Tone of Modern style bridge vs traditional

[Dave J]

So I have been off on a another project but am back to my 90's ASAT Classic with the modern bridge and would like to get some opinions on the modern 6 saddle bridge vs the traditional tele style. Has anyone replaced one with the other and can share the differences in tone? I recently played a Suhr Calssic T and I have to admit it fairly blew me away.
I think I am looking for more of a traditional Tele tone theses days and would like to either see about getting my ASAT set up more in that direction, or possibly selling it to buy a more traditional Tele. I love the feel of my ASAT neck, and the body is nice and light and resonant so if a pickup and bridge change could get me closer I'd be pretty happy as it would still be cheaper than shelling out $1800 for a Classic T. I love G&L and everything it stands for, but the sound in my head is pushing me towards a more Traditional direction. Thanks for any opinions !!

I did a search but didn't find anything specific to my question, sorry if this has been covered and I missed it.

[Fumble fingers]

if you love the guitar just change the pick ups and don't do anything non reversible just in case your taste in sound changes later ...... most of my G&L's have been bought because of the pick ups but I just changed out a bridge on my Fallout and love it even more now , my Fallout is one of a couple G&L's that leaves the house on a regular basis

[Craig]

I suggest updating the steel saddles to the current brass saddles.

See: Steel to Brass Saddles?.

They are available from G&L's On-Line Store. Here's the link to them: http://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/c ... at-classic.

Hope this helps.

[WitSok]

How a bot an ASAT Classic Alnico?

[NickHorne]

Indeed; the world is full of T-type back pickups to try!

As to the bridge itself, I have in fact replaced the G&L bridge on my Bluesboy semi with a Callaham unit. This was only done because I mis-marked with my centre-punch, when drilling for the string to fit a Hipshot B-bender, by a mere .015 thou or so, which just caused the teflon tube around the string to foul on the spring. It was not done for tone reasons. The G&L T-type bridge is a great piece of design, but it's all a close fit and my little error was not forgiven!
Point is, the change in sound was extremely marginal. I think I can detect a very slight lengthening of sustain, from the greater mass of the bridge on the semi body, plus just perhaps a little fattening of the back pup from the extra thickness of the steel of the Callaham.

Neither of these changes would have occurred if I had just replaced the G&L bridge with a regular 3-saddle T-type; mass would be unchanged, and steel unchanged (except more uncomfortable at the corners with the regular T).

Sound change will come from the pup. Callaham is a great substitute for a bridge that is thin, non-flat, or that won't intonate well. Quality is first-class (which is why I chose it, and then drilled a B-bender hole in it...) Any difference in tone in my case is so small as to be pretty much insignificant to me.

Perhaps the Duncan Jerry Donahue alnico unit? I loved mine in a Fender USA JD tele, just a shame the birdseye neck on that guitar was a bit rubbery and unstable. Much prefer my G&Ls!
Loads of options out there, different mags, pole staggers, winds.... all far more significant than the number of saddles.

Having said that, some Fender - style bridges with 6 saddles have brass plates, which is a different matter entirely; this will do the tone of that pup no favours at all. Having ferromagnetic steel around the pup is most important. But that's not an issue with the G&L T-type.

[Dave J]

Thanks for the responses. Just coming off a strat upgrade I was in the mode of thinking the saddles being the block type cast steel. I reckon the G&L block saddles are a bit better than the Fender block saddles on the quality front. My ASAT came to me used, and the original MFD bridge pup had been replaced with a Twang King. I like it, but don't love it and do not think it plays well with the MFD in the neck. I need to consider swapping out the pups I think.

[Craig]

Thanks for the responses. Just coming off a strat upgrade I was in the mode of thinking the saddles being the block type cast steel. I reckon the G&L block saddles are a bit better than the Fender block saddles on the quality front. My ASAT came to me used, and the original MFD bridge pup had been replaced with a Twang King. I like it, but don't love it and do not think it plays well with the MFD in the neck. I need to consider swapping out the pups I think.

You might check out this post: g&l asat classic vs alnico. And then use Search with the keywords "Classic +MFD +Alnico" to find other posts on this subject.

Hope this helps.

[Dave J]

It did, thanks! I forgot to use the "+" sign.
One more quick question. Looking in the G&L Store at the ASAT Classic bridge, is that the same hole pattern as the bridge on my '90s ASAT Classic? If it is an easy swap in I might consider it just for traditional aesthetics. Thanks again. BTW I have read some really good things about the G&L alnico ASAT Classic pups.

[Craig]

It did, thanks! I forgot to use the "+" sign.
One more quick question. Looking in the G&L Store at the ASAT Classic bridge, is that the same hole pattern as the bridge on my '90s ASAT Classic? If it is an easy swap in I might consider it just for traditional aesthetics. Thanks again. BTW I have read some really good things about the G&L alnico ASAT Classic pups.

Yes, the current ASAT Classic bridge should drop right in.
All of Paul Gagon's G&L pickups are excellent.

[Dave J]

Thanks for all the replies. I have decided not to sell my ASAT in pursuit of a more traditional tone. I will be replacing pickups, and also go with either a G&L traditional bridge or a Glendale/Callaham. I think my desires for a traditional Tele type sound will be met. It's just too nice of a guitar to let go. It's a 3 bolt neck design so it very well could have been made while Leo was still around.

[NickHorne]

Sounds like the answer, especially if you like the guitar.

I can't say I'm confident about Glendale's claims for stainless, though; I'd expect it to sound more shrill, if anything.
Good quality, ordinary ferromagnetic steel, like the Callaham and the other Glendales, is just great.

And (I'm sure you know this) don't over-crank the screws when refitting. Try to memorise how they felt when you took them out, and don't go tighter than that. Snug is good (the strings are holding it down too, quite hard!) but chimpanzee overtightening will distort any plate and then it'll never come flat again; it really does become just an ashtray.

[Dave J]

Thank you Nick! I will be very careful. I am not sure if I will go the Callaham / Glendale route or maybe just get the G&L trad bridge that is a right bit cheaper!