Squier VM Jag - Bridge Buzzing

lank81 · Post by **lank81** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 1:11 am

So,
I know a lot of people have replaced the VM Jaguar bridges with Mustang Bridges or TOMs and Buzz Stops but I was wondering if there was anything I could do with what I have. It doesn't matter how light I play really it's buzzy as shit. Other than that she plays great but yea, its just irritating.

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 2:19 am

Yes. There is nothing wrong with the stock bridges. I made a video the other night about this:

[youtube][/youtube]

and picture:

email me direct if you have questions! so1o_m "at" yahoo "dot" com

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:28 am

What gauge strings are you using? I find using heavier flatwounds helps.

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:48 am

I managed to get my stock bridge to stop buzzing by painting all the grub screws with nail varnish (including the ones in the bridge posts). Seemed to work fine for me, but I had a modified mustang bridge on the way anyway, and that's worked out even better.

Oh, and that was with 10s

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:19 pm

Sure, you can paint them after you decide on a height. The thread tolerance can be sloppy as they account for plating in tge parts and all. The screws for each saddle must still be level though. The glue prevents them from backing out. Making sure they are level prevents them from vibrating on the bridge plate. I use super slinky 9s.

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 2:45 pm

It's all well and good saying that the stock bridge is fine, but at the end of the day it depends entirely on the player. I'm an extremely heavy handed player, and I struggled for months trying to set up my VM Jag so that it wouldn't rattle (it was rattling to an extent where screws were shaking themselves out, mid-gig on a couple of occasions). Since installing a TOM this guitar has been perfect. The only issue is that I had to get the neck shimmed, because the TOM sits considerably higher on the body than the stock bridge did.

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:36 pm

it seems the newer screws have looser thread tolerance, as well as the bridge saddles. They engage, but are somewhat sloppy compared to older bridges, like those that has a slotted set screw, not the current hex key style. Most likely due to the plating buildup tolerance.

Because of that, they can vibrate loose, thus the drop of glue or other semi-permanent fix will prevent them from coming out. Heavy handed does not necessarily make it vibrate more.

the mustang bridge offers the larger grooved area for the string, but you can always file grooves yourself for you guage and tailor it to yoru needs.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:08 pm

Freddy V-C wrote:It's all well and good saying that the stock bridge is fine, but at the end of the day it depends entirely on the player. I'm an extremely heavy handed player, and I struggled for months trying to set up my VM Jag so that it wouldn't rattle (it was rattling to an extent where screws were shaking themselves out, mid-gig on a couple of occasions). Since installing a TOM this guitar has been perfect. The only issue is that I had to get the neck shimmed, because the TOM sits considerably higher on the body than the stock bridge did.

Did this require any routing? Are the posts on the VMs spaced adequately to accept a TOM/AOM?

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:02 pm

No routing required! The bridge fit straight on, but like I said, the neck needed shimming.

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 5:53 am

Lank, I set up my own VM Jag and got rid of all the buzz without swapping out the bridge. The buzz was really bad at first and I had no idea what I was doing. Try setting it up using the instructions in this thread. Also .11 gauge strings will most likely help.

Basically, I set the saddles fairly high and then lowered the action using the two large screws that control the height of the bridge. I found a sweet spot where the guitar was very playable yet the buzzing disappeared. It really takes some patience ... I fiddled with it for quite some time.

I didn't use nail polish or loctite and was still able to get rid of the buzz. However, I'm going to try some vaseline on the grub screws so that they stay in place.

Hope this helps!

kypdurron · Post by **kypdurron** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:24 pm

so1om wrote: I made a video the other night about this

that's a good instructional video, good job. but, pardon me, what you are teaching is the obvious. I learned that the day I bought my first Jazzmaster back in 1994. Several years before the Internet. I don't want to believe that this is all people complain about with the VM bridges? People can't be that stupid.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:47 am

I throw my shit around more than anyone I know and it doesn't go out of of tune.

What the fuck you guys set up your guitars correctly

aen · Post by **aen** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:51 pm

Others: "My jag or JM bridge keeps buzzing when I play!"
Me: "sounds like you have a jag or JM bridge."

If you can find a TOM that matches the radius, that's a pretty good plan. My favorite is the mustang bridge and buzzstop double-tap. Rock solid, trem works great, and everything sondz kool.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:46 pm

Vaseline in the grub screws, and tape around the bridge posts works a treat. The apparent need to replace the bridge is a nonsense.

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:56 am

kypdurron wrote:
so1om wrote: I made a video the other night about this
that's a good instructional video, good job. but, pardon me, what you are teaching is the obvious. I learned that the day I bought my first Jazzmaster back in 1994. Several years before the Internet. I don't want to believe that this is all people complain about with the VM bridges? People can't be that stupid.

I know what i am teaching is obvious. I've been setting up guitars since 1976, 77 or so.

One think i've noticed is that a lot of the hardware, with chrome finishes, are a little looser as the allow for build up of the finish.. In both the saddle and set screw. Look at an old tele or whatever -it seems that it all fits together tighter with the sets int the saddles.

Also.. A lot of people -in fact when i got the guitar out of the box at guitar center, someone said "oh you'll have trouble with the bridge.. you'll want to change that." Others ORDER bridges when the order the guitar -just because they hear it rattles around and "can never be set up".

I'm a mechnical engineer and a lot of what i encounter is that people just don't understand how things are to be set up -beit a guitar bridge, a tooling fixture, a machine. they just say "well it doesn't do what i expect" or "didn't work the way it should" and assume it's broke. But really, they don't understand that there are steps and a certain procedure to doing it.

For those of us that have actually worked on guitars, we know or we pick up things. But even the rhythm guitar player in my old band.. he could change a string, but a flakey solder joint? forget it. This is why there are repair shops that do basic guitar setups.

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 2:56 pm

Yes, i think, you're right. A solid sciolism out of the internet brings people to change the bridge before having an experience of setting up the bridge. I set up my vm jag with 11-48 strings and it was fine without doing something on the bridge. Then i tuned down for some songs and everything goes horribly rattle and down. So i tuned up to E-e again and set up the bridge with good stringpressure on the bridge and it works fine. Even when struggling hard, there is no problem.
Thinking and doing. Not crying.