ghost FAQ: Saddles

For my model of Strat, do I need narrow (import) or wide (vintage) saddles?

The critical measurement is the distance between the high-E and low-E strings, taken at the saddles (where the strings bend and drop into the bridge). This should fall somewhere between 2-1/16" (52mm) and 2-3/16" (56mm). Order the part that is closest to what you measure; it doesn't have to be exactly the same number to work properly. If in doubt, get the narrower saddles, as these will definitely work, but may have small (1/40") spaces between the saddles. This will not affect the sound or playability.

I would like to fit an acoustic pickup to a guitar that's not listed on your Web site. How do I find out which of your products might fit?

We try our best to accommodate musicians that are on the leading edge of the ghost system's possibilities. You may be able to find a ghost saddle that's compatible with your instrument, even if that instrument isn't listed on our Web site. We make over 300 products!

There are dimensions listed for each product, so you can measure your saddles and compare to the saddles we are currently manufacturing. The composite material that ghost saddles are made from is easily filed, sanded, or shaped, so your luthier may be able to adapt one of our saddles to your particular needs.

If you can't find a suitable match, contact us for assistance. We may be able to suggest something, or have a product that doesn't appear on the Web site.  You can reach us at: sales@graphtech.com

If you see a saddle on our Web site that will meet your needs, but is sold as part of a set, contact us and we can put together a custom set for you. We do this for the Trem King, which needs five lefts and one right.

What does the Acousti-Phonic do for slap bass?

An added benefit you may notice from installing the ghost system on that bass is that you can effectively dial in the amount of slap noise from the fingerboard. The ghost saddles pick up very little of the fret sound, so you can turn down the magnetic pickups and the fret noise with it, or crank it up for pronounced slap sounds.

What T.O.M. saddles fit my bridge?

First, check if your bridge is on our list of "known fits" on our Web site.

My T.O.M. bridge isn't on your list. Does that mean you don't make saddles for it?

That doesn't mean we don't have saddles to fit your bridge, just that it may take some careful measuring and looking at the specs of the saddles we make. Often, bridges with odd stamps are copies of popular name-brand bridges, and have the same dimensions. In some cases, you may have to send us your bridge so we can fit it with the right saddles.

There's a guide to pertinent things to measure on your T.O.M. saddles on this Web site. Please also measure the diameter and spacing of the post holes, as we now make two sizes.

Our resident expert at finding saddles for unknown bridges is James. You can reach him by e-mail at sales@graphtech.com, or chat with him about it by calling 604-940-5353 x30.

How do I get ghost on my Tune-O-Matic style bridge?

Consider replacing your bridge with our ResoMax bridge. In most instances, you can simply lift your old bridge off its posts and put the ResoMax in its place. This is a very easy installation.

Start by measuring the center-to-center spacing of your bridge posts. Our ResoMax bridge has a post spacing of 2.90" (74mm). The ResoMax is available for either 4mm or 6mm posts.

Replacing the bridge ensures that our saddles fit the bridge, and that the bottom of the bridge is open to allow the wires to reach the preamplifier. Modifying an existing bridge is possible, but it is generally easier and less expensive to drop in a ResoMax bridge.

If the post spacing and post diameter (either 4mm or 6mm) matches up, you can order the Ghost ResoMax on our Web site.

Can I get the ghost ResoMax in a 20" radius?

We only make the ResoMax in a 12" radius. Do not attempt to file the notches on Ghost saddles!!! The piezo crystal is only 0.040" below the notch, and if you expose the pickup, the string will short it out and it won't work anymore. Furthermore, the pickup has been positioned optimally in relation to the string, so it may change the pickup sensitivity if you file the notch deeper. This will affect the string balance when you file some notches and not others.

Who makes your ResoMax bridges?

Nobody famous. It's not a Gotoh or Schaller in disguise. We designed the ResoMax and had it manufactured to our specifications.

How come you don't carry Tonepros anymore?

When we introduced the ResoMax bridge, we decided it was redundant for us to carry two types of Tune-O-Matic style bridges.

Can I still get saddles to fit a Tonepros even though you don't carry Tonepros bridges anymore?

Yes, we still make saddles that fit Tonepros bridges, but they don't appear on our Web site because we prefer to supply ghost saddles in a ResoMax bridge to ensure that they're loaded properly. We have found that fit affects performance, and we cannot guarantee even string balance from ghost saddles unless we load them. So we test the saddle outputs after they are loaded to ensure even string-to-string response.

If you already own a Tonepros bridge and would like ghost saddles in it, we recommend that you send your bridge to us to have the ghost saddles loaded. We charge $25 plus one-way shipping for this service. Contact us to make arrangements to send us your bridge.