Replacement Saddles

[bryanlovesmusic]

I have been on this site for a while after I realized I wanted to purchase a Jazzmaster.  Now I have purchased that USED jazzmaster and... CRAP!
Problem #1 of possibly many to come:
The previous owner seems to have used "loctite" or some other type of mod method to secure the individual saddle height screws into place.  It worked too damn good and now I've stripped a perfectly good 0.050" allen key and I've stripped the saddle height allen key fittings themselves.

So now what do I do?
Went to guitar center in town and they didn't have anything even Jazzmaster/Jaguar related whatsoever for replacement (big surprise).

If there's some sort of way I don't know of to loosen the screws that would be great (although they're stripped now)
Or
most probably I'll have to do some replacing.

Does anyone know anything about the replacement saddles I've found on this page http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/saddles_jagjazz.htm?
Especially if you have experience or info on the two types of "graph tech" saddle replacement types.

Cheers

[mynameisjonas]

i think most people who have tried either of the graph techs have been very pleased with the results. haven´t heard anyone complain about them. i can´t say much about the difference of the two types, but i´m sure someone else will chime in on that. i´ve heard good things about both.

[Jay]

If you can get the saddles out of the bridge you may be able to grab the height screws from the underside and twist them loose with a small pair of pliers.

[i love sharin foo]

If you can get the saddles out of the bridge you may be able to grab the height screws from the underside and twist them loose with a small pair of pliers.

I would try this first too. If it works, then you will only need to replace the height screws instead of both them and the saddles. They should come out without breaking. Is it a Japanese bridge? or a USA model? Depending on origin, the screws will be a different pitch, so be careful when you buy new height screws. I think the USA saddles use SAE threads and the Japanese use metric. I'm not 100% sure though, I just know they aren't interchangeable.

Justin

[mezcalhead]

I had a set of the dark graphtech saddles which I tried briefly and quite liked. They do have a little side-to-side slippage though, and I really like the adjustable spacing on the standard saddles.

One of my friends really doesn't like the standard saddles and was getting a lot of string jumping, so I gave him the graphtechs before I had much more of a chance to play with them. I might get another set to experiment with though, they weren't bad.

[bryanlovesmusic]

I have an AVRI in response to above.  Also... I've tried taking off the saddle and removing the height screws with pliers but with no success.  I'm beginning to think maybe this particular saddle had slipped through quality control at the Fender plant rather than the loctite thing.  I think I'm going to go with the Tusq saddles from graphtech.  I'll let everyone know what I think when I get them and put them on.

[i love sharin foo]

I have an AVRI in response to above.  Also... I've tried taking off the saddle and removing the height screws with pliers but with no success. 

Have you tried clamping on a set of visegrips? I have had some that were rusted in place and either they will break or come out. Sometimes they have to be clamped REALLY tight to break free (or like I said, just plain break  ).

Justin

[bryanlovesmusic]

So I got the replacement saddles... some Tusq ones.  Just my luck there was a guy on craigslist selling them.

I replaced the saddles and Set up my action (took about 3 hours since it was my first time and I'm very particular).
So here's what I think:

Positives: There is more sustain I think a good thing, but therefore there is more jangle behind the bridge.  The sound through the pups has about the same qualities (maybe more low-end and a little less treble) but the character of the sound has changed slightly though still decidedly JMish.  The bass is more tight (think tweed=>blackface) and the treble is more...well... broad.  Less bite I guess.

Negatives:  The saddles were designed after mustang peices but with height screws so there is some gap between the individual saddles.

Overall: I'm happy about the saddles and I'm almost glad my original saddle broke

Cheers

[mezcalhead]

Positives: There is more sustain I think a good thing, but therefore there is more jangle behind the bridge.  The sound through the pups has about the same qualities (maybe more low-end and a little less treble) but the character of the sound has changed slightly though still decidedly JMish.  The bass is more tight (think tweed=>blackface) and the treble is more...well... broad.  Less bite I guess.

That's a great description of what I remember from my brief experiment with them. For me though that wasn't a benefit - my style of playing thrives when the JM sounds as Rickenbackerish as possible and I think the short sustain of JMs is part of what allows them to generate a giant wall of fuzz and still sound articulate.

Different strokes .. but if anyone likes the sound of what you described, graphtechs do just that.

[bryanlovesmusic]

Hmmm... I hadn't thought about high sustain situations such as multiple fuzzes.  Yet there isn't what I would call a high amount of sustain gain from the saddles.  Just a little bit of "bloom" on some notes that (to me) feels nice to play with.  I'll probably pick up a replacement saddle when I get the chance just in case I get a mood change.

Anyhow...

Thanks everybody for your advice.

-Bryan

[ohm-men]

I tried the white Graph tech saddles on my main JM for a while, very nice but a bit brighter then the stock saddels. My JM is bright enough as it is, so I swapped them again.
I know have them on my back up JM, which seams to benifit from them. they do infuence the overall tone of the guitar.
NO string slipage either wth the Graph tech saddles and they are height adjustable, which is a benefit over the mustang saddles. and also barrel shaped with a single groove.

Mustang saddels also do the trick for me, especially on Jaguars.