One of my clients recently brought me a fascinating guitar to work on (Fig. 1). It's a 1993 Japanese custom-shop Fender Telecaster that screams “1962-Tele-meets-Nascar." This Tele is in excellent condition and plays great, but not in tune. The bridge has three vintage-style, straight-bar saddles. Unfortunately, these saddles will never intonate properly (and they never did back in the day), so I need to find a way to fix this intonation issue that doesn't involve replacing the entire bridge.
Fortunately, several vendors make "tilt-compensated" saddles that are perfect for this Tele. (Searching eBay or visiting websites for custom part-makers like Joe Barden or Callaham Guitars, or going to vendors like stewmac.com and allparts.com will yield a number of options for tilt-compensated saddles.) Let's see what's involved with retrofitting a Tele with this type of saddle.
Project overview.
With its cool custom paint job, this 1962 reissue looks sharp. But by today's standards, a Tele is simply not gig-worthy if you can't intonate it.
Here's the problem:
Fig. 2: This guitar came from the factory with period-correct straight-bar saddles. Unfortunately, such saddles are impossible to intonate accurately.
Two strings share each of the three straight-bar bridge saddles (Fig. 2). If you correctly intonate one of the strings in each of the pairs, this puts the other string way out of tune. The end result? Three strings are intonated and three aren't. Typically, the best-case scenario is to average the two strings on each saddle, but the strings are always more out of tune than with a correctly adjusted 6-saddle Tele bridge.
Fig. 3: These brass "tilt-compensated" saddles offer improved intonation while preserving the characteristic tone of a three-saddle Tele.
But many Tele freaks prefer the tone of a classic 3-saddle bridge (why it sounds different from the 6-saddle bridge is another discussion), so rather than replace the entire assembly, enterprising players developed the tilt-compensated scheme (Fig. 3). This allows for accurate intonation without losing the snap and twang of a classic 3-saddle bridge.
If you have a guitar with a 3-saddle bridge, you can replace the straight-bar saddles with a tilt-compensated set and have the best of both worlds. It sounds simple, right? Hey, let's just swap out a few saddles. Believe it or not, there's a lot more to it.
Getting started.
Before doing any work on a guitar, it's important to take measurements. These will help you determine if you need to make any necessary setup adjustments to the guitar you're about to modify.
After tuning the guitar to pitch, I always check three crucial things:
- The action at the 12th fret.
- The amount of relief in the neck.
- The action at the string nut.
In this case, all the measurements looked spot on. Moving from the 1st to 6th string, the 12th-fret action measured 3/64" x 4/64". The neck relief was .012" and the action at the 1st fret was 1/64" x 2/64", again moving from the 1st to 6th string. [To review the setup process for an electric guitar, see How to Set Up a Fender Stratocaster. The same basic principles apply for setting up a Telecaster.]
After taking these measurements, remove the strings and the bridge saddles. Once the saddles are off, compare them to the new tilt-compensated saddles to see if the height of the new saddles will match up.
On this Tele, the new saddles appeared to be a little taller for the two E strings—strings 1 and 6—but otherwise they matched the height of the old saddles. So I installed the new saddles and tuned the Tele to pitch, and once again took the above three measurements.
Fig. 4: With the tilt-compensated saddle, the 6th string sits too high on this guitar, even with the height-adjustment screw backed out all the way.
Overall, the action was pretty close, but the two E strings were just a little too high (about 1/64" too high), even with the height adjustment screws backed all the way out for both E strings (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5).
Fig. 5: Like the 6th string, the 1st string sits too high.
There is only one cure for this—remove the offending saddles and mill them down underneath.
Milling the saddles.
Fig. 6: When a barrel saddle sits too high in the bridge assembly, you need to remove some material from its underside. Here the saddle sits in a vise, protected by leather pads. Once it's secured, you can scribe a guideline in the end of the saddle to indicate how much brass (in this case, 1/32") needs to be milled away from the bottom.
I determined the saddles needed to be lowered 1/32" below the 1st and 6th strings. Removing this much will allow for additional adjustment in the event my client wants to lower the action more than 1/64".
I put the saddle in a vice that's equipped with leather pads on the jaws to prevent the saddle from being scratched. Then I measured 1/32" from the bottom of the saddle, and used a scribe to mark this distance. This mark tells me how far to mill the saddle (Fig. 6).
You can mill a saddle by hand on a flat surface using 80-grit sandpaper or alternatively on a belt sander or grinder. If you opt for a belt sander or a grinder, be extremely careful. All it takes is one slip and the saddle is ruined. At best, if the saddle slips out of your fingers, it will launch across the room.
