yea no need for the neck to come off. My bad

I got mixed up and I was thinking of a vintage neck where it would be a habit for me to take the neck off and adjust the truss rod (from the neck end because those are vintage necks) every time when the string tension is loose (I.e. from loosening strings or changing strings). But your Mexican standard neck has truss rod adjustment next to the nut so yea, no need to have the neck off. Ignore that step completely

Placidcasual79

Placidcasual79 said:

Thanks again @alanchanxd and @gavin_axecaster - Got the three saddle bridge on - really happy with it - and it was a pretty easy job too.