Who else here uses GraphTech saddle on your Strat?

bobthecanadian · June 19th, 2008, 08:35 AM

I tried them on my Highway One and they seem to make a difference to it's sound. What's your experience like?

Bob

Strat-Talk · June 19th, 2008, 09:42 AM

I've never used them, but in all my forums, I've heard very mixed results. Some love 'em and some hate them with a passion. The number one complaint is that they ruin your tone.

StratDen · June 19th, 2008, 09:57 AM

I've played a few guitars that had the GT saddles and I agree with the camp that doesn't prefer them... The last one I played was an actual Before and After comparison too.

bobthecanadian · June 19th, 2008, 11:45 AM

Ya' know I really struggled with getting my Highway One to sound good. The neck and middle positions sounded pretty good, but the bridge was really lacking. So, after trying a few things I decided that replacing the saddles would be a good way to go. Finding good parts here in Taiwan is not easy. Improvement? Yes, I think so. Is it everything that I want? No. I just bought a Squier Bullet that I like better than my Highway One. We'll wait for a few months before I decide to keep the Highway One or not.

So, anybody else use Graphtech?

metalguru72 · June 19th, 2008, 12:43 PM

I am very happy with my Graphtech Tusq Nut. It really improved the tone and sustain.

StratDen · June 19th, 2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecanadian

... Finding good parts here in Taiwan is not easy. Improvement? Yes, I think so. Is it everything that I want? No. ...

Well, that's a consideration as well regarding the amount of comparisons you can make. I should clarify I didn't dislike them, just didn't prefer them if facing a scenario of making the expense for them as an upgrade. I actually like the stock vintage style bent steel saddles now found on all the '08 American Standard Strats, and would consider replacing the Squire's standard cast saddles with those.

jcwu · June 19th, 2008, 02:54 PM

I'm using GraphTech saddles on my hardtail strat. That, combined with the slightly hotter output on the pickups, makes for a good rocking sound. Compared with my other strat which has a Callaham tremolo, the sound is not as bright, which I guess is the "tone-suck" that people mention. But I personally don't see it as a bad thing - it's just different.

When running the GT-saddled strat through my amp with overdrive, my friends commented on how smooth the overdrive sounded, which they weren't expecting to hear from a strat.

If the bridge pickup is giving you problems, maybe try adding a Callaham baseplate?

Orlando Mike · June 19th, 2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcwu

I'm using GraphTech saddles on my hardtail strat. That, combined with the slightly hotter output on the pickups, makes for a good rocking sound. Compared with my other strat which has a Callaham tremolo, the sound is not as bright, which I guess is the "tone-suck" that people mention. But I personally don't see it as a bad thing - it's just different.

When running the GT-saddled strat through my amp with overdrive, my friends commented on how smooth the overdrive sounded, which they weren't expecting to hear from a strat.

If the bridge pickup is giving you problems, maybe try adding a Callaham baseplate?

yeah, I think it is subjective on the tone issue...I use only steel, and I did try the gt's on an american standard a way back..I just diddnt like the change i think

softmonkey · June 19th, 2008, 07:44 PM

In terms of the bridge pick-up problem: my theory is leave everything alone and install a hotter Duncan SSL-3.

bobthecanadian · June 20th, 2008, 12:23 AM

I settled on a Duncan JB Junior for a bridge pup. It sounds better. But, I think for what the Highway one cost, I think it should have sounded better. Maybe I just got a bit of a lemon.

It has been fun trying different things to affect the bridge pup tone. Different pups, base plates and saddles.

The long I play Strats the more I think that partscasters are the way to go.

Bob

Orlando Mike · June 20th, 2008, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecanadian

I settled on a Duncan JB Junior for a bridge pup. It sounds better. But, I think for what the Highway one cost, I think it should have sounded better. Maybe I just got a bit of a lemon.

It has been fun trying different things to affect the bridge pup tone. Different pups, base plates and saddles.

The long I play Strats the more I think that partscasters are the way to go.

Bob

I wish I could build a partscaster for what a Highway One costs....

jcwu · June 20th, 2008, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orlando Mike

I wish I could build a partscaster for what a Highway One costs....

You could. It just wouldn't be a very good one.

bobthecanadian · June 20th, 2008, 05:56 AM

Before I even think about arguing with you all about the possibilities of building a partscaster for less than a Highway One, I have one question. How much is a highway one selling for?

StratDen · June 20th, 2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecanadian

Before I even think about arguing with you all about the possibilities of building a partscaster for less than a Highway One, I have one question. How much is a highway one selling for?

