Members BlueSky1963 Posted July 20, 2012 Members Share Posted July 20, 2012 I'm about to pull the trigger on a new AVRI Jazzmaster. What am I getting myself into bridge wise? Should I just go ahead and buy a buzz stop, do a swap and add some Mustang saddles, get on the waiting list for a Mastery bridge, or just go for it and see what happens? I'm probably going to run .10 GHS Nickel Rockers on it, which are a little bit flatter wind that most strings, and will be using it for a variety of music styles, not just surf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted July 20, 2012 Members Share Posted July 20, 2012 I went with the Warmoth modified Mustang bridge. They're a bit pricey (part + tax for me in same state + shipping) but it did the trick. http://www.warmoth.com/Modified-Mustang-Bridge-Chrome-P616.aspx That was on my MIJ JazzM. My Elvis Costello Jazzmaster doesn't seem to suffer from the strings popping off the saddles like my CAR JM did so it's still stock. Can't say as I know why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted July 20, 2012 Members Share Posted July 20, 2012 I've had Mustang and Mastery bridges and really, Mustangs are fine, but I think the Mastery is a good investment, not because it's much better than a Mustang, but because it lets you stop worrying about the bridge, and you're already spending a fortune on the geet anyway. My old MIJ Jaguar had 10s with a Mustang bridge and it never had problems at all. Ever. Buzz stop is unnecessary. The key, IMO, is shimming the neck. The way you get the best action on a Fender offset with a Mustang bridge is by getting the bridge as high as possible off the body while still having good action. You can only really do this by shimming the neck, which allows you to get the bridge a couple of mm higher. This really helps improve stability. With a Jazz/Jag bridge, you still want to shim, but you want to keep the plate closer to the body and raise the saddles instead, that way the saddle height screws are more supported by the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Set it up properly with the stock bridge and give it a shot. Mustang bridges work well, but decide whether or not you want or need one first. Forget about the Buzz Stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Set it up properly with the stock bridge and give it a shot. Mustang bridges work well, but decide whether or not you want or need one first. Forget about the Buzz Stop. I'm trying to remember though (even though I went with the Modified Mustang bridge) isn't there another "claim to fame" aspect of the Buzz Stop such as a tonal enhancement from the extra mass or downward pressure? I can't recall for sure but I know that I've read through my fair share of threads on this topic before I took the Warmoth leap. I think I primarily wanted the cleaner look and less trem action friction that I figured I'd get by going Warmoth MMB. IIRC, I think JJ has done the buzz stop on a guitar. That was probably on an SX SJM'62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhuxtable Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Those 10s may be a problem...try upping to 11s with a wound 3rd and see how you like it. The stock bridge is fine when set up properly, but I think they really benefit from heavier strings. No need for a buzz stop either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 I'm trying to remember though (even though I went with the Modified Mustang bridge) isn't there another "claim to fame" aspect of the Buzz Stop such as a tonal enhancement from the extra mass or downward pressure? I can't recall for sure but I know that I've read through my fair share of threads on this topic before I took the Warmoth leap. I think I primarily wanted the cleaner look and less trem action friction that I figured I'd get by going Warmoth MMB. IIRC, I think JJ has done the buzz stop on a guitar. That was probably on an SX SJM'62 Yeah. The Buzz Stop essentially acts like the roller on a Bigsby and it does create a lot more downward pressure and probably a bit more sustain. It also changes the tonal characteristics since it removes much of the overtones from the third bridge action. It's not a bad invention, I just think there are better solutions out there. If I were to use a Buzz Stop, I probably wouldn't bother shimming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueSky1963 Posted July 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Set it up properly with the stock bridge and give it a shot. Mustang bridges work well, but decide whether or not you want or need one first. Forget about the Buzz Stop. Is it the entire bridge, I've only heard of people changing to Mustang saddles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 IF the stock bridge doesn't do the trick, try the Warmoth Modified Mustang Bridge for $47.50. I just bought my second one this evening. Each saddle is adjustable height wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Is it the entire bridge, I've only heard of people changing to Mustang saddles? I think you could do either. I know that before I bought the Modified Mustang Bridge I also realized I could simply have fixed my problem by raising the offending saddles (i.e. the outside ones) and filing some deeper grooves into the middle of the stock saddles (which would have kept the overall string height the same. But I'm a bit of a puss when it comes to whittling on my guitars so I just went with one of the tried and true solutions that just required a bit more flexing of the credit card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 I'm not sure I see the allure in a Warmoth modified Mustang bridge unless your guitar doesn't have a 7.25" fretboard radius. Good for the Thin Skins and Classic Players, I suppose. Is it the entire bridge, I've only heard of people changing to Mustang saddles? Only the saddles are different, yes. It's just much easier to pop out a bridge, put in another one, then tune up. If you do want to change the stock bridge, be careful to buy proper Mustang saddles (or bridge). The Fender saddles for the 65 Mustang reissue are the ones to get. All of the aftermarket ones will just create different issues because they're specced incorrectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 No, no no no no no no no