Fig. 7: A saddle in the process of being milled on a flat surface that's covered with self-adhesive, 80-grit sandpaper.
That's why I prefer to do this job by hand on a flat surface. It takes a lot longer this way, but you have much more control over the saddle, and to me, that's worth it. Fig. 7 shows the underside of a saddle in the process of being milled on a flat surface.
With saddles milled, the next step is to install them and tune the guitar to pitch. With the new saddles installed, the action looked great. Now the process of adjusting the string spacing begins.
Adjusting string spacing.
Fig. 8: Measuring the distance between the 1st string and fretboard edge.
Spacing the strings is rather tedious, but it's critical for playability. On the new tilt-compensated saddles, the strings sit on a rounded surface. To prevent the strings from sliding sideways, you need to file grooves into the saddles—one groove for each string. In addition to holding the strings securely, these grooves also ensure proper and consistent spacing.
Measure approximately 1/8" from each side of the fretboard at the last fret—this will be the starting point. Once you have the outside edges of the two E strings evenly spaced from the fretboard sides, make a small groove in the saddles to hold the strings in place.
To match the grooves to their respective string gauges, I use a string nut file. (These special gauged files are available in sets or individually from luthier supply shops.)
Fig. 9: Measuring string-to-string spacing.
Next, move each of the remaining four strings to their proper spacing. The goal is to have them an equal distance apart, measuring from the outside edge of each string. Use a precision metal ruler to check your spacing (Fig. 9).
Fig. 10: Filing the string grooves with a nut-slotting file.
Once I have the spacing correctly set, I file a small groove under each string (Fig. 10). The spacing for this particular bridge is approximately 13/32" from string to string. Of course this will vary, depending on the width of your guitar's fretboard. To ensure proper spacing, always measure several times before you file the grooves.
Remember: When filing the grooves for each string, make sure you use the properly sized file. If the file is too small, the strings will bind in the grooves, causing tuning issues. But if the grooves are too large, the strings can rattle in the grooves. Also make sure each groove follows the proper angle for each string as it comes out of the bridge plate.
Adjusting the intonation.
Once the string spacing is correct and you've filed the string grooves, it's time to adjust the intonation—the point of this whole project. Adjusting intonation requires several things: a precise tuner (a strobe tuner is preferable), a screwdriver, and a lot of patience!
Fig. 11: Adjusting intonation takes a very accurate tuner and a lot of patience.
Start by tuning the guitar to pitch. Then, one string at a time, compare the 12th-fret harmonic to the fretted note at the 12th fret. The harmonic is your reference tone. When comparing the two, if the fretted note is sharp, tighten the intonation screw located at the back of the bridge assembly (Fig. 11). This moves the saddle backward. If the fretted note is flat, loosen the intonation screw to move the saddle forward.
Always retune after each adjustment and then check intonation for accuracy. The goal is to match these two tones so they're perfectly in tune … to a certain extent. I've found this process works great for the low E, A, D, and high E strings (the 6th, 5th, 4th, and 1st). For the G and B (3rd and 2nd) strings, I use a tempering method so those strings will sound more in tune with the rest of the strings. I intonate the B string approximately 1 cent sharp at the 12th fret and set the G string approximately 2 cents sharp at the 12th fret. The end result produces slower "beating" or oscillation between the notes when you play a chord, making the guitar sound more in tune. This temperament "fudging" can vary from one guitar to another, and many techs, luthiers, and players have developed their own particular tempering scheme.
Note: A cent is 1/100th of a semitone or half-step, so you see why a precision tuner is necessary for adjusting intonation. If you don't have an accurate strobe tuner—one that can give you a 1/100th cent reading—it's best to simply intonate each string to match the 12th-fret harmonic.
That's it for now. See you next time for another adventure in DIY guitar maintenance.
[Updated 10/22/21]
StewMac International House of Overdrive Pedal Kit, With Bare Enclosure
The IHOO is based on the Crowther Hot Cake, an overdrive that became available around 1976. It was one of the earliest hand-made boutique effects pedals available. The circuit was designed to be what is now referred to as a “transparent” overdrive. An effect that enhances the player's sound while keeping the original tone intact.
This circuit has undergone many changes since its inception, and we have further expanded on the design by returning to an earlier version most revered by players and removing the buffer, which resulted in a reworked circuit that is true bypass but still retains the charm of the design.
We also include the original LM741 IC chip found in the originals, as well as the TL071 that is found in later versions so you can experiment with which IC best suits your playing style.
Neil’s brother-in-law Billy’s Ovation, before Neil’s repairs.
