How Hardware Affects Tone - Ask Zac 44
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2020
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How do changing bridges, saddles, and perhaps even tuners affect your guitar's tone? Today I take that on, looking at vintage style 3-saddle bridges vs heavy brass 6-saddle bridges, what to expect going from steel to brass saddles, and what happens when you install die-cast tuners. I close the show with a nod to one of the great Telecaster players in Nashville, Bill Hullett. I was reminded of him recently after watching Fender's release video for the Brent Mason Telecaster, where Joe Glaser refers to Hullett as "Mr. Telecaster." I also begin the show by playing Bill's fantastic intro to Radney Foster's "Just Call Me Lonesome."
Link to the AskZac website with more info on Bill Hullett.
www.askzac.com/post/how-hardw...
Gear used in Video:
2019 Danocaster Blackguard (1953 Telecaster Style) with Ron Ellis 52T (Bridge) and Julian Lage (Neck)
danocaster.com/
Strings:
Ernie Ball 10,13,15,24,32,42
Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35 RB
Amp:
1967 Deluxe Reverb amp with Celestion V30 speaker
Effects used:
TC Polytune
Mirage compressor pedal
Boss DM-3
9v power via Truetone CS6 amzn.to/38S9rZK #askzac #guitartech #telecaster
"I could do a whole episode on pickups." Yes please! 😊 Thanks for another great episode Zac .
Cody Hudman yes Alnico 2 and 3, 5, windings strength
My wife can tell that I’ve changed the hardware on my Tele. The dishes are still dirty when she gets home.😇
Omg! are you my biographer or something?
Zac, you gotta make a "Clangy-Doinky" t-shirt, with an ashtray bridge on it!
You have a smooth, purposeful authority with words when sharing your stories! Easy Listening! Easy Learning! being educated while in a Recliner! Fantastic!
Thank you! 😃
That’s one of my favorite intros ever. You’re correct in that Bill is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
Zach if you want to come to church sometime I’ll bet Bill would let you touch the Nachocaster. Those Ron Ellis pups in it are sweet.
As always, thanks for another great show! I use a vintage Fender bridge with Wilkinson brass compensated saddles and Schaller tuners. I have Seymour Duncan quarter pound pickups in it with flat poles. I do use a treble bleed on the volume pot and a "V" neck on it.
Thanks for another great video. Lots of great information. I never knew who played the intro to Just Call Me Lonesome. I love that intro when a pick up a new Tele that’s almost always the first thing I play. There’s just something about it.
Great info, thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you Zac, I've been watching you now for a couple weeks and just subscribed. Honestly I like the way you explain things and your easy-going nature, you bring a good understanding to just exactly what's going on. It all makes sense on the technical level of materials, your way of explaining slowly and thoroughly is very easy to digest and grasp the overall concepts.
Awesome, thank you!
Bill H is a great guy! When I was younger, Dad and I used to meet up with the Hulletts at Guitar Shows in town. We once got to go to his studio and playing his original Nocaster. One of the coolest gear moments that I’ve ever had!
This was a very interesting episode! It’s great to be armed with the information of how these parts will change the sound of a guitar, and even how the weight of those parts make a difference, in addition to the design materials they are made from.
Thanks Jay!
Extremely informative video. As usual, you capture attention and are very generous with details. Thank you :)
Thank you very much!
Man I’ve learned a ton from your channel!!! Thanks for all you give!
My pleasure!
Good stuff Zac. Everyone is chasing tone and the tone and feel can be the difference between being creative, going to new worlds in music, and playing with inspiration. 😎
Great video Zac! I'm in the process of sourcing parts for a tele parts caster. There's a wealth of info here. Thanks!!!!
Glad I could help!
I had never thought about tuners affecting tone! It sure does make sense about mass vs harmonics. Another great episode, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks like my Tele has all the right parts. Thanks for bringing up Bill Hullett - just listened to his Two Lane Blacktop album the other day. Love your videos btw - always informative and entertaining.
