Gonna buy a Jazzmaster...quick question bout bridge.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:09 pm

Any of you Jazzmaster owners swap the stock bridge out for a mustang bridge? I didn't on my previous Jazzmaster that I owned but was always curious about whether or not it would be benefical.

I play pretty hard and have had some string jumpin on occasion, but I've also had it happen on my mustang.

Anyway, just wanted to get some thoughts on it as it'll be here in a few days.

aen · Post by **aen** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:11 pm

IN that case I owuld go Mustang + buzz stop. It's been working for me. Mustang bridge didnt cut it alone on my last JM.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:14 pm

aen wrote:IN that case I owuld go Mustang + buzz stop. It's been working for me. Mustang bridge didnt cut it alone on my last JM.

What does the buzzstop do to help?

Is it pretty much drop in replacement for the mustang bridge?

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:47 pm

Mastery Bridge $160

I'd file the stock bridge and use 11's. The buzzstop pulls the strings down over the saddles at a sharper angle creating more tension, it screws into the tailpiece.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:49 pm

Aye, I'm with Fran (his second point, anyhow) - I'm a clumsy fucker, but 11's seem to sort it out.

william · Post by **william** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:05 am

11s on a 25.5".. ow. im kind of a pussy when it comes to these things. 10s for me, and file those slots a bit deeper, i guess.

the only problem i have with the buzz stop is that you cant play the behind the bridge harp part as well. to me thats one of the coolest things about jms and jags.

euan · Post by **euan** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:16 am

11s on a standard scale is hardly hard. Man up. You'll get used to it in a week.

william · Post by **william** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:35 am

euan wrote:11s on a standard scale is hardly hard. Man up. You'll get used to it in a week.

i did it on my melody maker for a while, because the vibrato wont work with lighter strings, and i just couldnt stand it. i ended up forgoing the trem just so i could put my good ol XL 10's back on there, and then i kissed them like yosemite sam kisses the earth after some seriously death defying hijinx.

however, i also had to raise the bridge way up there to get the trem to work, which put more relief in the neck, and this could be most of the issue. 11s on the MM at my normal low action might not be so bad.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:57 am

i find 11s too thin, they fuck up my fingertips if i use 'em for too long 'cause i'm weird like that.

switching to 12s made playing easier for me, stuff like bar chords i find much more comfortable and such.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:20 pm

I switched to 11's on my mustang not tool long ago, and it really has made playing much easier. I have to work a little harder on bends, but I've found I bend to pitch a lot better with the heavier strings.

I'd love to try 12's but I've always been worried I'd jack a guitar with the thick ass heavy tension strings.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:40 am

Chicago Mike wrote:I switched to 11's on my mustang not tool long ago, and it really has made playing much easier. I have to work a little harder on bends, but I've found I bend to pitch a lot better with the heavier strings.

I'd love to try 12's but I've always been worried I'd jack a guitar with the thick ass heavy tension strings.

The guitar really is built to handle that kind of thing. If you didn't have a truss rod, or it was shoddy work, I'd be worried, but you've got a Jazzmaster. Didn't SRV play 13's on all of his strats? I have 13's on my 24.75 scale guitar, 12's on my 25.5, and it's perfect. But I play chunky rhythm, with a great deal of heavy handedness. It's the only way to play for me, I keep accidentally pulling strings out of tune whenever I play my friends' guitars with 10's on them.

aen · Post by **aen** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:53 am

in the 50s guitars shipped with 13s standard.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:40 am

aen wrote:in the 50s guitars shipped with 13s standard.

This is exactly what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure about it. +1

Also, Dick Dale plays goddamn 16's, and he's 71 years old.

william · Post by **william** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:16 am

i guess its just what youre used to. ive been using d'add XL 10s since i started. feels weird to use anything else.

also, i like almost no neck relief, and i have to tighten the truss rod more with heavier strings.

also also, i dont play bendy solos or anything, but i like to bend multiple strings in a chord at once with tons of distortion to make crazy waves, and this is much more effective with 10s than 11s.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:23 am

I like the sound of 11's but find it easier to setup my guitars to my liking witrh tens. My solution: 10. d'Addario Chromes.
Sound like 11's, play like 10's.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:37 am

*please don't turn into a thread about strings*

*please don't turn into a thread about strings*

*please don't turn into a thread about strings*

*please don't turn into a thread about strings*

*please don't turn into a thread about strings*

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:39 am

well if anything that was a certainly a catalyst for it happening.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:42 am

Alright, alright, we all use what we use for our own reasons, and it's not like we're trying to convince each other of anything. Back to the original question.

Obviously you know a bit about the Jazzmaster bridge, so I won't tell you to try it out before immediately making the change. I would suggest filing it a bit, though. That's going to be a lot cheaper than buying a new bridge.

Chicago Mike · Post by **Chicago Mike** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:45 am

brambleperro wrote:
Chicago Mike wrote:I switched to 11's on my mustang not tool long ago, and it really has made playing much easier. I have to work a little harder on bends, but I've found I bend to pitch a lot better with the heavier strings.

I'd love to try 12's but I've always been worried I'd jack a guitar with the thick ass heavy tension strings.
The guitar really is built to handle that kind of thing. If you didn't have a truss rod, or it was shoddy work, I'd be worried, but you've got a Jazzmaster. Didn't SRV play 13's on all of his strats? I have 13's on my 24.75 scale guitar, 12's on my 25.5, and it's perfect. But I play chunky rhythm, with a great deal of heavy handedness. It's the only way to play for me, I keep accidentally pulling strings out of tune whenever I play my friends' guitars with 10's on them.

I've got a classic 70's strat with 11's but I added a spring or two to keep the bridge flush....wonder how that works with a JM.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:47 am

strings are a pretty important part of the setup of the guitar I don't see why we wouldn't talk about them. it pretty directly relates to what he's asking about.