Brass Saddles V. Steel - Can You Hear the Difference?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 кві 2021
- This week I take a look at the tonal comparisons between brass saddles and steel saddles on a Telecaster style guitar. This was a fairly simple modification that made a pretty big difference. Tell me how you thought it sounded with the new saddles!
Pretty cool and informative video!
Thanks man!
Thanks from Brazil!
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!
I agree with, and wholly endorse this comment😁👍
I actually prefer the sound of the steel saddles.
That's not a Tele sound, though
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
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.
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
Telecaster Chrome Bridge w/Compensated Brass Saddles & Cut-Down Sides for Fender Tele Guitar www.amazon.com/dp/B0866D8582/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_T73VYD7FENZ99FVYJ8Q0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks for playing with overdrive 👍
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?
That’s a good question! I definitely noticed a difference and I prefer it this way, though.
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…
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 didn’t do it for them, I did it for me :D
I find brass to be harsh and too bright, but richer in harmonics. However I settled on Titanium saddles.
Really!?! Titanium?! I have so many questions! Where do you get them? I know Titanium is super hard (from working at a machine shop), do you find you break strings a lot? Was it expensive?
@@MillerCustomGuitars nope. No string break ever. They are rounded where the string touches. They were $45 on aliexpress, a set of 6.
@@treishtrei Jeeze, seriously?
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.
I have not had much success finding replacement saddle adjustment screws. Just use the ones that come with the saddles.
@@MillerCustomGuitars yeah, I can't deal with the intonation issues with vintage saddles or the lip on the side. Condensated brass saddles seems like the way to go. I like the Gotah solid brass modern bridge. That is where you could get brass saddle blocks from. But the string spacing would have to match your bridge. Theirs are 2 1/8. Probably easier just to buy the whole bridge.
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.
the 3 saddles vs 6 saddles probably affects the tone more
Yeah probably. Especially since it’s really hard to get the intonation perfect on a 3-saddle bridge
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.
Steel is a little bit better
Braas one for me
7:00
You should have tested it with the same style saddles
Well, you may have a point but I used what I had at the time. However, honestly I think that the shape of the saddle wouldn’t make a difference to the sound. Maybe I’ll revisit in the future.
No sweat. You might be right.. I was just wondering
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 :-)
Miller’s unite! Unite against bad tone and poorly set up guitars!
100% agree about the note bloom, though.
Idk but I like the steel better at least on the bridge
That's fair. The extra brightness may be preferred for some.
Brass sounds smoother
You found my channel!!
The steel saddles sound better !
I personally don't think one is better than another, I think that they have different characteristics that may be preferred in different scenarios. I found the Steel to be brighter and the brass to be warmer, personally. In some situations you may want the warmth of the brass or the brightness of the steel. But thanks for watching!
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
Yeah those steel saddles where probably whatever was cheapest. Lol
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.
Thanks for the input. This was what I had at the time. If you watch my more recent videos you will see that I have a better way of micing both vocals and guitar amps now.
However, I think that, while what you are saying is true, I believe that you can hear the difference in the clips, which is the point. I hope you check out some of my other videos, like the Filtertron V PAF V Active pickups video, and you will see how much I’ve grown as a video maker in a year.
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.
I play how I play man. I play how I play.
@@MillerCustomGuitars Shure.
@@MillerCustomGuitars But we listen how we listen. And your video adresses itself to listeners.
Sounded good to me
I think action way to low. A note choke
We would hear the difference if you used an appropriate microphone
That's what I had at the time, man. I feel like even though the iphone mic you can tell a difference, though.
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 don’t think this would make a difference since the string doesn’t come in contact with those.
@@MillerCustomGuitars it makes a difference. Try it. I'm not being a know-it-all or anything... I have done this... it also makes a difference on aluminum with steel set screws. The steel deadens the natural vibrational (characteristics?) (Resonance?)... I can't think of which word would describe it. Lol. But the steel parts cancel out a lot of the brass or aluminum sound. You don't have to try it if you don't want to.
@@jedfiekel9809 Well, I don’t “think“ it would make a difference… But I haven’t actually tried it myself so I can’t actually say whether it would or not. So, I guess you could be right! Something to try sometime in the future, I guess.