Fender Telecaster - Which Bridge Do You Prefer? Vintage or Modern? 

If you want the traditional 3 brass saddle look, the Gotoh In-Tune bridge is the best out there. I can't stand the raised edges on the traditional bridge, so I vote for a modern bridge with 6 brass saddles.

Looks wise, I'm fine with either, and brass does look better on a tele, but I prefer 6 saddles, the easier it is to intonate the better!

Vintage 3 sandal all day

I have three teles with the 6 saddle bridges and 4 teles with the vintage. The vintage bridged teles have a feel to them, I don’t have the words to properly describe it. These teles also have vintage tuners. Lucky to finish a song or two without checking the tuning. I guess “personality” would be how I would describe them. They definitely have that

I have a 2020 Tele with the 3 brass saddles and a 1974 Tele Custom with the 3 stainless steel saddles. I luv em both. The Telecaster is the best electric guitar ever made, I think! 😎👍🏻🎸

I like three brass compensated saddles. Seems to work great.

For what it's worth i was looking at the bridge on a guitar played by a pretty famous player, it had stock saddles that had been bent with vice grips

Well since this just popped up on my cell phone youtube.....I can just say...I always liked the idea of that triple barrel set up. Mostly because I've had the independent saddles in a couple guitars and they seem to be glitchy in one way or another, I just think simplicity with the others is better.....

For anyone who plays B/G benders or drop tune machine heads. My main guitar....baja telecaster had been slightly modified with strap pull B and G benders/Hipshot drop D tuner on the low E string and Schaller drop banjo tunes on the high E and A strings.....OK getting to the point.... I started out with a 3 barrel ashtray bridge....all strings would stay in tune on the lower 3/4 frets when activating the benders or lowering the drop tuners.... the future up the neck the worse it got.... I tried 3 different sets/different brand of the 3 barrel compensated saddles was a slight improvement but was still off the future up the neck when using the benders and drop tuners.... I ended up replacing the ashtray bridge with a Wilkinson 6 saddle bridge.... Brass saddles on the high E and B strings.... steel saddles on the G and D strings and aluminum saddles on the A and low E strings.... I figured that would help retain the twang of the traditional ashtray bridge and fix the intonation problem which it did.... I ended up doing the same thing to my 3 other bender teles....all brass saddles on 2 and all steel saddles on the 4'th one....cured the intonation issues and with a slight tweek on the amp no huge noticeable difference between the 6 and 3 saddle bridges.

I have a lot of experience with both bridge types, and I notice a clearer, more sustaining tone with the larger mass, and more tention per saddle, vintage bridge.

I use Graph Tech String Saver saddles on my six saddle Tele. Not only do I never break strings, but the black looks really nice against the chrome. If they alter the tone at all I can't tell the difference. I'm an aging guitarist, my ears are shot.

My advice is that if you value being almost precisely in tune most of the time, including accurate harmonics, that you avoid the compensated bridges. I have a Wilkinson bridge on my Suhr tele and it is infuriating to have to compromise each pair of strings being out of tune all of the time but in different directions.

I ended up with individual saddles after trying them all on my Squier custom 72. These and humbucker pickups work the best for me.

I prefer Glendale compensated 3 brass saddles on a vintage bridge plate. Not cheap, but very good tone & intonation.

I bought six brass saddles to replace the six steel saddles. The Korean made saddles had tighter thread tolerance for the intonation screws, very solid and tight.

Oh wow....a local channel in the Ottawa area! Congratulations Steve! 🎸👍

I’m a 3 saddle kind of guy on my 2 Teles. I really think it does sound better. Especially with stainless saddles. The ones I use are Calahan compensated. I also use a top load bridge instead of string through the body. Oh, it does look better.

I have both bridges and I prefer the 6 saddle. The brass does sound great and have great sustain.

I immediately removed that Standard Bridge and installed a compensated brass three saddle. Mine stays in tune just fine and has no intonation issues up the neck.

I find the modern bridge better in several respects. The most obvious, of course, is easy and accurate intonation adjustment. I would never want a "true traditional" saddle that is straight, but the compensated ones are OK. I find the raised lip on the old "ashtray" bridge plate interferes with my playing. There are some "modern" ones that leave this out on the high E side, which is better. Finally, I find the saddle height adjustment screws often stick up too much on traditional. Easy enough to buy new screws or cut them, but most people don't. I must say that the aesthetics of the brass saddles appeal to me more, but from a purely functional point of view, I think the modern bridge is best. Especially if it supports top loading.

I expect the body is poplar, with thin maple veneers. My 1996 Mexican Tele has this combination. It was sunburst until I belt-sanded contours and sprayed it red. I also fitted a six-saddle Gotoh bridge (all brass, chrome plated). The string spacing is 54mm, which suits the neck perfectly. When I played a new Nashville Player Plus model recently, the strings splayed out too wide the further up the neck they went, so I would be interested to know what its string spacing measures (I suspect it's 56mm). If I had that guitar, I'd fit a narrower bridge, and if I had a three-saddle bridge, I'd fit compensated saddles.

