TV-Rails are compensated T-style saddles for players who want to keep the traditional three-saddle bridge architecture while improving paired-string intonation, string guidance and mechanical stability.
Each saddle supports one string pair — E/A, D/G or B/e — but uses two deliberately offset contact points rather than one straight shared contact line. Standard TV-Rails add KMS's 3+2 Mix & Match concept in brass, stainless steel and 7075 aluminum. TV-Rail+ uses coated brass for a low-friction moving-string contact, especially for Bigsby-style vibrato applications.
In Brief
- Traditional three-saddle architecture with compensated two-string contact points.
- Finished V-shaped contacts center the strings and require no conventional slot filing.
- Standard TV-Rails are 3+2 Mix & Match sets in brass, stainless steel or 7075 aluminum.
- TV-Rail+ uses coated brass when low friction and repeated string movement are the priority.
- Plain/wound G and right/left-handed configurations are handled by saddle orientation.
Product Overview
Feature | TV-Rails |
Architecture | Three compensated saddles for six strings |
String spacing | 54 mm overall E-to-e · 10.8 mm individual |
Standard materials | Brass · stainless steel · 7075 aluminum |
Standard set format | 3+2 Mix & Match |
TV-Rail+ | Coated brass · low-friction moving-string contact |
Configuration | Plain or wound G · right- or left-handed |
TV-Rails are designed as a saddle upgrade, not as a universal replacement bridge plate. They retain the familiar three-saddle layout and put the functional changes into the saddle geometry, materials and hardware.
How Compensation and V-Contact Work
Offset Contact Points
A conventional straight barrel saddle gives both strings of a pair essentially the same longitudinal contact position, even though the two strings normally require different speaking lengths.
TV-Rails build that difference directly into the saddle. Each string contacts the saddle at its own offset position. The intonation screw then moves the complete saddle forward or backward, setting the pair within the guitar's scale geometry.
This gives the system two levels of adjustment:
- Fixed relative compensation — the machined offset between the two string contacts.
- Shared saddle position — the complete saddle moves as one unit during intonation.
The result is a substantially better practical relationship between the two strings while preserving the traditional paired-saddle design.
Finished V-Shaped Contacts
Each string runs in a precisely machined V-shaped contact. The V geometry provides a defined lateral position and speaking point, helping the string remain centered during normal playing and bending.
The contact is finished geometry. It is not an unfinished saddle blank and should not be cut, widened or filed for the string gauge. Different gauges sit at different depths within the V without requiring a permanent gauge-specific slot.
Choosing Standard TV-Rails or TV-Rail+
The first decision is the contact system.
Standard TV-Rails | TV-Rail+ | |
Best starting point | Fixed three-saddle bridges | Bigsby-style or other moving-string applications |
Contact | Direct brass, stainless steel or 7075 aluminum | Low-friction coated brass |
Primary advantage | Material choice and 3+2 Mix & Match | Smoother string movement and increased surface durability |
Set format | Five saddles | Three saddles |
Choose standard TV-Rails when material-specific response and pair-by-pair voicing are central. Choose TV-Rail+ when repeated string movement across the saddle is the more important requirement.
TV-Rail+ improves the bridge-side string contact; return to pitch still depends on the complete string path, including nut, string trees, tuners and vibrato setup.
Materials, Tone & the 3+2 Mix & Match Concept
Material is part of the mechanical system at the string termination. Within the same TV-Rails geometry, changing saddle material changes mass, stiffness, damping and contact behavior, which in turn changes the response of that string pair.
Three Materials, Three Tonal Directions
Material | KMS response direction | Useful starting point |
Brass | Body · harmonic richness · balanced attack · smoother treble | When the guitar feels thin, sharp or needs more body |
Stainless steel | Focus · strong attack · definition · upper-harmonic detail | When low-string definition, cut or separation are the priority |
7075 aluminum | Low mass · openness · immediate response · dynamic twang | When the guitar feels dense, slow or mid-heavy |
These are directional choices, not rigid tonal rules. The guitar remains the reference.
What Comes in a 3+2 Set
Every standard material set contains three saddles in the selected primary material plus one saddle in each of the other two materials.
- Brass Set 8202-B: 3 brass + 1 stainless steel + 1 7075 aluminum
- Stainless-Steel Set 8202-S: 3 stainless steel + 1 brass + 1 7075 aluminum
- 7075-Aluminum Set 8202-A: 3 7075 aluminum + 1 brass + 1 stainless steel
This lets you begin with a complete uniform set and then change one string pair at a time without buying three full material sets.