no no no no no no (I got lazy and left out the commas). No buzz stop. No Mustang saddles. I was able to get my stock saddles to work on both my Japanese Jazzmaster and AVRI Jaguar by using Vaseline to seal the threads on the saddle screws and masking tape to keep the bridge from working its way down. Also, using heavier strings (.011's) solved the tension problem. But eventually the old problems would reappear and it was annoying. I tried Mustang saddles and found them to be troublesome because you can't raise or lower them. This caused problems, but I can't remember the specifics. I think it had to do with some of the strings hitting the back edge of the bridge. Also, they moved around a bit too much on the Jag. So, I went with Graph Tech Tusq saddles and I like them a lot. They sound great too. There are two types--Ferra Glides and original Tusq. Check out their website to see which will be best for you. These devices have extremely exacting tolerances making them exceptionally stable: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 ^^^ Those Graphtech Jazzmaster/Jaguar/Mustang saddles do not conduct electricity, thus some other method will have to be devised to ground the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 ^^^ Those Graphtech Jazzmaster/Jaguar/Mustang saddles do not conduct electricity, thus some other method will have to be devised to ground the strings. You don't want your strings to conduct electricity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benecol Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Set it up properly with the stock bridge and give it a shot. Mustang bridges work well, but decide whether or not you want or need one first. Forget about the Buzz Stop. Bang on the money. Spend a bit of time setting it up, it's a great bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueSky1963 Posted July 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Hmmm, not getting a warm fuzzy about the whole thing. I'm not really thrilled with the idea of buying a guitar that's unplayable from the git-go. Has anyone ever had a Jazzmaster that didn't require a bridge/saddle replacement? So far looks like only GAS Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 I'm definitely not saying that the mods aren't worthwhile, but I've played completely stock Jags and Jazzys that were perfectly fine. If you have issues with noise and hum and whatnot, those Graphtech saddles won't help as Doc said, they take the stings out of the path so you'll need to touch a part of the bridge. Fine for surfy stuff where you are likely touching the trem arm quite a bit, but if you are jammin'... maybe not ideal. Also, they aren't quite as wide as the saddles that come on the AVRIs. Again, probably not a big deal but if you were planning on using 9 roundwounds on your Jaguar, I'd think that the combination of the low string tension and the more narrow saddle might cause them to move around a bit with bending but probably still wouldn't lead to 'problems'. I have a relatively soft touch so the stock bridge isn't a deal-breaker for me but if you have a heavy picking hand, I'd probably ante up for the Mustang bridge or at least the saddles. Having said all that, I'd guess that ~80% or 90% of Jaguar and Jazzmaster players over the last 50 years played them in dead stock form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albertus Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Unless you're playing heavy type music the stock bridge is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Hmmm, not getting a warm fuzzy about the whole thing. I'm not really thrilled with the idea of buying a guitar that's unplayable from the git-go.Has anyone ever had a Jazzmaster that didn't require a bridge/saddle replacement?So far looks like only GAS Man. It just needs a setup, as with any new guitar. Most Jazzmaster players keep the stock bridge. It's really not as big a deal as the internet would have you believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueSky1963 Posted July 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 It just needs a setup, as with any new guitar. Most Jazzmaster players keep the stock bridge. It's really not as big a deal as the internet would have you believe. Thanks. That's what I was trying to determine. Sometimes I think we take some of this stuff as gospel when in fact it's really not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Django Sentenza Posted July 21, 2012 Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 The stock mustang bridge really should solve every problem. If you have one - you may not, especially if you use medium to heavy strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueSky1963 Posted July 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 21, 2012 Pulled the trigger this afternoon, thanks for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MatthewTKK Posted July 22, 2012 Members Share Posted July 22, 2012 You don't want your strings to conduct electricity. I can only assume you're playing with nylon strings then.But seriously - you do need to have an electrical connection between your strings and the circuit earth, that way the strings act as part of the earthed shield, instead of acting as antennas to bring noise close to the pickups. Some Jazzmasters have their strings grounded via the tailpiece, but some do it through the bridge - not such a great idea because of the tiny contact between the bridge post and the metal thimble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted July 22, 2012 Members Share Posted July 22, 2012 The stock mustang bridge really should solve every problem. If you have one - you may not, especially if you use medium to heavy strings. Word. I have one lying around somewhere. If I get a jag I'll use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted July 22, 2012 Members Share Posted July 22, 2012 I'm not sure I see the allure in a Warmoth modified Mustang bridge unless your guitar doesn't have a 7.25" fretboard radius. Good for the Thin Skins and Classic Players, I suppose. ...I noticed that the modified Mustang bridge has the improperly spaced saddles based on the old, long-discontinued, Japanese design. Avoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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