Bent steel Strat saddles are rubbish

timmysoft

i think they are the weak point of the Strat design. It’s the shit saddle height adjustment screws, I’ve owned about 20 strats and always have to change them out, they’re just no good for palm muting or heavy rhythm work.

ICBM

You mean because they stick up above the saddle tops?

Easy to fix - either shim the neck slightly so the action is correct with them flush with the saddle tops, or carefully measure how much each one sticks up and file the same amount off the bottom.

Do *not* do what a friend of mine did and file the tops down. Later he wanted to adjust the action slightly… oops .

richardhomer

They happen to sound good, though....

timmysoft

ICBM said:

You mean because they stick up above the saddle tops?

Easy to fix - either shim the neck slightly so the action is correct with them flush with the saddle tops, or carefully measure how much each one sticks up and file the same amount off the bottom.

Do *not* do what a friend of mine did and file the tops down. Later he wanted to adjust the action slightly… oops .

Sod that! Graphtechs are going on my latest Strat! 

Jack_

They're the only saddles that look good, and that's all that matters.

ICBM

timmysoft said:

Sod that! Graphtechs are going on my latest Strat! 

Fair enough. I think they sound poor though.

If you want a proper Strat that doesn't have this problem, the older USA Standard, Plus, Deluxe etc with the flat stainless steel block saddles are good. They also have overall bridge height adjustment via the two pivot posts and an adjustable neck tilt, so it's always possible to set them up so the height screws are hidden.

timmysoft

ICBM said:

timmysoft said:

Sod that! Graphtechs are going on my latest Strat! 

Fair enough. I think they sound poor though.

If you want a proper Strat that doesn't have this problem, the older USA Standard, Plus, Deluxe etc with the flat stainless steel block saddles are good. They also have overall bridge height adjustment via the two pivot posts and an adjustable neck tilt, so it's always possible to set them up so the height screws are hidden.

I prefer the sound of them, they are slightly darker but in a good, musical way. 

guitarfishbay

ICBM said:

timmysoft said:

Sod that! Graphtechs are going on my latest Strat! 

Fair enough. I think they sound poor though.

If you want a proper Strat that doesn't have this problem, the older USA Standard, Plus, Deluxe etc with the flat stainless steel block saddles are good. They also have overall bridge height adjustment via the two pivot posts and an adjustable neck tilt, so it's always possible to set them up so the height screws are hidden.

Yes I didn’t like graphtecs and I returned my Callaham bent saddle and heavy block to the stock block style saddle and regular weight block... totally preferred stock on my instrument. Callaham parts made it too edgy sounding to me.

On my partscaster I’ve got a six screw Wilkinson bridge with block saddles, it feels great. Wasn’t expensive.

My impression is bent steel saddles comparatively more attack and extra brightness, and are not as comfortable for palm muted playing styles. I prefer the supposedly inferior block saddle.

Sassafras

The Stratocaster is as close to a perfect design as you can get. Only surpassed by the Telecaster.

Boromedic

You can buy low profile screws from allparts I think. My mate does this on all his strat bridges.

stickyfiddle

Boromedic said:

You can buy low profile screws from allparts I think. My mate does this on all his strat bridges.

This. I got a couple of packs of short & medium lengths so I can always find the right height screws. 

sweepy

Seriously a Strat without bent steel saddles is wrong in so many ways, it’s part of what defines the Strat feel and sound. The next thing you’d suggest is fitting a Tunamatic to a Rickenbacker

meltedbuzzbox

I've never struggled to palm mute on bent saddles before personally. Is it just the screws sticking up that makes it difficult?

timmysoft

meltedbuzzbox said:

I've never struggled to palm mute on bent saddles before personally. Is it just the screws sticking up that makes it difficult?

Yeah, I’m running 11’s and the action isn’t even that low, but there’s a ton of screw hanging out of the top! 

timmysoft

Horrific.

jimmyguitar

That’s really not right! Just buy some shorter adjustment screws!
http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/hardware-parts-c1/screws-nuts-washers-c58/bridge-screws-c59/wd-music-short-strat-saddle-height-screw-imperial-thread-allen-key-adjusted-bag-of-6-p3157

WezV

I imagine there is no shim in the neck pocket either for them to be that low.   A small strip of card will improve matters no end.

stickyfiddle

That needs a shim in a big way...

Should look like this is the neck/body/bridge geometry is right:

Neil

timmysoft said:

Horrific.

No wonder you are moaning.

Is that the Vlad the Impaler model? 

ICBM

sweepy said:

Seriously a Strat without bent steel saddles is wrong in so many ways, it’s part of what defines the Strat feel and sound. 

This is another "it's not a Tele unless it has a three-saddle bridge" thing...

I've owned two USA Std Strats and played dozens more - they sound like Strats. The bridge does feel different, certainly - for quite a lot of players that's clearly a positive thing. I'm not massively keen on the 'warble' they have compared to a 6-screw bridge, but you can help that a lot by using stiffer springs, the stock ones are quite soft.

The Graphtec saddles change the sound more in my opinion, they take away the 'bite' in the tone. Some people like that as well though.

timmysoft

stickyfiddle said:

That needs a shim in a big way...

Should look like this is the neck/body/bridge geometry is right:

The action and intonation is fine so I’d rather not add a shim when I don’t think it really needs it.