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jazzmaster setup

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:25 am
by mickie08
Thinking of getting a Squier VM jazzmaster (local shop actually has a jazzy, jaguar ADN mustang in stock??) and have a quick question.

With the Jag/Jazz tremolo, it does not need locked down correct? Leave the arm out, throw some 11's on it, set it up, and off to the races.

Just going by memory but it has been years since I messed with one of these tremolos...

Everything I hear about them is great. They also have one of the VM tele deluxes so I may check that out and see which of them all I like best.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:04 am
by luciguci
you can't lock the trem on the squiers anyway, i've been getting pretty decent tuning stability from mine.

Re: jazzmaster setup

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:04 am
by benecol
mickie08 wrote:With the Jag/Jazz tremolo, it does not need locked down correct? Leave the arm out, throw some 11's on it, set it up, and off to the races.
Yep. Because the of the slackass nature of JM strings, no amount of bending or abuse is going to activate the trem unless you've got the arm in there.

And I love you very much for using that phrase, too.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:05 am
by Johnny Noir
it will stay in place; i haven't any problems of tuning with my squier jazz. Just use it when you change your strings.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:12 am
by mickie08
thanks.

gonna try to head down and check it out tomorrow.

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:49 am
by Johnny Noir
the nut is too tight for 11's strings. you need to wider the slots and put some graphite. Overwise the strings stay sharp if you bend it.

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:07 pm
by NickS
Johnny Noir wrote:Overwise the strings stay sharp if you bend it.
Sharp if you're using the trem to bend low, flat if you're bending with your fingers or pulling up on the trem.

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:49 am
by Johnny Noir
NickS wrote:
Johnny Noir wrote:Overwise the strings stay sharp if you bend it.
Sharp if you're using the trem to bend low, flat if you're bending with your fingers or pulling up on the trem.
oh yes, that

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:00 am
by stewart
there's a screw you can tighten that basically locks it, i think. i must've done it on my jag (then forgot about it), because even with the arm in it doesn't do anything. must be the spring tension or something.

this is probably the most vague post i've ever made, sorry.

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:05 am
by Concretebadger
I think you're right on the money. There's a little button built into the tailpiece that can slide back and forth to lock the trem in place. It's supposed to allow you to lock the trem to maintain tuning in the event of string breakage or something.

Unfortunately you need to have the trem's angle set just right for the locking mechanism to work. I don't think I ever got mine to do that, but its tuning stability is absolutely fine and I've never needed to use the trem lock thingy anyway.

EDIT: the screw that Stewart mentioned is next to the button on the trem plate and controls the trem plate angle through adjusting the tightness of the trem spring.

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:10 am
by stewart
yeah, i don't mean the sliding trem lock, the squiers don't have that.

edit: i'm so fucking lazy. i'm sitting right beside two jags (prescott style) and couldn't be bothered turning round to look at the trem plates :-/