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So, I ditched the ashtray bridge on my tele.


Cyber_Chyld

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My new six saddle bridge arrived today in the post. It is, as far as I can tell a Korean made bridge in the Gotoh style (four screw fixing). It's this one here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270216982206&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=017

 

I was going to go with the Gotoh, but I won this for CHEAP. Plus the Gotoh bridge seems to be out of stock everywhere and is four times the price :eek:

 

Anyway, I've just finished changing the bridge over and here are my conclusions:

 

Intonation is MASSIVELY improved, just massively. The guitar is beautifully in tune all over the neck now!

 

Comfort wise it's a lot better than the ashtray. I can see myself cutting my hand open a lot less on this bridge. Plus it's much easier to palm mute. Much more comfortable all around.

 

Sound....always a contensious one this. I think it's fair to say that it HAS altered the sound of the guitar. I'm not sure if for better, worse or if I'm really not that bothered! :cop:

I think some the 'clangy' metallic attack has gone a little. The tone is a little more compressed and rounded now. Having said that I think the sustain is a little increased though.

 

So, mixed bag. Bottom line is it'll make the guitar much more practical for me to play, and I feel any trade offs in 'tone' are compensated for by the improved intonation. I'm really not sure if live I'd be able to tell a difference tonally.

 

I can see though that a clean, tele pickin' afficionado might find it too big a change. I however tend to play largely dirty, alternative rock, metal, and even Industrial, so the intonation thing is more important to me.

 

Make of it what you will, but thought this might be of interest to some of you!

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Leslie West's V didn't have a neck HB, and he used to joke that he used the HB cavity for an ashtray. Some would argue (not me) that the Tele neck pickup could be removed to serve the same purpose.

 

That's a great story!

 

You know, I didn't know what to make of the neck pickup when I first got my tele. Raising it certainly helped a bit, but I really didn't know 'what to do with it' if that makes any sense.

 

The 'Eureka' moment though, came in a rehersal when I hit the lead channel on my Marshall, put some delay on, and went for a bluesey solo :thu:

VERY gilmourey, and oh so sweet.

 

I think clean, they're a bit useless, just not warm enough, but with some OD it's a great pickup to solo on.

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My new six saddle bridge arrived today in the post. It is, as far as I can tell a Korean made bridge in the Gotoh style (four screw fixing). It's this one here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270216982206&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=017


I was going to go with the Gotoh, but I won this for CHEAP. Plus the Gotoh bridge seems to be out of stock everywhere and is four times the price
:eek:

Anyway, I've just finished changing the bridge over and here are my conclusions:


Intonation is MASSIVELY improved, just massively. The guitar is beautifully in tune all over the neck now!


Comfort wise it's a lot better than the ashtray. I can see myself cutting my hand open a lot less on this bridge. Plus it's much easier to palm mute. Much more comfortable all around.


Sound....always a contensious one this. I think it's fair to say that it HAS altered the sound of the guitar. I'm not sure if for better, worse or if I'm really not that bothered!
:cop:
I think some the 'clangy' metallic attack has gone a little. The tone is a little more compressed and rounded now. Having said that I think the sustain is a little increased though.


So, mixed bag. Bottom line is it'll make the guitar much more practical for me to play, and I feel any trade offs in 'tone' are compensated for by the improved intonation. I'm really not sure if live I'd be able to tell a difference tonally.


I can see though that a clean, tele pickin' afficionado might find it too big a change. I however tend to play largely dirty, alternative rock, metal, and even Industrial, so the intonation thing is more important to me.


Make of it what you will, but thought this might be of interest to some of you!

 

 

ENOUGH OF THIS HERETICAL BANTER.........GUARDS SEIZE THAT MAN !! :mad:

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I never had any intonation problems with my '52 Reissue Tele; in fact it was one of the most 'in tune' guitars I owned.

My acoustics play beautifully in tune with minimal bridge compensation so the three saddles on the Tele are more than enough.

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When I was having a professional setup done to my '52RI, I had the tech install some compensated 3-barrel saddles. Intonation is perfect across the board, and with .11's, it stays in tune perfect. Modern six saddle bridges have no place on a vintage telecaster reissue :cop:

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Seriously guys, I think a lot of people are a little too 'precious' of guitars around here.

It's a 4 month old, CIJ telecaster. That means it's a NEW guitar. I've taken a new guitar and am gradually turning into what I want from it.

 

If no one bothered trying these things (not that I'm making myself out to be some great innovator or anything), where would be?

 

Eddie frankenstrat had a humbucker ripped from a 60's es335 so I understand. See THAT could be saddening. But look at the bigger picture, look what came of it!

 

It's all an experiment. I've not drilled any additional holes, and I still have the ashtray.

 

What I'd be interested in, in the future, is taking a wilkinson compensated ashtray bridge, and trimming away the upper side.

Thing is again, it's altering the bridge!

 

Bottom line, I don't find ashtray bridges comfortable to play!

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Who f'n cares if he takes the bridge and shoves it up his ass? It's his guitar to mod and a telecaster is not some sacred guitar that isn't to be screwed with. Leo Fender made changes to these guitars all the time. He obviously felt there was room for improvement to the '52 Tele since he made many changes to his original design before he left Fender. I don't see how one can be slighted for modding a component of his guitar that he doesn't like.

 

You asshats belong in the amp forum.

 

HNBD.

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Seriously guys, I think a lot of people are a little too 'precious' of guitars around here.

It's a 4 month old, CIJ telecaster. That means it's a NEW guitar. I've taken a new guitar and am gradually turning into what I want from it.


If no one bothered trying these things (not that I'm making myself out to be some great innovator or anything), where would be?


Eddie frankenstrat had a humbucker ripped from a 60's es335 so I understand. See THAT could be saddening. But look at the bigger picture, look what came of it!


It's all an experiment. I've not drilled any additional holes, and I still have the ashtray.


What I'd be interested in, in the future, is taking a wilkinson compensated ashtray bridge, and trimming away the upper side.

Thing is again, it's altering the bridge!


Bottom line, I don't find ashtray bridges comfortable to play!

 

 

Yeah, but do you smoke cigars ?

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Other than aesthetic purposes what are the Ashtray covers on Teles and Strats for? Do they contribute to the sound? Just curious...

 

 

Noticeable difference in sound, at least to my ears. When I'm playing jazz stuff, I keep the ash tray cover on, as the treble output drops. When I'm playing rock, I typically leave it off.

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Avatars are powerful psychologically, though.

For example, though people knew, logically, that Frets' avatar was William Macy, it still came as a surprise, for some reason, when they discovered that Frets did not resemble William Macy.

For me, ArKay's avatar has the same effect. Logically, it makes no sense, but I keep associating the message with the image, so ArKay, on some level, resembles Brian May.

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