Thank you
Ever since I subbed a few months ago and watched your truetone lounge interviews I have started listening to a lot of older country artists. When I enlisted a decade ago, I hated country but my army buddies got me into artists like Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Gary Allan and Eric Church. You have really opened up a rabbit hole for me with Merle Haggard and other classic artists and guitarists. I just wanted to thank you for all the content and I am super happy with my Ask Zac shirt!
Glad you are enjoying the Hag, and honored that you supported the show. Thank you!
Zac, I installed a Jay Montrose "Vintique" bridge, many years ago on my main Telecaster. It performs well to this day, with no complaints. If it's good enough for Danny Gatton, it's good enough for me. Keep up the great work!!.
Most interesting and knowledgeable ~ thanks Zac! I’ve often wondered about the resonances in the steel ashtray surrounding the pickup…
Glad it was helpful!
So, that's why I love your show: at 0:50, out of the blue, you mention an artist I had never heard of before, but know I will enjoy listening to, after a first listen on spotify. So often I come to your videos for one thing (hardware/tone) and get a ton of other wonderful information that I wasn't expecting at all.
Thank you very much, Zac!
Cool!
Thanks a bunch Zac, this was the episode I really needed. I have a 1970 Fender Telecaster, with a 1972 Fender Bridge Pickup, and a Fender Custom Shop Neck Pickup. The guitar also has replaced Brass Compensated Saddles. My problem is that the bridge pickup turned all the way up sounds harsh and unmusical. I have played other vintage tele’s with the volume all the way up, and they sounded great. I thought maybe it’s the brass saddles, but, watching this episode leases me to believe I should either have the bridge pick up rewound, or replaced. Cheers
I knew I knew that lick at the beginning. I was just playing Just Call Me Lonesome yesterday - one of my favorite tunes!
Everything with you is master class.
Great episode. And yes, your description of hardware and how it effects tone is spot on (from my experience).
I'd be very curious to hear your take on different woods and how they affect the Telecaster's tone.
I own only a pair of Telecasters, one with a Pine Body and Maple neck/fretboard and another that is 100% Rosewood construction.
While each has very different tonal/voicing profile they both are easily recognizable as being Telecasters when listening to them being played.
Thanks Zac, great content here.
I'll do one on woods soon
Thanks again Zac! Questions answered
Thanks for the shoutout our Offset Compensated saddles. I’ve been a tele player for a long time and put a lot of time in designing those saddles to fix issues I was running into with other saddles on the market. Great video, very informative and thorough!
Which saddles did you design?
Ask Zac The saddles for Advanced Plating which Philadelphia Luthier sells.
As ever Zac, well presented - interesting and educational
Thanks Bob!
I'd love a show on Nashville teles and middle pickup options.
I always think Nashville teles miss a 4 pole selector. A 4 pole switch opens up the strat factor, and allows the middle selection to be kept as the tele neck and bridge pickups together
James Burton uses one of those six-saddle type bridges on his Paisley! I considered putting one on the Allparts pink Paisley i built as i am a huge James Burton/Elvis fan. I ended up going with the ashtray as i just couldn't force myself to enjoy the look of the six saddle type. I just love the vintage look of the ashtray!
Great episode Zac, greetings from Australia.
I wish you were my nextdoor neighbor. Thank you for all these videos; they are very well done and it's just you talking to us all sharing what you know and love.
Wow, thank you
Another excellent episode Zac... and fun. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks again!
I'm learning things i didnt know that i didnt know. Very informative.
I remember being shocked by the weight change I felt when I installed some modern style tuners on a neck for a project guitar. I'd been working on and handling the neck without tuners for several days. The heft that tuners like these have could very well be a tone factor.
I put an Australian tiger maple neck on my tele and it greatly changed the tone . It became very creamy tone rather than that trebley twangy tone . I have to say I really like what the new neck did for my tone . I have a modern bridge , Fender locking tuners ( they are quite heavy )and Fender SCN pickups. It's a great sounding guitar that can twang or rock with a Les Paul growl . Cheers Zac
Cool video for all of us Tone Experimenting Madmen! Greetings from Oregon.
