Tele bridge - uncomfortable

Poboy

Damping with the edge of my right hand is a big part of my playing and am finding it really uncomfortable on the tele. Can even get painful.
As far as I can tell it's the edge of the little grub screws for height adjustment on the saddle that's the culprit.
I dont want to fit one of those ashtray cover things as I think they look crap and I wouldn't be able dampen properly any more anyway. Which would kinda defeat the purpose of it.
Is there any other solution? I've tried searching for more subtle covers, maybe something like little rubber caps for the screws, but can't find anything.
It's putting me off playing the tele.

andy1839

I get this on Strat and Tele type bridges as I set mine really low.
I usually buy a set of spare grub screws and just grind them down so they sit either flush or just under the hole.

Poboy

Hi Andy, might work. Seems a lot of effort though.
How do you grind them down? They're tiny....

p90fool

You can buy the screws in different lengths, put shorter ones in. 

TheBigDipper

I bought new Graphtech saddles (and graded screws of different heights that matched the neck radius) for my MIM Tele Deluxe FSR. - which has a 6 saddle Strat-style bridge, not the classic Tele one. 

keir

I got a set of intonated Glendale saddles for my tele and they have recessed screws. They have increased sustain a bit on the originals but are fairly expensive, 

stickyfiddle

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Poboy

p90fool said:

You can buy the screws in different lengths, put shorter ones in. 

It's usually the simplest solution is the best.
Where would a handsome young fella, such as myself, purchase aforementioned shorter screws?

Poboy

keir said:

I got a set of intonated Glendale saddles for my tele and they have recessed screws. They have increased sustain a bit on the originals but are fairly expensive, 

I'll look into that too. Money is no object.

Poboy

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Not sure if serious....

p90fool

Poboy said:

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Not sure if serious....

It is an option, I've used the microtilt on my Strat to enable me to raise the saddles on their screws. 

andy1839

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Guitar-Saddle-Height-Adjusting-Grub-Screws-in-Chrome-Various-sizes-/371950037510?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Just order whatever sizes suit, I did buy a staggered set for my Silver Sky but still needed to take a little bit off each with a bench grinder (probably not the best solution to be fair)

Poboy

andy1839 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Guitar-Saddle-Height-Adjusting-Grub-Screws-in-Chrome-Various-sizes-/371950037510?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Just order whatever sizes suit, I did buy a staggered set for my Silver Sky but still needed to take a little bit off each with a bench grinder (probably not the best solution to be fair)

Thank you!
Six short ones ordered.... 

stickyfiddle

Poboy said:

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Not sure if serious....

Absolutely serious if it means sorting in an hour with a bit of cardboard rather than waiting on delivery of new saddles!! 

WezV

stickyfiddle said:

Poboy said:

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Not sure if serious....

Absolutely serious if it means sorting in an hour with a bit of cardboard rather than waiting on delivery of new saddles!! 

yeah, you can put a shim in the neck pocket like this Fender example here - then raise all the saddles



shims can be any thin material.   Card, plastic, wood veneer... they all work fine

Poboy

No hurry. I've short grub screws on order, I can wait for those. Thanks anyway.

elstoof

Don’t forget to raise the pickups if you ever shim a neck

RickLucas

They sand down really easily. 

Philly_Q

Poboy said:

andy1839 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Guitar-Saddle-Height-Adjusting-Grub-Screws-in-Chrome-Various-sizes-/371950037510?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Just order whatever sizes suit, I did buy a staggered set for my Silver Sky but still needed to take a little bit off each with a bench grinder (probably not the best solution to be fair)

Thank you!
Six short ones ordered.... 

Just a note on those, they're metric thread so may not fit if you have a USA Tele...!

Poboy

They've just arrived... I thought I was ordering six screws. I had actually managed to order six sets of six... 
If anyone wants a set, hit me up.

ICBM

Poboy said:

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah, either shorter screws, or shim the neck to increase the angle and get the saddles a little higher on the current screws. 

Not sure if serious....

Entirely serious. I would do that too, as the simplest solution - it also increases the break angle over the saddles, which some people prefer.

Now you have so many spare screws, I'm sure someone else will want them though!