# Wilkinson 6 saddle Tele Bridge



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

In my "stuff" I found a Wilkinson vintage style Telecaster 6 saddle bridge. No idea where I got it or how long ago. 
I used it today, and I'm thinking it's a POS.
It's set up for either back loading or string thru body. I used string thru body, and as you can see by the picture, things don't line up worth a dam.









The holes where the strings come through the bridge are directly under the saddle adjustment screws, and while the string slots are off-set, there's a lot of side pull going on. 
I've had modern 6 saddle tele bridges before, but never a vintage style. Are they all like this? I'm not impressed.
If I can't convert this one to a 3 saddle setup, it's going in the garbage.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

That is just the ghost of Leo Fender reminding you that he got it right the first time, with 3 saddles.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

cboutilier said:


> That is just the ghost of Leo Fender reminding you that he got it right the first time, with 3 saddles.


and it's pretty obvious now why Leo only used 3 saddles.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

IMO these saddles are not for your bridge


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

After looking at this more, I realized I bought the same thing 5 months ago and yes it was crap. LOL I had put it on a Squier tele that I modded into an esquire and took it out as soon as I put on the strings. I was using the top loader holes for the string, so when I took it out I figured it probably is better on a string through but I guess its not either.


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Lincoln said:


> In my "stuff" I found a Wilkinson vintage style Telecaster 6 saddle bridge. No idea where I got it or how long ago.
> I used it today, and I'm thinking it's a POS.
> It's set up for either back loading or string thru body. I used string thru body, and as you can see by the picture, things don't line up worth a dam.
> View attachment 343555
> ...


I think someone has taken a 3 saddle bridge and stuck 6 saddles through the string through holes.

Nathan


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

Worst tele bridge _ever. _It's just a copy of the worst bridge Fender ever used. Because the string is wrapped around the side of the screw, it pulls in that direction and puts more pressure on one side of the saddle than the other. This causes the saddle to tilt and can even cause the adjustment screws to rattle.
This design is still used occasionally - which is a complete mystery to me.

Edit to add; Wilkinson makes really cheap hardware. The designs are sometimes quite good and if they are made by Gotoh, they are high quality. I use a couple of Wilkinson designed, Gotoh made strat trems. They're awesome.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

nnieman said:


> I think someone has taken a 3 saddle bridge and stuck 6 saddles through the string through holes.
> 
> Nathan


No, unfortunately, I bought it new and just how it is. This is straight out of the package. I couldn't believe it either. Wilkinson has always sold "ok" guitar parts. I put this up here as a warning to others.

I'll try some strat type bent saddles on it if there is enough side to side space to accommodate them,. If that doesn't work, this bridge is a total fail.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

And I looked at the 6 back string holes, which are off-set, thinking the bridge was just assembled wrong. But the offset for the string holes is in the wrong direction, and makes things even worse.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

I've used Wilkinson's 3 saddle bridge in the past and won't do it again...


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Are you sure you have the right string spacing? 54.5 vs 52.5 IIRC One is vintage spec one is modern. I had the same problem with a strat hardtail. Hipshot makes 2 sizes, but they call the bridge the same thing for both spacings.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Swervin55 said:


> I've used Wilkinson's 3 saddle bridge in the past and won't do it again...


I won't be buying any in the future either. Nice thick body material, good looking chrome job, but WTF????


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Why doesn;t your saddles have any grooves?


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I'm pretty sure you have a vintage spec bridge on a modern spec body


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

knight_yyz said:


> Are you sure you have the right string spacing? 54.5 vs 52.5 IIRC One is vintage spec one is modern. I had the same problem with a strat hardtail. Hipshot makes 2 sizes, but they call the bridge the same thing for both spacings.


I drilled the holes in the body using the same templates I've always used. This bridge lines up on those holes perfectly, everything is vintage spacing. The bridge is a POS.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

knight_yyz said:


> I'm pretty sure you have a vintage spec bridge on a modern spec body


Aren't the screw patterens different?


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

knight_yyz said:


> Why doesn;t your saddles have any grooves?
> 
> View attachment 343645


the saddles are grooved just like in the picture. Problem is, the string holes are directly below the saddle screws, not off-set as your picture shows. it's a fvckup, and not my fvckup either.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

cboutilier said:


> Aren't the screw patterens different?


yes, modern bridge is completely different mounting. One has the screws in front of the string holes, the other has them behind the string holes


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

5 tele bridges - all different. I didn't see that coming.











The bridge on the far right of the picture is a 6 saddle vintage drilled correctly. See how the saddle screws are offset from the string holes? This Wilkinson I'm b1tching about has the string holes and saddle holes lined up. It doesn't work.

The second bridge from the right, also a 6 saddle, has the string holes lined with the saddle holes. But it works because it uses strat type saddles where the string is allowed to pass right through the center of the saddle.


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## Silvertone (Oct 13, 2018)

Lincoln said:


> In my "stuff" I found a Wilkinson vintage style Telecaster 6 saddle bridge. No idea where I got it or how long ago.
> I used it today, and I'm thinking it's a POS.
> It's set up for either back loading or string thru body. I used string thru body, and as you can see by the picture, things don't line up worth a dam.
> View attachment 343555
> ...


I have the same one. I think I got it from Amazon. I put it on and quickly took it off. I guess using the non-string through holes may work better. I had another bridge so just used it.

Cheers Peter.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Silvertone said:


> I have the same one. I think I got it from Amazon. I put it on and quickly took it off. I guess using the non-string through holes may work better. I had another bridge so just used it.
> 
> Cheers Peter.


Yup, I found it in my amazon orders. I gave it a bad review.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Did you try rotating the barrels so the groove is in a better position?? Maybe the set screws are in the wrong way


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

knight_yyz said:


> Did you try rotating the barrels so the groove is in a better position?? Maybe the set screws are in the wrong way


Yeah, I tried every which way I could. The plate is drilled wrong. I took it off and put on a modern style bridge I had laying around.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I have a six saddle Tele bridge in a drawer somewhere. It was properly made and the strings lined up with the grooves in the saddles.

But, I removed it shortly after installing it simply because I found it just didn't feel like a Tele. It felt flimsy if that's the right word to describe it.

Since then I've used only compensated three saddle bridges.

They seem much, much better and depending on the bridge and the guitar you install them on, intonation is close enough.


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