$750 on Musicians' Friend (which is -25% off list), $600 at my local Fender dealer who routinely sells for -40% off list, but then of course I have to add the 8.125% Tax here locally which cuts away some of their nice discount, but still is slightly ahead of MF... Only MF's S&D's are normally better priced.

I now you're talking about a building comparison here, but if I were interested in a Hwy 1, I would consider saving a bit more for the New American Std Strat. I feel you get the best bargains for upgrading out of the Squires or the Fenders depending upon what your looking for in the guitar.

So what components did you have in mind for a build?

Orlando Mike · June 20th, 2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcwu

You could. It just wouldn't be a very good one.

I know man, all my builds end up more expensive than a store bought would be...

jcwu · July 9th, 2008, 04:44 PM

Just to chime in on the saddles issue again...

I completed a strat build, with a Eric Johnson bridge. I don't play very often, but a week after putting on the strings, I already broke the high E. The point of breakage was where the string bent over the slot in the saddle. I looked more carefully, and noticed all the strings were hitting the end of the slot and bending before going down into the block.

I looked on another guitar that has the Callaham bridge, and my hardtail with the GraphTech saddles, and neither show this issue. Just something to keep in mind.

Some more data points: I use Everly 11-48's on all my guitars. On my guitar with the GraphTechs, I have not EVER broken a string, and I've owned and played this guitar over the last year and a half. I've had the Callaham bridge for about three months, not broken a string there either. But the EJ bridge/saddle combination took less than a week to pop a string.

doverow · July 10th, 2008, 03:22 AM

Interesting, jc; I seem to remember..didn't SRV's tech have to file/dremmel the slots at an angle to avoid this..? Your experience there would suggest that there is higher "friction" on the metal of the EJ than the gt(understandable), yet by definition, more "tone" via snug contact on the saddles....so I'm just wondering if attacking the slots rather than the saddles for many of the like issues is the "answer"...? Just a musing.

jcwu · July 10th, 2008, 02:06 PM

I do have another guitar with an EJ bridge where the strings have been doing fine, so I took a closer look this morning - turns out it's an EJ bridge loaded with Raw Vintage saddles, which also have the elongated slots. A pleasant surprise, since I thought I was going to have to order two sets of replacement saddles!

I'll try to find pictures to upload to explain, but basically, with the GraphTech, Callaham and Raw Vintage saddles, the strings go over the top of the saddle, and straight into the block. With the Fender/EJ saddles, the strings go over the top of the saddle, bend over the shorter slot, THEN into the block.

If you look at the GraphTech saddle, the slot is pretty long, too, so there's no extra point of friction like on the Fender saddles.

doverow · July 12th, 2008, 05:53 AM

Sorry, I meant the sides of the block holes(shoulda been more explicit, my apologies!)

Boris Bubbanov · July 12th, 2008, 12:12 PM

First, I really like both graphtech and tusq precut (preformed) nuts. They are great. Whilst it is possible to do better, it is more likely you'll do worse with the other substitutes. They are my benchmark, and I've done maybe 50 of them now. Those, I like.

Now, to the graphtech boron composite saddles. I think for heavy metal and other exceedingly strenuous uses of an electric guitar, the resistance to string breakage outweighs the graphtech saddle's lack of character. But I don't play like that.

The same characteristic that draws us to brass barrel saddles or bent steel saddles and single coil pickups ( and it isn't 'perfection', it is something else ) makes the graphtech saddles kinda blah, to me. What they call sustain sounds like anonymous notes all blurring together to me. I've got 3 sets of them, all on different varieties of guitars with different bridges and pickups, and these guitars don't get played, they get passed over.

I like a precision made saddle like Bill Callaham makes.

Bubbanov

Boris Bubbanov · July 12th, 2008, 12:20 PM

Hey, Bob, you need to try a Chimemaster from Glendale Guitars on that Highway One.

I've got the Chimemaster (brass block and saddles) on my Highway One (upgrade) together with a big Fatback rosewood board neck from Warmoth, and I find it is my favorite Fender Strat to play and it is two months since I put those parts on there. OK, so it does not sound as traditional 'Strat' as my beloved MIM Jimmie Vaughan ( my other, US Strats bringing up the rear ) but I am fascinated by this big acoustic sound coming from this once kinda crummy guitar. ( It was $ 388.60 ).

The Chimemaster does not convert the Strat into some kind of trem Tele, as one's instincts might suggest. Read some reviews at TDPRI.

Bubban0v