Members twotimingpete Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 With the famous/infamous JM bridge/trem. My head's spinning from the different notions on this bridge setup. It's at once loved and hated, and all seem to agree it needs special care compared to many other common bridges. So if I get a JM, what should I expect from the bridge? What do I need to do to make it work? What are the possible pitfalls? Oh, and how is the wammy action on a JM? As far as I know it's not springloaded like a strat, what's the implication of this difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members songsforbears Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I've got a Mastery bridge on my Jaguar, which is expensive, but widely regarded as the best fix for all the trademark issues of the stock bridge. Problem is, I put it on as soon as I got the guitar, so I don't really have a reference point. Picked up a Buzz-Stop recently, so I might try that with the stock bridge and see how I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beyer160 Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 My advice- string it up and play it. If you start having issues, there are simple fixes for them. Fifteen minutes with a file and a $5 bottle of Locktite blue should solve anything a standard setup won't. The JM bridge is different and slightly over-engineered, but it isn't the nightmare some people say it is. As far as the trem action, it's kind of like a Bigsby- good for subtle warbles but you won't be dive bombing with it. If you haven't seen these, check them out-http://www.jag-stang.com/guitars/jaguar/get-the-most-from-your-jaguar-bridge/http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/cms/2007/05/12/setup-for-jaguar-and-jazzmaster/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted April 3, 2011 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 My advice- string it up and play it. If you start having issues, there are simple fixes for them. Fifteen minutes with a file and a $5 bottle of Locktite blue should solve anything a standard setup won't. The JM bridge is different and slightly over-engineered, but it isn't the nightmare some people say it is. As far as the trem action, it's kind of like a Bigsby- good for subtle warbles but you won't be dive bombing with it. If you haven't seen these, check them out-http://www.jag-stang.com/guitars/jaguar/get-the-most-from-your-jaguar-bridge/http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/cms/2007/05/12/setup-for-jaguar-and-jazzmaster/ many people seem to think higher gauge strings are best on a JM. I typically use 10s. will this cause buzzing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I used 9s on a Jaguar and it was fine. Replacing the bridge with a Mustang bridge will take care of all your problems, unless you have one of the Mexican ones with a different radius, in which case you need some other solution. The whammy is wonderful, it's best for light warbles but there's an entire genre of music that heavily relies on Jazzmaster whammy warbles because it's very easy to strum while you're using the whammy. My Bloody Valentine is especially famous for this. It's spring loaded, you just can't see the springs from the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beyer160 Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 many people seem to think higher gauge strings are best on a JM. I typically use 10s. will this cause buzzing? I used 10s on both of mine (AVRI and MIJ), no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted April 3, 2011 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I used 9s on a Jaguar and it was fine. Replacing the bridge with a Mustang bridge will take care of all your problems, unless you have one of the Mexican ones with a different radius, in which case you need some other solution. The whammy is wonderful, it's best for light warbles but there's an entire genre of music that heavily relies on Jazzmaster whammy warbles because it's very easy to strum while you're using the whammy. My Bloody Valentine is especially famous for this. It's spring loaded, you just can't see the springs from the top. I've always wanted a JM but they tend to be priced out of my reach. The new Blacktop JMs look nice, thougyh, and I may be one good deal away from buying one. it's MIM. the body is a bit different (a bit sleaker) than a vintage JM, which I actually don't mind because I think the new body looks really sharp. it seems to have a typical JM bridge, it may even be the exact same one that the MIM classic player JM uses. The only thing I'm a bit less than hot on is the humbucker in the bridge, but it seems likely I would replace it with a mean 90 or pure 90 or other HB sized single coil along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I think it's the same, with those, you need a bit of locktite to make sure the threads of the height screws don't move. Not a huge deal. I have to admit, I hated the idea of that guitar at first but over time I have come to think that it may be a good idea after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted April 3, 2011 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I think it's the same, with those, you need a bit of locktite to make sure the threads of the height screws don't move. Not a huge deal.I have to admit, I hated the idea of that guitar at first but over time I have come to think that it may be a good idea after all. same -- my very initial reaction to the HB bridge and the slightly different body cut was "{censored} that" but somehow it really grew on me over the next few days. It sunk in that it's a fender offset on the cheap, which really is novel. I'm still not big on the humbucker -- but, like I said, this can be remedied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 You could put a Lace Hot Gold Dually in there, those are actually two very good Strat single coils mashed together and you could easily use a push-pull pot to split it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrNixon Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 As a guy who bought a Jaguar and spent the first couple of months trying different gauge and flat/roundwound strings, which meant i spent a lot of time setting the guitar up. i was even totally satisfied after a few setups with the stock bridge and bought the mastery due to holiday money. heres what i learned about the offsets. - flatwounds are way too dark and stiff. it was cool for a little while, but i missed the action and tone of roundwound pure nickel strings. -watch out for friction between the high e ball-end windings and the roundheaded philips screw. when i have the chance to, i tin (solder the windings permanently) the ball end. acrylic nailpolish/super glue will protect the winding from breaking - the height adjustment screws on the saddles might undo themselves. non-permanent loctite or a bit of the same acrylic clear nail polish on the adjustment screw that is fickle will keep it in. - you have to use 11s or heavier - the saddles themselves are made of grub screws. depending on how you play, the strings might jump out. i've used 11s on all my guitars and experiemented with 12s on the jag, and never ran into this string jumping problem myself. those are the main points that i dealt with during my experimentation with my Jag. Learn to set your own guitar up and you'll not run into problems with the stock offset bridge. and if you do, you'll have the common sense to fix it. I've since installed a Mastery, and all previous trepidation regarding using the guitar live has disappeared. the jag is my go-to guitar for everything now! oh and regarding the trem - best trem i've ever used. silky smooth which lends itself to a very gratifying sound. oh, PS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lolque? Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I play it with 11s and it doesn't have any issues with the strings jumping. Two curtis novak JM-Vs, with all AVRI hardware. My favorite trem I've ever played. Almost never goes out of tune. If you're using anything about 10s with a jazzmaster, you'll be fine. The trem is really soft, and a full depression (if it's not set to float) goes just a little past a half step. Here's some info on how to set it up classically http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/cms/2007/05/12/setup-the-tremolo-system/ Also, as mentioned, there's a screw on the trem plate that catches the high e. Usually isn't a problem though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I tried every trick in the book (and on the web) to get my JM and Jag bridges to work. The would be fine for awhile and then, all of a sudden, and at the worst possible time, {censored} would just happen. I tried the Mustang saddles but they moved laterally. Eventually, I shelled out $40 and got the Graph Tech Tusq saddles and I haven't regretted it for a second. It not only makes the OEM trem completely stable and usable, but it adds a bit of sustain---not a lot, but just a touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 Real Mustang saddles don't move laterally. Some bad reissue ones and aftermarket ones do. The '65 RI bridges, for instance, don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Special J Posted April 3, 2011 Members Share Posted April 3, 2011 I tried every trick in the book (and on the web) to get my JM and Jag bridges to work. The would be fine for awhile and then, all of a sudden, and at the worst possible time, {censored} would just happen. I tried the Mustang saddles but they moved laterally. Eventually, I shelled out $40 and got the Graph Tech Tusq saddles and I haven't regretted it for a second. It not only makes the OEM trem completely stable and usable, but it adds a bit of sustain---not a lot, but just a touch. This was my solution as well on a MIJ JM and it worked great for me. Purists would say that it changes the sound/feel, but if it did, it was for the better IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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