Brass Vs. Steel Bridge Saddles

[big_teee]

I don't own a Tele but thinking about ordering a Frugal Lefty.
Some models have the six steel Saddles, like a Strat on a flat bridge plate.
There are some models with the ashtray style bridge, some with brass, and some with Steel Old style double saddles. What's the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
Keep in mind there is not a multitude of choices in Left Hand axes. Especially cheap ones! lol
Thanks In Advance,
Terry

[Tommorichards]

I wouldnt go for double saddles unless going for a truly vintage look. You have to compromise a bit on intonation. And i think the brass ones are good for a slightly different look. Found out the saddles on my bass are black coated brass. The black is coming off.....

[big_teee]

I wouldnt go for double saddles unless going for a truly vintage look. You have to compromise a bit on intonation. And i think the brass ones are good for a slightly different look. Found out the saddles on my bass are black coated brass. The black is coming off.....

One of the neatest tools at my guitar work bench is a bottle of Birchwood Caseys Perma Blue.
It's gun bluing. It turns almost anything black.
You can take Nickle plated pickup screws and slugs and soak a minute or two and you have this pretty matt black color.
Don't know if they sell gun cleaning products in your country, but It's a neat cheap product.
Birchwood Casey: Firearm Finishing
I was thinking of buying one of these guitars to use for a test axe for testing tele pickups, that I make.
I was leaning toward the second one, I could alter the bridge for top load, making the bridge easier to remove when changing the pickups. I don't think I could do that with the first on. But it has a contoured body like a strat that I like the second one doesn't. The second one would blend with the herd the best! The first has the 6 steel saddles like a strat, the second has the 3 double saddles, but they look steel.
Anymore input, I'm still trying to make up my mind.
Terry

[Mark Hammer]

Authorities on the subject (and I do not place myself in that bracket; I just like them) generally agree that a "3-saddle solution" offers a more traditional Tele twang than 6 individual saddles. Steel will get you a brighter sound than brass. Whether there is any sort of additive or synergistic effect of loading (rear vs through-body) with one metal or the other is an entirely different matter and beyond my knowledge.

One of the nice things about the 3-saddle solution is that when a company makes intonated saddles for such a bridge, all you often need to do to make them left-handed is flip the height-adjustment screws over so that the saddle adjusts from the "other" side.

There may be exceptions to this, I would imagine. There are two approaches to making compensated saddles. One is to have the traditional length-adjustment screw installed at right angles to the saddle and have the saddle machined to provide discrepant resting places for each string. The other is to leave the profile of the saddle alone and simply drill the hole for the length adjustment slightly off 90 degrees, such that one resting point is always a little ahead of the other, no matter how far forward or back the saddle is.

[big_teee]

That raises another question.
Can the 2 different bridge styles be interchangeable, without a lot of cosmetic effects?
If that is the case I could buy an additional bridge for either testing or playing.
Like I said this is primarily going to be a Cheapie test guitar.
I'm definitely not into twang. But I figured I could offset that with Pickup Potting, and winding style.
T

[Tommorichards]

I dont see why not. Your average joe looking at it wouldnt really notice. You could always get an ashtray cover for it and no one would notice, cept you.....

[big_teee]

I dont see why not. Your average joe looking at it wouldnt really notice. You could always get an ashtray cover for it and no one would notice, cept you.....

I thought of a possible snag on the interchanging the bridges like I was thinking.
The import bridges are probably narrower than standard parts.
Sure wish there was more standardizing in Guitar parts.
Terry