Brass Saddles V. Steel - Can You Hear the Difference? 

I've often wondered this and actually bought brass compensated saddles for a Tele I had with steel saddles. I didn't hear any difference but the brass looked better, LOL!

Pretty cool and informative video!

As expected, brass kills the treble less. When your saddles are too low, you can raise the bridge, or shim the neck to reduce the neck break angle with the body - either one works.

I like the brass it’s warmer, but a lot of your tone comes from the touch of your hands,how you pick and strum

I actually prefer the sound of the steel saddles.

Thanks from Brazil!

Just gathering the parts for partscaster which coincidentally is the same as your including the greg koch pickups. I'm struggling to decide what 3 barrel bridge to install. What make of bridge did you go for? Thanks Geoff Russell

Thanks for playing with overdrive 👍

To me there's a difference , but was it a significant one . Once the drums and the bass kick in , can you ultimately tell the difference ?

I find brass to be harsh and too bright, but richer in harmonics. However I settled on Titanium saddles.

You can get a 6 way with brass block saddles. Comparing a 6 way bridge with a 3 saddle vintage style bridge is tricky though. Is it the material used for the saddles, or the style of bridge that makes the difference?

Steel sounds hotter and the brass warm….. the brand of strings you play, pure nickel or steel core nickel wrap, or steel will play a huge part too. I can hear the difference between stainless steel frets and Dunlop nickel frets all day long…. The sun of all parts makes guitars work for certain people, tone is in your hands…. No matter what guitars you play…. You sound and play like you…

the 3 saddles vs 6 saddles probably affects the tone more

brass is fab... I love a chrome plated steel baseplate...not all are. A steel baseplate resonates around the bridge pickup; some are chrome plated brass, which sounds radically different

You can really hear the difference on the bridge pickup.

how about brass for the high strings and steel for the low strings. aha! brass sounds like new strings kinda.

Steel saddles are terrific for me. Brass saddles get mushy just get quality steel saddles.

It is possible to replace the saddles screws with longer ones as well as brass saddle screws. Seems like you were set on changing saddles, anyways. But if they were worth keeping. Of course you can get more intonatible individual brass block saddles. You can also get a solid brass modern or vintage bridge. Though the vintage style ones are a little harder to come by. Personally I like a solid brass modern bridge saddle screws and all.

You should have tested it with the same style saddles

Idk but I like the steel better at least on the bridge

Brass sounds smoother

Miller Guitars!! Cool!! Millers my last name as well. The Brass is velvet like vs the steel lol. The notes Bloom more with the Brass imo :-)

Steel is a little bit better

I use Gotoh chrome covered brass , six indidual types and I have very good hearing ( as per hearing tests) and , to me , brass is a deeper sound. Also Wilikinson Brass compensated saddles. Both are good. My 2004 Hwy. 1 came with a Fender steel bridge ( curiously enough) and I think they were okay, Gotoh better for individual intonation. I don't know where your steel saddles were made but I can feel a more mellow sound with brass. So, if you want "Twang" use steel. JMHO

Try Steel Fretts Loud Bright

Braas one for me

7:00

The steel saddles sound better !

you mounted your bridge a fraction of a mm too far from the 12th fret. NEVER hand make your neck or drill body holes for the bridge. A 1/4 of a mm in either direction will require you to re-tune your ax every time you change keys. (it will NEVER intonate correctly). It's not an easy fix because no wood filler is as strong and resonate as wood. Use a standard 2 part apoxy with sawdust (in a hurry) to fill the old holes. Wait a week and re-drill. OR, just buy a NEW light body that is already drilled. Stew mac has fair stuff, -nothing lightweight, however. Parts made by reputable companies (e.g. Schecter) will be made using CNN manufacturing. This is GOOD. This is why MOST new guitars tune well, out of the box. As a kid, I remember the days before CNN (long before) when your first consideration for buying ANY guitar was it's ability to tune! To find a well tuning box that also sounded like a cathedral would cost significant bucks (for the day). I have no idea how Leo did it, but most NEW pre-Colombian Fenders played in tune -even Teles with but three adjusters. The NEW repro threaded steel saddles are not good. The original threaded steel saddles were made from over-head cam engine bolts (valve cover bolts cut into pieces). These bolts were made from the finest hardened (dense) steel. Today, however, the repro threaded saddles are CAST from MOLDS and less dense steel ( made with zinc! How cheap can you get?). Hence, the modern threaded saddles don't sound good. I have a '65 Esquire. When I tried to replace my original threaded saddles with the standard, modern Fender 6 adjuster, barrel saddles, the sound reduction was obvious and severe. I played one chord and 4 or 5 notes. I then put the original saddle back onto the guitar -FAST. It was frightening. BTW, this guitars weighs just an ounce over 5 bs and has more sustain than any electric guitar I have played in over 50 years. Nope, it's made from ordinary Alder. However, the pieces were but from the outside of the tree. Outside wood is lighter. With Ash, the wood MUST be taken from below the water line to yield a guitar under 8 or 9 lbs. Modern Fender is making fine guitars, but you have to lift weights to play them. I have regularly seen Les Paul's that are lighter than Teles. A heavy body may sound OK and clean, but only a LIGHT electric guitar body can offer enough resonation and sustain to make the guitar sound so good that your will sell your wife to the the Arabs before you sell your guitar.

Steel sounds better for your tuning.

That girl didn't even Dance , brass is warmer

I would rather have you to turn up the guitar amp because the camera mic is picking up the actual sound of the guitar and not the amp.

If the height adjustment set screws and the intonation adjustment screws are steel, change them for brass ones... AND remove the springs behind the saddles. Your welcome.

I would like to give you an advise. First , you should tune the guitar propperly. Sometimes a tuned guitar will still be off, when you press too hard with the left hand. For shure, you pick too hard . Way too hard.

We would hear the difference if you used an appropriate microphone