It is a great lick! I miss that 90's country sound on the radio these days.
I really love t styles. Love your programme really helps 😎
Great analysis!
Just call me lonesome. Nice intro. Radney Foster. One of my favorites.
I'm using the Sire T7. It's my first Tele. It came with brass saddles, flat pole pieces on the bridge and the ashtray. I really like this guitar. It was set high out of the box and I just left it that way because it plays well.
I use a Joe Barden bridge on one of my telecasters and I completely agree, it does split the difference. I also run a set of lindy frailin’s that same one!
very interresting..i use top load brigde with brass saddles and ashtray cover..and a lefty metal bridge . gonna try the turners with some fender schaller
Wonderful episode, Zac, glad RUclips put it in front of me. I finally found myself wanting an instrument but being unable to afford it, so getting one that feels great but doesn't have quite the sound - not growly enough ... so now I am thinking, do I need to modify it? Am I now ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE???! lol
I have the same hardware preferences as you, Zac- lightweight tuning machines and bridges, saddle material to taste. There is a ton of minutiae in saddle metals (as you almost surely know). Fun stuff!
Good stuff today Zach!!
Great show. Plink,plonk, doing, flank and flink etc. I have this picture in my mind that the Tele is the child of the banjo.
Guitar geeking at its finest! Thank you Zac!
Love going back to old episodes. Different days really affect my tone.I have a Tele Deluxe with two TV Jones Filtertrons and it really blisters on rainy days .Maybe all in my head but I spent the whole day playing it and it was awesome 👌 Love this channel Like to hear your thoughts on dual humbucker Telecasters. I love mine it really rings out.Also have a Seafoam Green one USA 2003 with a Nashville setup and a Hipshot Bender.Think I'll go Play it now...
Going to do a dual hum Tele episode soon.
I've got 1 tele and I'm always going back and forth between the Gotoh and the 3 saddle ashtray. I like them both for different reasons.
Another cracking episode! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks Zac, great info. Will you be covering anything on string thru body vs ball end on the bridge, string tension and tone differences. Thanks again, also got to check out Pete Anderson whom I didn’t know about.
As you know, I'm just getting my feet wet with the experience of the Tele--I recently did a partscaster Tele with a Joe Barden bridge (with compensated brass saddles), and I'm in love with it. I feel like I'm at the apex of a possible deep dive into the tonal possibilities of Teles. All of a sudden I want to do a Tele with a rosewood neck, a Fender bridge, and notched steel saddles. It's in fact a sickness, but in a good way.
Great video. I'm a bass player mainly so I just bought a cheap chinese Tele. I'm not good enough on guitar to gig with it but I enjoy playing it. I don't have the ears for all the nuances. This is video is helping me a lot.
Great episode Zac. You're absolutely right. Hardware can change a guitars sound in a way that a different speaker can affect an amps tone. Of course tone is subjective but if you want a true tele tone you need less heavy hardware and a 3 saddle bridge. I prefer the 50's tone with brass saddles and flat pole piece pickups. However I like other tones too. Which is why I'm a guitar addict I guess. It's amazing though how many great legendary guitar players achieved their tone from their guitars and don't have any real technical knowledge of how to achieve it. They just know what they want and great tech guys do the work to achieve their dream tone.
Dang, another great vid from ZAC...........I'm now loving my Tele even more ;-))
Great Jac. Im gonna make a bridge out of copper to match my pick guard and control panel. See how that sounds.
Also, stewmac came out with a heavy steel plate/compensated 3 barrel brass saddle bridge for tele. If you’ve played a suhr tele, they have this bridge on them. Sam ash in Hendersonville has a suhr in stock right now. One of the best guitars I’ve ever played.
The brass saddles have a screw in the middle to lock the saddle in place as well, so your intonation won’t go out.
Great info, wisdom and knowledge
Much appreciated
Thank you Zac!
The beginning of that just call me Lonesome riff reminded me of Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn's sweet thang.