I've got a 2009 MiM Tele and I have attempted to convert from the stock bridge to the vintage. But where I had an issue was the bridge pick up route is wider than the vintage bridge by just enough that you can see a gap. The vintage bridge I have might not be an authentic one as I got it from ebay many years ago, it's got Fender stamped on it but that doesn't make it a fender product! So I just kept the original bridge because as you mentioned, you have more adjustable option than on the vintage style. I keep toying with the idea of a Bigsby, but again you need to address the bridge because the modern style is not compatible, but the vintage style can slots cut to allow the strings to pass over the saddles...

Not getting off the subject but I save 4 inches off of some strings for cleaning carburetor jets. I like both Bridges by the way . Just finished my walnut Tele project which wasn't a kit with the individual Bridge set up.. It took 3 weeks and turned out nice. It was my 3rd project. Nice video by the way. I used a satin bridge and tuners because I love the look.

Good to see you back at it. And hope you enjoyed our nations birthday long weekend. I currently have a standard 3 saddle brass bridge on my barncaster, but to be honest I would much prefer to have 3 compensated saddles. That is a saddle where you can adjust both strings individually. I know Solo sells them.

So much that I swap out (or don't buy guitar) modern for 3 vintage brass saddles.... Sometimes I drop in a Righty bridge in place of the Lefty...not sure it makes much diff. Got 10 Tele's....none have intonation problems.

A lot of the top Tele players still use the old style brass saddles, intonation on those saddles doesn't really seem to be a factor for them, they get around it. A question I would like to ask is, does it really make any difference to the sound or tone if the strings don't go through the body?

I just bought a Squier Tele baritone, which has a vintage style bridge that is not compensated. Being a baritone the intonation was horrible out of the box. Is there a drop in single string adjustable bridge for this? I think this might be a specialized bridge for baritone, but I am not readily finding what I'm looking for anywhere. Thanks for any info...

It's a tele and tele's need 3 saddles and the vintage raised sides. As far as type of saddles, either brass or threaded steel.

Gotoh six-saddle bridge plates on both my Tele and my G&L ASAT. No perceivable loss of "twang" vs. the traditional flanged "ash tray" AFAICT -- e.g. Brent Mason.

I have two fender Teles one MIA 1975 custom ans a MIM. The MIA has a fender ash tray brass plate with 6 individual barrel shape brass saddles that fender sold at the time that I replaced the original bridge with in the early 1980s. The MIM Tele has a Wilkinson similar as shown this clip but I also have a Wilkinson 6 individual saddle bridge as well which I may replace on the MIA Tele. I have always liked the look and feel of the ask tray bridge plate never particularly found the non ash tray bridge plates that appealing. I would suggest if wanting a more authentic Std Tele look of older models go for the compromise of the Wilkinson 6 brass saddle ash tray bridge or if you can find one a 2nd hand a brass fender brass one which were manufactured in the 1980s either way you get the best of both worlds of the look, but also the better intonation accuracy.

I buy the vintage six-post bridges with barrel saddles. These bridges have long machine screws and springs. I have been able to secure brass saddles separately which I use to replace the chrome and also drem-cut each of the long machine screws down so they do not extend far beyond the saddle after intonation. While I appreciate the traditional three-post saddles, my goal is to be as precise as possible with intonation, and you aren't going to get as close with the traditional 3-post--even with compensated saddles--no matter how much you want to.

I like the six saddles. Mine is fab.

I have 5 telecasters and i have compensated brass on 2 and steal on 2 and 6individual on 1 , to be honest the compensated brass sound pretty good but so does the tele with the 6 saddles but that guitar is a custom made for me by a very good luthier in Adelaide South Australia by the name of Brian West of Fretco Guitars so the set up is exceptional .

I have the "Anything but the vintage bridge with brass saddles just looks WRONG." problem. I also feel like it's part of what makes a tele, A Tele.

Does the vintage bridge ‘drop-in’ in place of the modern or is some drilling required? Be interested to see the swapping process 🙏🎸👌

I like Leo's G&L individual brass cylinder saddles. Best of both.

Modern. I have both but prefer ability to fine tune intonation AND not rip up my hands. The antique type is authentic and retro and nostalgic and was fixed when the more technical modern bridge was developed. Leo would agree. Do you?

I like the modern style in sack give me a roller bridge with through the body stringing

Collin on The Guitaristas channel says he likes the traditional bridge because he anchors his pinky against the side of the plate and with the new style he can't do that.

