Best practices for a floating bridge

[Helmholtz]

I'm not the only one to have this trouble either.

This is exactly why many aftermarket saddles need to be ground to fit vintage strat fretboards.

[Chuck H]

My strat is made of Warmoth parts that are supposed to be tolerance matched to the Fender specs. So it surprised me when I had the problem with the strings being too close to the edges.

[Helmholtz]

Not clear to me - you didn't mention your test method, you just said they test the same, but I'm not clear in what context "the same" means - the same as each other, or the same as a verified case hardened part. I no longer have access to a hardness tester, otherwise I could have given a figure for the saddles I have for you to compare with the ones in your possession.

Well, it was you who introduced the term file "bite". In posts 50/55 I meant to say that a sharp file has no effect on my '62 and Fender Vintage saddles other than dulling the file - completely different from all other saddles (several dozens) I tested.

[Chuck H]

Well, it was you who introduced the term file "bite". In posts 50/55 I meant to say that a sharp file has no effect on my '62 and Fender Vintage saddles other than dulling the file - completely different from all other saddles (several dozens) I tested.

And that result is consistent with how amateur knife makers (of which I am one) test for hardness in heat treated blades. You can buy kits of small files of varying hardness. The file that's actually harder than your blade will bite but the softer ones don't.

I was aware that case hardening can create a very hard surface. In fact that's been a problem with a lot of manufactured goods that use to be through hardened and I've had no end of trouble with some new parts (automotive, for my paint sprayer, power tool bearings and even files) not holding up nearly as well as when such things were commonly through hardened.

[Helmholtz]

So it surprised me when I had the problem with the strings being too close to the edges.

Oh boy, so many strange fractional measures. As far as I know (and measured) original vintage strat string spacing (55.6mm) never changed (unfortunately the neck/fretboard widths did). Means that the width of a single saddle must be lower than 11.1mm. Original saddles were typically 11.0 mm (0.433").

[Fluoroscope 5000]

I consider "brittle" as how much 3~5kHz. Low end punch would be how much low end is in the attack.

TPS = "That Pedal Show" on YT. The results I mentioned in comparing the Callahan's to some aged thinner saddles Mick demoed is from my own quickly switched A/B listening. The Callahan's were indeed bigger. It could just be that they produced less high end, and so just sounded like more low end through the amp? However, It is possible that thicker saddles would produce more low end punch if you consider that more mass at the front of the bridge, where it attaches to the body, reduces the amount of attack absorbed by the body. The mass behind where the saddle posts sit may not have much affect on that at all, acting as more of a fulcrum point for any vertical movement at the front of the bridge which might transfer to the very thin body area under the pickups.

I think the difference in Mick's case was that the old saddles were the wrong width, which may have allowed some sideways movement between them to absorb more attack. I love TPS, but I do get frustrated by how they interpret the sounds of things, and the lack of some fundamental understanding of guitar circuity, but it is entertaining none the less. They are nice guys and do some great jamming and fun joking around.

I've heard the same low end punch affect in YT comparisons with thicker Tele and Les Paul saddles, and when comparing Brass or Steel with Ti or Aluminum. Maybe it's more low-mids than bass? Hard to tell when judging sound within ~1/10 second or what not. I suspect more mass simply reduces attack absorption by the body, but I wouldn't know how to conduct a proper test for that, given all the variables. I also imagine it would be more audible when picking closer to the bridge due to more pressure compared to at the fret. Say, what was the topic again?