A useful KMS starting combination is:
- Stainless steel at E/A for focused bass response
- 7075 aluminum at D/G for an open middle range
- Brass at B/e for body and controlled treble
It is a starting point, not a prescribed final combination.
TV-Rail+
TV-Rail+ Set 8202 uses three coated brass saddles and is not a 3+2 material set. Its purpose is a consistent low-friction contact surface across all six strings.
Compatibility and Configuration
Before ordering, confirm the actual bridge geometry rather than relying on the guitar model alone.
TV-Rails require:
- A compatible three-saddle bridge plate
- 54 mm overall E-to-e string spacing / 10.8 mm individual spacing
- Suitable intonation-screw positions and travel
- Sufficient saddle-height adjustment
- A compatible string path and scale position
TV-Rails can be used with compatible traditional full bridge plates, short/half plates, string-through or top-load designs and Bigsby-compatible three-saddle plates. KMS also offers Standard and Short bridge-plate directions, including Bigsby Cut versions where required.
Plain or Wound G
The D/G saddle can be configured for either a plain or wound G string. For a wound G, rotate the middle saddle body 180 degrees around its longitudinal axis, reinstall the height screws from above and complete a new height/radius and intonation setup.
A separate wound-G saddle set is not required.
Left-Handed Configuration
The same saddle architecture can be configured for left-handed use. All three saddle bodies are rotated 180 degrees around their longitudinal axes and installed in mirrored positions before the setup is completed again.
Technical Specifications
Feature | Specification |
Architecture | Three compensated saddles for six strings |
String pairs | E/A · D/G · B/e |
Overall string spacing | 54 mm / 2 1/8 in |
Individual string spacing | 10.8 mm |
Standard saddle materials | Brass · stainless steel · 7075 aluminum |
TV-Rail+ saddle body | Brass |
TV-Rail+ surface | Application-specific low-friction hard coating |
Intonation screws | 6-32 UNC brass · Phillips + slot combination head · nickel-plated or bare where offered |
Height screws | 6-32 UNC nickel-plated carbon steel · rounded tips |
Spring system | 6 mm outer compression spring + 4.5 mm inner stabilizing spring per saddle |
Radius adjustment | Individually adjustable through the two height screws per saddle · approximately 7.25–20 in on KMS TV-Bridge plates |
Configuration | Plain or wound G · right- or left-handed |
The usable radius range on third-party bridge plates also depends on their geometry and available height adjustment. The revised intonation screws are slightly shorter than earlier versions to reduce unnecessary palm contact. The dual-spring system adds preload and saddle stabilization; where maximum intonation travel is required, the spring arrangement can be adapted as long as the saddle remains securely supported and the springs do not reach coil bind.
Standard TV-Rails use direct, uncoated material contact. Selected aged appearance and optional Cryo treatment are separate from the compensation geometry and do not change installation or configuration.
Installation and Setup
TV-Rails use familiar three-saddle adjustment principles, but saddle orientation and paired-string compensation must be set correctly. Do not file the V contacts to alter spacing, action or intonation.
For the complete procedure — including saddle orientation, radius, paired-string intonation and spring setup — see:
TV-Rails Installation and Setup →
FAQ
Do compensated TV-Rails give each string independent intonation?
No. Each saddle still moves as one unit for two strings. The improvement comes from the built-in offset between the two string-contact points, while the intonation screw positions the pair together.
Do compensated saddles guarantee perfect intonation everywhere on the fretboard?
No. String construction, gauge, action, tuning and fretting pressure all influence required compensation. TV-Rails are designed to produce a better practical relationship between the two strings of each pair while retaining the three-saddle architecture.
Do the V-shaped contacts need to be filed for my string gauge?
No. They are finished contact geometry. Filing or widening them changes string height, spacing and compensation and can damage the intended function.
Do I need a different saddle for a wound G string?
No. Rotate the middle D/G saddle body 180 degrees around its longitudinal axis and reset height, radius and intonation.
Do I need a separate left-handed TV-Rails set?
No. The saddle geometry can be mirrored by rotating all three saddle bodies 180 degrees and installing them in the corresponding mirrored positions.
Will TV-Rails fit every Tele-style bridge?
No. Three-saddle appearance alone is not enough. Confirm 54 mm overall string spacing, compatible screw positions, sufficient intonation and height travel, the string path and the bridge's scale position.
Which version should I choose for a Bigsby-style vibrato?
Start with TV-Rail+. Its coated-brass contact is designed for lower friction when the strings move repeatedly across the saddles.
Can I mix saddle materials?
Yes, with standard TV-Rails. The 3+2 sets are specifically designed for pair-by-pair material changes. TV-Rail+ uses one consistent coated-brass direction across all three saddles.