yorks5stringer Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I replaced an old brass non fender 4 saddle on my 1972 Telebass for a Squier Fender replica 2 saddle and find I have no issues with intonation even though many speak of it being an issue. However it is slightly wider than what it replaced and takes the E string away from being directly above the bridge Humbucker E pole piece. As 2 Humbuckers were a bit too punchy anyway I swapped one out for a Jazz pickup. Wilkinson used to do those slanted 2 saddle bridges but they seem to be discontinued now. Here's a 'before' photo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) - Edited March 1, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 The humbucker Tele basses are cool. I gave an old original 70s Tele bass pickup to Pino Palladino years ago and he had it fitted to his vintage Fender in the bridge position for added punch as he found the single pickup was a bit too muddy in the mix when playing live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) Oh, the joy of international orderng of parts!!! I bought a Glendale milled jack cup as I really like those solid inserts on the early Telecasters and P-Basses. So, I paid my $29.99 but no delivery charge was added. Apparently you have to manually add it to your order. So, I was then stuck with another $25 delivery!!! (That' their flat fee for international orders regardless of size). Then, the friendly Royal Mail sent me a nice card asking for a further £13.32 for VAT (including an £8 admin fee!!) Aaagh!!! Oh well, at least it's now here. I've also starting giving the body a slightly aged look - a few small chips and checking to the lacquer. Edited December 30, 2017 by kevin_lindsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 2 hours ago, kevin_lindsay said: The friendly Royal Mail sent me a nice card asking for a further £13.32 for VAT and an £8 admin fee!! Worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I see how the milled aspect helps it locate. I had to retrofit an original one as again the previous owner of my TB had replaced it with a non standard 4 screw version. Once I'd read up about it on the net I worked out how to fit it securely without spending loads on a special stew-mac tool. Here's another before picture. I think I'll do a separate before and after thread elsewhere as it seems unfair to piggy-back on someone else's thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 3 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said: I think I'll do a separate before and after thread elsewhere as it seems unfair to piggy-back on someone else's thread. Yes come on, have at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Yay! The angled saddles arrived from Webbteca. They look great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 (edited) I decided that I'd craze the finish on the body - to give a lightly aged look, but still keep it looking shiny for now. (The bass will get any knocks and wear from gigging and playing over the coming years). Anyhow, when I've cracked the lacquer in the past, it's been on guitar bodies - which I've just stuck in my freezer overnight. The size of a bass body doesn't fit into the compartments of my home freezer, so I had to think of another method of crazing the lacquer. By chance, I'd met a plumber who was talking about freeing stuck pipe connections. He said, "when that happens, you just spray one part with Crack It spray. That instantly freezes the part and breaks the stuck connection". It turns out that this plumbers aerosol reduces the surface to minus 45 degrees. I got a can myself from a local Toolstation. All you have to do is get the lacquer warm, then simply spray the aerosol on the surface. You can sometimes hear the lacquer crack. Anyhow, the end result is a nice crazed lacquer. As the plumbers spray has an oil in it, you need to clean the surface afterwards using a rubbing compound (I used Mer Car Polish). I've heard that some folk use aerosols of compressed air to reduce the temp. I might try that on my next build? Here are some pics of some of the crazing (after crazing the lacquer, I wiped the body surface with water based Dark Oak stain to emulate years old grime in the cracks). Edited January 20, 2018 by kevin_lindsay 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 That's worth remembering. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Here' how the Webbteca slanted saddles look - ideal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 This is all looking very suh-weeet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 1 hour ago, kevin_lindsay said: Here' how the Webbteca slanted saddles look - ideal! Do you have to cut your own grooves ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 There' no need to cut slots in the saddles. String pressure from the break angle keeps the str ings in place - they won't move anywhere once the bass is tuned to pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Interesting, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, when I fitted a Squier 2 saddle bridge the grooves are spaced slightly wider than the individual saddles on the non OEM it had fitted. This then moved the strings away from being directly over the pole pieces on the bridge humbucker so visually and perceptually I had to change the pickup! Your solution would serve to move the strings back to their correct spacing for me. Did you mention what you paid for them earlier? Did they sneak through customs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) They're expensive- $49.50 USA including delivery. However, Evan declares a tiny value on the delivery envelope, so you don't get any import duty or VAT at this side of the Atlantic. Edited January 21, 2018 by kevin_lindsay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 11 hours ago, kevin_lindsay said: There' no need to cut slots in the saddles. String pressure from the break angle keeps the str ings in place - they won't move anywhere once the bass is tuned to pitch. I'm sceptical about that. Do you say that they wont move even when you're digging a hard groove into the strings near the bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 (edited) 50 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: I'm sceptical about that. Do you say that they wont move even when you're digging a hard groove into the strings near the bridge? Leo's original design didn't have slots and it worked well enough for around six or seven years until the redesign in 57 when threaded barrels appeared. The 51/54 designs are through-body bridges and have a greater break angle than the top-loading 57 variant. Edited January 22, 2018 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 30 minutes ago, discreet said: Leo's original design didn't have slots and it worked well enough for around six or seven years until the redesign in 57 when threaded barrels appeared. The 51/54 designs are through-body bridges and have a greater break angle than the top-loading 57 variant. Thanks Mark. I can appreciate that the tighter break angle makes the difference on through stringers. My touch, being relatively inexperienced as I am, can sometimes be a bit too heavy. From what @kevin_lindsay and yourself said I suppose string movement is only an issue for the inexperienced or heavy handed players if it occurs at all. It makes more sense to have the saddles staggered above all else so I'm really only nit-picking out of ignorance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) The final parts have been ordered: Neck (which will require fettling by myself. String retainer, nut blank, bridge plate, period correct wax / paper capacitor. I'v also bought a set of "through body" LaBella 1954 Jamerson strings for some old school "thump". The tuning heads arrived today - I bought a set of Gotoh "Resolite" ones to minimise headstock dive. One thing I really like about them compared to the usual vintage style tuners (aside from the 40% weight saving aspect) is the way that the underside of the facing plate is made to sit flush with the headstock with no alteration to the headstock. The usual Fender style heads have protruding retainer lugs on the underside. This means you have to create divots on the headstock to accommodate these bumps. The Gotoh units are a straightforward fit - ideal! Edited January 30, 2018 by kevin_lindsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Neck work is now underway- yippee!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Looking really good. Can't wait to see the finished bass. Get on with It! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) I'e now received l the hardware I need - just need to finish shaping and sanding the neck (cutting headstock and getting the tuner holes ready, and "rolling" the fingerboard edges for a played-in feel), then spray the nitrocellulose lacquer. It'l take a few weeks to properly settle, and then I can final sand and buff it. Edited February 10, 2018 by kevin_lindsay 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 I had ordered a set of LaBella 1954 "Jamerson" strings in the "through body" length. I'll decide whether to use those, or string the bass with DR Hi-Beams, once the instrument is complete. If I don't use the LaBella strings on this bass, I'll put them on my Shell Pink P-Bass. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 This looks lovely. Slightly off-topic...what is the white five-string in the pic above? The scratchplate is sex on toast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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