I think the concept of choosing the fundamental vs harmonics is a deep well and understanding that balance can help people better make their tonal choices.
Yes
Good info!
One word. Callaham. You’re good to go, just ask Joe G.
I used the vintage style for many years with brass saddles, but I really like the vintage Rutters bridge! Just what I want to hear. Im a Strat guy so I like Broadcaster saddles (cold rolled steel), Rutters bridge, vintage tuners and A3 flat pole pickups in the bridge (no real preference on 43 or 42 wire) and a5 in the neck with nickel silver cover. 4 way switch. Swamp Ash and Maple!
I came up playing a '67 maple cap tele with the steel saddles. Very bright guitar bordering on microphonic. I had a full sized 60s gibson humbucker in the neck. That guitar got me through until I picked up a '55 tele at We Buy on W. 48th st. That guitar had a flat pole piece bridge pickup. Eventually it had Schaller machine heads and a Schecter bridge (and for a little while Schecter pickups and a brass pickguard) and mostly I used that guitar in the pit of Grease, as old tele's were the best guitars for that gig. I used a strat for session work (mostly). In NYC you kind of brought what you could shove in a cab. I also installed a humbucker in that tele, and flattened the neck and put in wide jumbo frets. Used it on fusion gigs and recordings as well. NYC was a real tele town in the 70s.
Cornell Dupree and Mike Stern
@@AskZac Joe Beck, Steve Kahn, Jack Cavari, Bob Rose, Cliff Morris, all busy guys in the 70s. A really popular mod was a mini humbucker in the neck.
100% agree on Tele hardware. I’ve done the exact same hardware swap with every Tele I’ve had for the past 10 years. Vintage ashtray + Kluson tuner + brass = Love. And I couldn’t agree more on “Just Call Me Lonesome”. Fantastic Zac!
Thanks, Harley!
So much good information in these videos! I'm having a tele built for me right now by Kraig Phillips in Columbus Ohio. His whole goal is light light light keep it light. The body he found for me is -4 lbs
I originally wanted 22 frets, locking tuners, he said no trust me you won't be missing the extra fret, and the classic tuners are light and period correct. You're making me really consider the individual saddles tho like Brent mason
Thinking of building a Tele guitar...? All these conversations are really amazing! Your tip of having the neck not hooked into the tone seems like a good one? Had a ‘66 Tele that could have benefited from that mod.
Please cover tone woods!
Will do
Such a cool episode. I actually have one of those 1982 Fender STRAT's. It is crazy heavy (but not uncomfortable) and has a big, brass, electroplated gold bridge/trem - with a big brass block.. In fact, all of the hardware is gold plated. It is an unusually great Fender that as from the CBS era. It has a bridge pickup called X-1 which is a bit hot. Anyway, to your point, there is a compression - and a hugeness about this one. While I am at it, it had odd wiring that allows for using bridge and neck together like a tele (in series?) and all 3 in series. There are two parallel settings (bridge/middle & neck middle). These are very humbucker but almost too dark for practical use. I have heard the Isley Brothers had one - and I have seen the Walnut one in old Tears for Fears footage. Last, John Lennon's Imagine has him pictured with the candy apple red one. I have read that it was going to be a Lennon signature guitar, but that was not to be as he was killed soon after. Anyway, that Buck Owens Tele had a similarly made brass bridge.
Hey Zac ! Just hearing about hurricane coming your way. Please stay safe X
When I heard that intro lick I immediately knew I was familiar with it and was trying to figure out which classic Dwight Yoakam song it was and then you said Pete Anderson thought it was him, lol.
Looking forward to the pickups episode. From what I understand, some of the early Blackguards have the 43 ga wire. I recently tried a Alnico III 43 gauge wind and it's quite a bit different sounding. I wonder if that's what was in Mr. Hullett's blackguard.
I use a BABICZ full contact bridge with a tall boy Reo Grand pup, I enjoy it, tried 3 different Bridges and keep going back to the BABICZ. I don't use a tele neck pup but a strat neck pup. Sounds and plays great to my ears. 09 Americano special, ripped out the Texas specials. left the grease pot but added a different cap, don't remember the value. But wow is all I can say. What a great sound
Good stuff!
