PDA

View Full Version : Intonating Teles



tot_Ou_tard
January 13th, 2008, 09:19 PM
So how hard is it to intonate teles?

Katastrophe
January 13th, 2008, 10:10 PM
Depends on the bridge. The traditional setup involves three brass barrels over which the strings rest. Wilkinson makes a compensated barrel bridge that keeps the traditional look, but will get you closer to better intonation.

More modern teles have a six saddle bridge where each string is adjustable for height and intonation.

The best way to do it, however, is shake them strangs all around the note you want to play, and nobody will know the difference!:AOK: :D

t_ross33
January 13th, 2008, 11:11 PM
What Kat said...

markb
January 13th, 2008, 11:48 PM
They're usually close enough for rock n roll. Compensated saddles make them better, I used some StewMac brass ones on a Classic 50's I used to own, they cost about $20. My current tele is an American Ash (8502) with a 6 way bridge. It's the only 6 saddle tele bridge I've ever liked the sound of.

The cheap solution to a tele that just won't play in tune with an old school bridge is to bend the screw on the middle saddle until it's right. Not for the faint hearted.

mrmudcat
January 14th, 2008, 12:04 AM
Ok ill put this out there.Perfect intonation on a 3 barrel is almost impossible to get but you can come close.As mentioned above briefly you can bend the adjustment screws slightly so the saddles "walk" up when adjusting.(hard for me to describe so someone else might do better:bravo: ) The hot subject is although the "modern" 6 barrel is better overall for intonating ,the old school 3 barrel is better for sustain as the strings are not broken up as much.(2 per sharing a barrel) I have 2 teles a modern type bridge and a old school style.You will have to guess which I prefer:rockon:

sunvalleylaw
January 14th, 2008, 12:06 AM
Ok ill put this out there.Perfect intonation on a 3 barrel is almost impossible to get but you can come close.As mentioned above briefly you can bend the adjustment screws slightly so the saddles "walk" up when adjusting.(hard for me to describe so someone else might do better:bravo: ) The hot subject is although the "modern" 6 barrel is better overall for intonating ,the old school 3 barrel is better for sustain as the strings are not broken up as much.(2 per sharing a barrel) I have 2 teles a modern type bridge and a old school style.You will have to guess which I prefer:rockon:


I guess close enough with more sustain. :R

mrmudcat
January 14th, 2008, 12:42 AM
:bravo: :master:

Tone2TheBone
January 14th, 2008, 01:34 AM
Agreed. My Muddy has the 3 brass saddles and it's pretty close which is more than enough to rock on. In all actuality it's damn close on chords, barred and open and that's saying something because my Gibson with the Tune-O-Matic bridge doesn't compare in terms of hearing a "perfectly tuned and intonated" guitar on this particular Telecaster. Life varies. :)

abraxas
January 14th, 2008, 04:57 AM
I use Glendale saddles on my Tele and the intonation is as good as with a 6-saddle bridge (I use 9-46 strings).

But the Tone, that's another matter... :master:

Bloozcat
January 14th, 2008, 07:47 AM
Here's some illustrations to go along with the above descriptions, tot:

Compensated saddles from Stew-Mac:
http://www.stewmac.com/catalog/images_1lg/5167_1lg.jpg
Wilkinson compensated bridge from guitarfetish, $29.95:
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-50206111187217_1983_5259935
Compromise bridge. "Mini", individual barrels, as opposed to individual saddles. $22.95 from guitarfetish:
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-50206111187217_1983_6159175

I picked up one of the Wilkinson's in the second pic for my Tele project.

LowEndWonder
January 14th, 2008, 02:42 PM
If you have the neck set just right everything else falls into place.
I had a 51 re-issue Fender P-Bass with the two saddle bridge and got the intonation dead on believe it or not!

tot_Ou_tard
January 15th, 2008, 07:23 AM
Thanks everyone!

Do those of you with six saddle bridge feel that it misses some fundamental

teletude,


or izzat also close enough for rock n' roll?

markb
January 15th, 2008, 01:52 PM
Thanks everyone!

Do those of you with six saddle bridge feel that it misses some fundamental
teletude,
or izzat also close enough for rock n' roll?