Reader: Neil Crump
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Guitar: King of the Road
My brother-in-law passed away in March. He was a talented keyboardist and, in his heyday, played in bands that toured internationally. As a musician, he naturally had a guitar—a 1974 Ovation—and a “friend” put an unauthorized abstract paint job on it. That guitar had an extremely hard life: Its top was broken and the frets were completely worn out. As an aspiring luthier, I took the guitar to repair it then pass it on to his daughter. This proved to be a challenging task as I had never done anything more complicated than a basic setup before and I had few luthier tools.
A heat gun and thin spatula knife worked fine to remove the top and the bridge. I did my best to glue the new top halves together—but that left a visible seam, so I put a herringbone center strip over it (to match the purfling I would install later). I had no radius board, so I just clamped the pre-radiused braces I bought and was quite pleased that the new top did have a radius! Once I felt the bridge was sanded perfectly, I glued it down. I then replaced the plastic nut and saddle with bone. A hot soldering iron got the old frets out without damaging the fingerboard. (That said, next time I will clean those slots out better before installing new frets!)
“This proved to be a challenging task as I had never done anything more complicated than a basic setup before and I had few luthier tools.”
I was happy with my progress until I started routing the purfling channel. I had no workbench, and the concave Ovation body made things a bit awkward. While basically “bear hugging” the body with one arm and holding the router with the other, I heard a faint “pop.” The edge of an X-brace had come loose. I was able to squirt glue into the void with a syringe, but the concave guitar body made a brace jack useless (without fabricating a complicated caul). I removed the phono jack and jammed a pencil into the brace, keeping pressure on it with a rubber band. It worked!
Neil gave the Ovation a new lease on life with his extensive repairs, the end result of which can be seen here.
I also learned the importance of channel depth with purfling—I did lots of scraping to get everything flush. I am pleased with the finished product and my niece is so happy! I also put a new label inside the guitar body, with a dedication to her father on it.
Overall, there are multiple wins on this project. I gave tribute to my brother-in-law, made his daughter happy, and learned enough to build a guitar from scratch.
Two horns? It must be a Bison!
It makes me think about an old childhood friend who lived up the street from me. Jerry and his parents lived in an old house on their grandparents’ large plot of land. On one part of the land there was an old orchard filled with all types of fruit trees and pines, and I remember how we would climb to the top of the pines and just roll ourselves down the side, Revenant style! If you fell the right way, the branches would kind of gently let you down to the next, but if you hit it wrong and got in between the branches, you’d be wrecked. It’s like we enjoyed getting hurt, and, of course, when you’re young, you can snap right back. Ah, the days when pain really didn’t hurt. Now I wake up with injuries, for real.
“The action was way high and the fret ends were sharp. It was basically a painful affair.”
So why am I talking about my click-and-stick movie and stupid childhood escapades? Well, let’s get back to memories of my old friend Jerry. First, the house he lived in was so old that it had real wooden siding, but it hadn’t been painted in forever so the exterior took on a worn, faded, haunted house vibe. Second, his carpet was so tattered that it was being held together with duct tape. Lastly, I remember his dad had a cool, old electric guitar in the living room. His dad would let me play it sometimes, and I remember that it actually hurt to play! The action was way high and the fret ends were sharp. It was basically a painful affair. Not falling-out-of-a-tree painful, but as bad as it comes with guitars. It had the label “Conrad,” and young Frank didn’t realize that he’d be looking for that guitar again one day. I mean, it did have four pickups and lots of knobs and switches!
Made at the old Japanese Matsumoko factory in the ’60s, this Conrad Bison 1233 has four pickups and a 27" scale.
Years later, I would discover that his was a Conrad Bison guitar. The model came in a few different configurations, but the four-pickup design was designated as the 1233. Primarily featuring a lovely sunburst, these Bisons were made at the amazing old Matsumoku factory in Japan and were imported by the David Wexler Company that was based in Chicago. Matsumoku always had a good supply of aged wood, and many of the guitars made there are resonant and built well. The Bisons first appeared around 1966 and had a rather good run into the early ’70s.
Simple volume/tone knobs are paired with preset solo/rhythm switches that power alnico magnets. There’s an on/off switch for each pickup, and the sound really covers all the bases. Thumpy lows and crisp highs are all there. And, the pickups handle fuzz and distortion with ease. The Bisons also came in one- and two-pickup configurations with a normal scale, but the four-pickup ones have a longer, 27" scale, which is common for Matsumoku-made electrics.
So there it is: pain, survival, American frontier, Bison, haunted houses. It all sticks together like a duct-taped carpet. Click and stick, baby!