I knew Bill Hullett when we were both playing in the San Jose area in Northern California, before either of us went to Nashville. He’s a great guy and a terrific guitar player. I haven’t seen him in years. If you see him, tell him I said Hey!
Love the channel Zac!! Maybe one day on the TrueTone Lounge you could interview Jimmy Olander?
Great episode again Zac. It's interesting how Fender have moved away from ashtray plates to ones with no sides. I wonder if this was tonally motivated at all or purely for playing comfort? I know Jim Campilongo who has a 59 top loader Tele likes these sideless bridge plates. Also I was reading recently about how Ted Greene was asked by Fender to work with them back in the 80s when they were looking to design their 52 reissue as he had quite a collection of 50s teles and esquires. His favourite had quite an interesting pickup configuration. Looking forward to your woods episode.
The lack of sides is for comfort
I was thinking about it and you mentioned it; do an episode on pick ups. Do any of your guitars have humbuckers in them? I have a traditional style parts caster and I’m thinking about replacing my Les Paul with another tele style but equipped with humbuckers. Love your shows
I wish I had a Tele with buckers
My brass-saddled, flat-bridge poled Tele (Original 50s with stock Pure Vintage 52s) sounds pretty mellow, and the neck pickup gives me something like the rolled-off Jeff Buckley-ish sound that I was looking for. Very surprised to learn about the effect of tuners & general mass on harmonics vs. fundamental - one of the things I like best about mine is its ability to get long, airy sustains, with just enough compression to make it sizzle and gorgeous harmonic feedback that never turns to noise. Maybe reducing my tuner size will bring out even more of that. Great clip, I'll watch the pickup and wood episodes too
A sound comparison would be nice. Im in the Gotah solid brass bridge and fender locking tuners camp. Grew up playing a 83 telecaster, so I am used to the mass. Like to build what I call vintage ultra parts Teles. Cause I like slightly hot vintage output pups, nitro finish, CTS pots, vintage tone wood and color schemes. No body contours or contoured heel (though that could be a way to compensate for the extra mass) after that it is ultra modern, locking tuners, solid brass bridges, tall narrow frets, compound radius, c shape necks, copper shielding, twisted light gauge modern wire, orange drop capacitors. Suppose your are right. Just a Tele with some umf and a faster feel. But still has some of that Tele twang and vintage sound? Probably in the Keith Richards camp. Maybe a little smoother sounding.
Sounds like I'm on the right track with my Esquire project. Ashtray bridge, brass saddles and a Twang King pu. I remember going to Bill Anderson's City lights show at the high school here in Commerce back in the 90s. There was a young man there that could tear up a Tele. I said " I don't know who this Brad Paisley kid is but he's good."
So what I heard was I need another Esquire I’m sensing Baskin Robbins syndrome, 31 flavors 😂 enjoyed this. !
I used a shorty ashtray bridge on my current build No pick blocks or metal surround on the pup
I believe everything you say! 100%😉👍🏻
Thanks!
My money maker...blonde nitro refin Highway 1 body, Warmoth rosewood compound radius neck (birdseyes, nitro), kluson -style "slotted" tuners, Fender vintage bridge with three brass Wilkinson compensated saddles (no notches), black single ply guard, Earvana compensated nut and....Lace pickups. When we built it this tele had a Wilkinson 6 saddle vintage bridge, soon changed to the Gotoh unit you have there. Then the brass saddles on the Fender vintage bridge...the guitar came alive!
Some of the Gotoh bridges have the brass plate with steel saddles that look the same, and they sound really nice.
one thing you might want to add and explore.......and I saw this published a few years back in a guitar magazine......though I can't remember if it was Vintage Guitar or not......BUT it is to take the bridge and plain it on a flat surface and emery cloth. This eliminates any stamping or casting flaws so the surface becomes perfectly flat which couples the material to the body better for transference when its fastened down snug and tight to the wood......no micro voids. I run a Broadcaster/NoCaster clone with a heavy ash body but not set up with the electronics for the "blend" setup peculiar to the early ones. I opt'd for the conventional 3 way with the basic combined in the mid position. AND the baseball bat neck.......