I'd have said yes to that until I bought my current tele. It manages to have all that twang with six saddles but it's the first bridge of that design that's done it for me.

tot_Ou_tard
January 15th, 2008, 02:07 PM
I'd have said yes to that until I bought my current tele. It manages to have all that twang with six saddles but it's the first bridge of that design that's done it for me.
What Tele is that markb?

t_ross33
January 15th, 2008, 05:43 PM
Thanks everyone!

Do those of you with six saddle bridge feel that it misses some fundamental

teletude,


or izzat also close enough for rock n' roll?

I have a "vintage" 6 saddle bridge on my Squier VM SH, so of course I'm dying to try a 3 saddle compensated bridge, maybe even mixing up steel and brass barrels to even out the tone :D. Not that there is anything "wrong" with the 6 saddle bridge, but this place tends to put funny ideas in my head :poke:

Trev

tot_Ou_tard
January 15th, 2008, 06:08 PM
I have a "vintage" 6 saddle bridge on my Squier VM SH, so of course I'm dying to try a 3 saddle compensated bridge, maybe even mixing up steel and brass barrels to even out the tone :D. Not that there is anything "wrong" with the 6 saddle bridge, but this place tends to put funny ideas in my head :poke:

Trev
I do think it's funny that sloppy intonation is good enough for rock & roll, but it just ain't right with a 6 saddle vs a 3 saddle bridge.

I guess everyone trying to get the tones that they've heard & liked before.

markb
January 15th, 2008, 09:26 PM
What Tele is that markb?

This one (http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0118502767).

tot_Ou_tard
January 15th, 2008, 09:38 PM
Very sweet Mark!

t_ross33
January 15th, 2008, 10:15 PM
I do think it's funny that sloppy intonation is good enough for rock & roll, but it just ain't right with a 6 saddle vs a 3 saddle bridge.

I guess everyone trying to get the tones that they've heard & liked before.

Not chasing tone so much as wonderin' what all the fuss is about, and since this forum is turning me into something of a gearhead, I'm noticing things I wouldn't have cared much about before. :pancake:

t_ross33: Ooooh, look at the shiney brass saddles on that Wilkinson compensated bridge. That looks suh-wheet! And I bet it sounds so much warmer than the 6-saddle vintage bridge on my Squier Vintage Modified (single/humbucker) Telecaster.

Mrs. t_ross33: Uhm, yeah. Whatever :whatever:

:thwap:

Trev

tot_Ou_tard
January 15th, 2008, 10:18 PM
Not chasing tone so much as wonderin' what all the fuss is about, and since this forum is turning me into something of a gearhead, I'm noticing things I wouldn't have cared much about before. :pancake:

t_ross33: Ooooh, look at the shiney brass saddles on that Wilkinson compensated bridge. That looks suh-wheet! And I bet it sounds so much warmer than the 6-saddle vintage bridge on my Squier Vintage Modified (single/humbucker) Telecaster.

Mrs. t_ross33: Uhm, yeah. Whatever :whatever:

:thwap:

Trev
Yeah, it happens to the best of us. I say go for the shiney brass saddles & tell us what you think. ;)

elavd
January 16th, 2008, 01:29 PM
Check out this great article:

Saddle Up Your Telecaster - By Jerry Donahue (http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/choosing-installing/tech-tips/saddle_up_your/)

;) (http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/choosing-installing/tech-tips/saddle_up_your/)

marnold
January 16th, 2008, 02:10 PM
Check out this great article:

Saddle Up Your Telecaster - By Jerry Donahue (http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/choosing-installing/tech-tips/saddle_up_your/)
I'd venture that no one knows more about Teles than he does.

mrmudcat
January 16th, 2008, 08:26 PM
Yes J.D. is da-:master: man

tot_Ou_tard
January 17th, 2008, 09:29 AM
Has anyone tried JD's method? He suggests even using it on strats.

mrmudcat
January 17th, 2008, 10:02 AM
Tot as soon as I catch a break ive got a tele and a strat or 2 im going to setup/intonate using his method.Might not be until the weekend.Sister and nephew are flying in so busy busy!!:beer: Ill revisit this thread to update:dude: