Squier Strat - Cast Bridge

[just strum]

I was at the music shop for lessons Saturday and the owner was showing a customer a Squier Strat and commented that it had a cast bridge. I was on my way to the lesson room and didn't get to take a look, then forgot about it on my way out.

I was under the impression that Squier Strats and even Fender Strat MIM's had a stamped bridge. Anyone have any info on Squiers with cast bridge?

I didn't even check out the price.:thwap:

 

[just strum]

I searched the Squier website and could not find anything about the cast bridge. I might take a ride over after work tomorrow to look at this a little closer.

 

[wingsdad]

Usually a cast bridge, or saddles, common on inexpensive import guitars like that is made from a die-cast soft metal alloy (a derogatory term would be 'pig metal') as opposed to the denser milled, solid steel or brass type used on more expensive models, like in this case, American Fenders. You probably won't perceive an obvious difference unless you disassemble -- remove the bridge and look at the underside.

 

[Dauntless]

FYI
All of my Squiers have steel bridge plates. Even the Affinity Tele.
All of my Squiers came with cast saddles.
All of my Squiers now have steel, either cast

http://store.guitarfetish.com/upststsafitr.html

or stamped/bent steel. (model dependant)

http://stores.ebay.com/SOUTHEAST-MUSIC_BRIDGES_Saddles_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ13200405QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I believe the VM Squiers have stamped/bent steel saddles. (the ones I've seen do!)
Mexican standards have stamped steel.
Mexican Classic series have stamped steel.

The argument over tonal differances was won by steel, when my wife thought I had a new guitar and all I had done was change the saddles.
In her words "It sounds fuller, richer, more complete!"

They all catch steel now and for asthetics, I prefer nickel plating.

I'm done rambling now.

 

[Bloozcat]

Although it appears that he didn't say this directly, he could have been speaking of the trem block on the bridge, which is cast metal on the Squires.

Some of Fender's inexpensive bridge saddles are cast metal though, and not stamped steel. I don't know how much effort is put into the making of the castings that Fender (or others) use. With the advances in metalurgy over the years, a casting can be made using centrifical force in the casting process, which forces the air bubbles out of it. If a good grade of steel is used, it also re-aligns the molecules of the metal in a more uniform and stronger configuration. This can be done for individual parts in a mold, or as bar stock to be milled into the parts afterwards. If the finished part is then heat treated, it would make for a very hard finished product. If it's a good grade of steel (like GFS's stainless saddles), it would probably work as well or better than stamped and bent steel. If die cast pot metal is used as wingsdad mentioned, the metal would have a dull, dead sound to it (no "ping" when dropped on a hard surface). And that would definitely impact the tone negatively.

 

[ZMAN]

I am sure he was referring to Cast saddles as Dauntless mentioned. I have 8 Strats and the MIM, MIJ Strats all have stamped steel saddles. All of my Squiers have cast saddles.
An interesting side note: My 50th Anniversary Deluxe Strat has gold plated cast saddles. I was very interested to see that. So I don't think it is a bad thing to have cast saddles. The other MIA Strat that I had used the stamped saddles.
I have done a comparison from my latest Deluxe Squiers to the MIA 50 Ann. Strat, and all of the measurements including body, neck thickness, and width mic identically. So The Squier is very close to the 50th including the saddles.
The major thing that gives sustain to the Strat is the Block. Recently in 2006 The MIM Strat went to a solid block and that was a major upgrade. Most Squier modders change the hardware from stock to a solid block, and stamped saddles.

 

[just strum]

I'm taking off Friday and I might take a trip over to the music store to clarify.

As I noted, the guy referred to it as a cast bridge, but I didn't have time to take a look.

 

[ZMAN]

Hey JS I tried to do some research on the types of bridges, saddles, and blocks used on the Fender Strats over the years. The information is very generic and gives year ranges for different types. The orginals were stamped and then cast later. What they used on the Squiers is pretty sketchy but I still have other sources.
What did they say at the shop?

 

[TS808]

Alot of the Mexican Fender strats I bought in the past had cast "vintage style" bridge saddles. Although still much better than a number of saddles I've seen on more expensive guitars, I did notice that over time, the cast saddle screws do tend to strip.

It's an easy fix though...rather than go for the expensive Callaham upgrades, a nice set of Graph-Tech saddles is a very nice addition to the MIM strats.