Bill Crook does that
I have a MIM Standard that I got new in the late '90s. Swapped the stock bridge for a vintage one in 2011 or so and instantly noticed an "openness" and never went back, but I enjoy your viewpoint on the modern bridge (which apparently is still newer than me :P).
People from Tennessee have the most understated charm...I can't get enough of it.
“Telecaster” what a great guitar.
I love my tele. It’s a 87 mij squier with Joe Barden pickups. It’s the one that would be with me on a deserted island.
Please do a telecaster pickup video.
As always, great video.
I love Joe Barden pickups they make a tele punch above its weight for sure. I have an 87 Squire Strat made in Korea and it's a beast
caleshtcincredibles: those old 80’s squiers are so good. Cheers
Very cool episode Zac, I really enjoyed it. I first heard about the tuners having an impact on tone from my friend who is a luthier and guitar builder. I had him refret my Silvertone Bobkat and had asked him to replace the tuners. He advised me against it and I'm glad I listened... who knows how much of the guitar's mojo I would have lost if I had put some modern tuners on there? My wife calls that one "The Magic Guitar" because it has so much character and vibe. You just strum a chord and the whole thing resonates.
Here is food for thought......and I'll be expecting royalties, since the tele bridge pieces are essentially brass cylinders......you can find some steel tubing that they would fit into so you have a steel sheath around the brass for the best of both worlds. You would really only need a piece that fits between the height adjustment screws and drill the hole for the main screw for intonation so there is clearance. If the sleeve happens to be an odd size that is slightly too large/small, you can cut a slot in it and position the slot at the bottom when fixing it over the brass before drilling the hole. This would just be a sleeve over the brass, but if you would want a more solid coupling....you could sweat solder the 2 together like a plumbing joint. As for tubing, you can find it at a hobby shop or you can use brake line for cars
I love a good doinky quality.
Exchanging necks n all tht crazy stuff , just sounds like an aveage guitar player where im from . And tht vid on pups , yeah do tht 1 . Love the channel .
You sound like my kind of cat
The Gotoh 'in tune' saddles are nice. They make them in brass and titanium.
nice video man, thanks :)
Glad it helped
Bill is just the best!!
I have a tele with 6 saddle bridge it does ok but I have previously played teles with a three saddle bridge, and that one had more treble (I would refer it to more like a "zing", and a bit more snarl rather than a doink). I noticed it would sound a bit more syrup-y in the middle position too (Though I can still get one with a six saddle). It also sounded more phase-y sounding in the middle position too (now THIS I can't get on my six saddle). Also very bell-like sounding in the middle position. (To some agreed I can get it with the six saddle design but it's still doesn't sound clear enough than the three saddle design). It too also had vintage styled tuners compared to the modern one on my current tele. The pickups were alnico and were lower wounded than the stock pickups in my tele (which I replaced with brighter sounding pickups. The stock pickups had too much low end for me). This change was a night and day difference!
So even with updated pickups I still wasn't able to get a satisfying live-y sound from it unlike I got it from the other tele that had the three saddle bridge design and vintage-styled tuners. So you have inspired me to replace the bridge on my current tele with a three saddle one. You have also inspired me to replace the tuners on my current tele with the Kluson tuners! I want my zing, snarl, bell-like, and phase-y sounds back!
Thank you for this video. You did a awesome job in explaining the details about how hardware does affect the tone but you also went to further detail about pickups too. Which you also gave great advice on as well! Keep up the great work!!
I love bigger steel saddles on a tele. Especially with a hotter Broadcaster style bridge pickup.
I like the sound of the old 70's mighty mite brass keyhole saddles. You used to be able to get surplus ones for cheap. Now you can get them from armadillo guitars