Tele Vintage Saddles vs Modern

travis1976

Hi Guys,
which, in your opinions, are a better saddle on a Tele. I've two Affinity Teles, Haters don't reply, one has a maple fretboard and modern saddles, circa 2000, the other has a rosewood fretboard and 6 vintage barrel type saddles, circa 1998.
I'm just wondering which saddle set-up would be better, tonewise, The maple f/b 2000 is my day to day strummer. Any help would be appreciated. And please no "affinity s#@,t" comments.

Ravelleman

Well, why not play the two side by side and decide which you like best, tonewise?

Normally a vintage-style Tele will have a 3 barrel-style saddles at the bridge though so what you're describing actually sounds quite modern!

travis1976

Ravelleman wrote: »

Well, why not play the two side by side and decide which you like best, tonewise?

Normally a vintage-style Tele will have a 3 barrel-style saddles at the bridge though so what you're describing actually sounds quite modern!

Thanks Ravelleman, it is quite modern, I should have said Vintage type, I love the look of the vintage type, but don't want to put in the time swapping them into my strummer if it's going to affect the tone. I'm basically just being lazy. There is very little info specwise on the 90s affinity teles'. I just want to make it as nice as possible. There are a lot of little differences between the two. I don't know, maybe I'm just being pedantic.

Squidgy Black

6 barrel or individual saddles are a hell of a lot easier to intonate and are more accurate than the 3 barrel ones.

Ravelleman

That's certainly true. Saddles aside, I don't like ashtray bridge plates on vintage-style Teles. They stick out and annoy me as I play. I'd have to get one of the shaved ashtrays.

My ASAT has a 'Saddle-Lock' bridge, which, while nothing like a traditional Tele bridge, is also great.

travis1976

stetyrrell wrote: »

6 barrel or individual saddles are a hell of a lot easier to intonate and are more accurate than the 3 barrel ones.

they are both 6 saddle, one is barrel typeand one is modern type(I suppose you'd call them)

Ravelleman wrote: »

That's certainly true. Saddles aside, I don't like ashtray bridge plates on vintage-style Teles. They stick out and annoy me as I play. I'd have to get one of the shaved ashtrays.

My ASAT has a 'Saddle-Lock' bridge, which, while nothing like a traditional Tele bridge, is also great.

Both of the bridges are the same, no edges, although the 1998 has 3 screw mounting and the 2000 has 5 screw mounting. I wish there was more info about these things. Thanks guys, any insights are always welcomed

TroutMask

Just got a Tele - it had 6 Graph-Tech saddles on it when I got it and it sounded great. swapped the stock tailpiece for a Tremor Bender with ... you guessed it ... 6 Graph Tech saddles! Sounds amazing - i can't imagine going any other way. Though if I picked up a vintage style one & liked it a lot, I'd leave it that way.

travis1976

TroutMask wrote: »

Just got a Tele - it had 6 Graph-Tech saddles on it when I got it and it sounded great. swapped the stock tailpiece for a Tremor Bender with ... you guessed it ... 6 Graph Tech saddles! Sounds amazing - i can't imagine going any other way. Though if I picked up a vintage style one & liked it a lot, I'd leave it that way.

Yeah, I think I'll leave it as is, God knows I'd only make a bag of the setup and have to shell out to have it done. Thanks again Guys

TroutMask

there are more advanced vintage style saddle pieces that will give you better intonation

BostonB

I like the vintage style but I'd want to play the modern one.