I have a NEAR Custom shop pelham Blue Tele custom parts built...w/12 radius Fender neck, w/VTG saddles it was literally UN playable, put a modern one in n its my #1 now, besides a 71 strat, 98 PRS, n even a 2016 SwitchBack Country boy Tele..

Regarding the bridge, the classic(ashtray) seems to bring something in the overall feeling of a telecaster. Having both type of 3 tele( Squier J5, Squier 40th anniversary, and 2004 Highway one), the ashtray ,might be just a placebo effect, seems to bring more "twang"/brightness

You know that the stainless saddle screws can also vibrate and change your actions settings. It happed to me. The oil-coated screws have better grip. Replace your Stainless ones if you want your action settings to stay put.

I prefer three brass compensated saddles. I also prefer the bridge to be able to go "both ways", although I always string mine, string through.

I prefer the brass compensated or graphtec compensated three saddle bridges.

I replaced the modern 6 saddle bridge the previous owner of my ‘67 Telecaster had put on with an original non compensated brass 3 saddle bridge. I have no problem with intonation and the sound and feel of the original set up is superior. 10:34 10:34

One works better, one looks better. I also use the G&L bridges a lot. Individual brass saddles, cheap, always have LH available and a decent compromise. I still struggle with that darn low E on Teles tho.

I don't have a Tele. 😢 I love the look of the compensated brass saddles. As for intonation, it wouldn't matter anyway; I'm a rubbish player 😂

I like the six saddle yes the original is always great but why are you gonna make your job harder and should be easier with the saddle?

Is Squier” spelled wrong on the wall? 😂

I like the RSD bridge the most ❤

modern all day

I’m a tech who prefers the sound of three brass saddles. I feel it has to do with the amount of string pressure on each saddle. I’ve done a fair amount of comparison on my own Teles and always go with vintage style three brass saddles. With proper filing you can intonate them quite accurately.

Vintage style with 3 brass saddles for ones in standard (well Eb) tuning, Modern style with FIVE saddles for Open G.

Six saddles made of brass, 😊

Babicz FCH Guitar Bridge

I hated the modern six saddle that was on my Tele build. It got worse for the Bigsby i have on it. After doing some work to an Ashtray bridge, i put it on, and my Telecaster got its signature twang It needs. Its nice. And with a monthly lubrication on all the moving parts, and it works pretty well. Just got to do a few things to the 3rd string to make tuning at first fret a bit better.

My tele has brass sadle I do like them will stay vintage

9:12 I totally agree with your opinion Steve. At the end of the day, I would choose a 6 saddle just for playing consistency and stability.🎸👍

Not all Tele bridges interchange, the screw holes don’t always line up… you’ve got to match bridge and bodies. To my knowledge an American Professional bridge won’t directly fit on a MIM…

Babicz make a great quality bridge for all model guitars and basses.

Gotah solid brass modern bridge with brass block saddles. It is a no brainer.

3Brass Sadles give a better sound

Brass barrels rule, compensated or not, doesn't matter.

Modern with brass saddles.

You misspelled Squier on the wall.

Individual saddles of course

The screw placement on those bridge screws (which secure to the body) are unbelievably bad. They stand tall, and when you put the saddle adjustment screws over them to adjust intonation, they change in height as they crest the screw below. Fender knows it's a bad design because the ultra tele doesn't suffer from the design flaw.

Fender 3 saddle “Hotrod” bridge…

You spelled Squier wrong on your wall art.

Neither, but i do like bridge #3. The Jazzmaster bridge with deep silver alloy saddles. It gives it that Gretsch slinky feel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P_XWoyvDJzE.htmlsi=Bz7mO8GxNHNCMwAP But, I do like the modern bridge better, for intonation control and a slinker feel.

Vintage all the way.

ashbridge more twang brass modern lpauli sounds

Vintage bridge all the way. I use a lefty vintage bridge even though I am right handed. I think a bridge pickup sounds better slanted the other way. Snappier lows and smoother highs. Takes the ice pick high end out.

6

Sqiuer ?

You spelled squire wrong

6 saddles.

I'm gonna pet the cat backwards....modern!!!!! Why not one tuner for every 2 strings?

You spelled Squier wrong.

How do like super slinky’s Steve, and anyone else?

To get your intonation dead on, single is the better way. common mechanical sense. They look cool .I would never use those buddy saddles not good plain and simple.

Telecaster?

Vintage but not that one in the picture.

I’ve had both on all the Teles I’ve owned over the decades. Whether brass or steel, I think it makes no difference. I much prefer the modern bridge. Advancements are for a reason. People have the illusion that retro is the best. It’s a selling feature by Fender to make $$. It’s about marketing. Nothing more.

Squire not sqiure

Sqiuer??? 😂😂

Sqiuer

No interest in anything made in mexico or Chi Nah. Why even bother?