AxLabs Hardware certainly thinks so – its String Surfer brass saddles promise to improve Stratocaster tone and reduce string breakages
(Image credit: AxLabs Hardware)
AxLabs Hardware has introduced a new way to upgrade your Stratocaster with its String Surfer Brass Roller Saddles.
Designed specifically for Stratocaster-style bridges, the solid brass, precision-machined saddles offer increased mass for “enhanced density and tonal qualities” compared with pressed-steel and zinc block alternatives – namely “sharper attack, extended sustain and a warmer tone”.
The firm has also put great detail into its roller mechanisms to “significantly minimize friction and binding,” when the strings are up against the saddle’s surface. Alongside reducing the risk of string snaps on tremolo-equipped guitars, it also offers a more precise string return during bends.
Priced at $96, the String Surfer kits include brass roller saddles, screws for height adjustment and intonation, and intonation springs.
They're available in two sizes: Narrow 21/16" and wide 27/32", with finishes including chrome, black, gold, nickel, and black nickel.
With quality hardware so often the key to good tone, AxLabs Hardware’s latest creation allows players to maximize the output of their Stratocaster guitars, be they Fenders, Squiers, or copies.
The hardware manufacturer has previously made ground with its innovative Tone Claw locking spring claw that helps players boost their tone while ensuring greater tuning stability during dive bombs, which can greatly affect a guitar's tuning.
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(Image credit: AxLabs Hardware)
It's also collaborated with Grover Jackson for the Habanero prewired pickguards, a handy bit of gear that Alex Lifeson has recently dabbled with as he keeps himself busy with life after Rush.
AxLabs Hardware’s parent company, AP International Music Supply, manufactures and distributes Floyd Rose tremolo systems, Pure Tone Output Jacks, and OEM products for many well-known popular brands.
For more information on how to pimp your Start with the String Surfer saddles, head to AxLabs Hardware.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
