Mustang Bridge on a Jazzmaster

estreet

Joined: Mar 17, 2007
Posts: 839
United Kingdom
1 POTD Pin

Posted on May 10 2007 04:06 PM

Well I've put the Mustang bridge on the Jag (see previous posting) - much better than the original.

Also fitted the SD SJAG1 in the bridge position. Doesn't really sound a lot different to the original Japanese pickup playing it at home - but hopefully it wont feedback at live volumes. I'll find out tomorrow.

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estreet

Joined: Mar 17, 2007
Posts: 839
United Kingdom
1 POTD Pin

Posted on May 12 2007 04:23 AM

Hmmm I used the Jag for a (non-surf) gig last night and I can't say the Seymour Duncan Vintage Jaguar pickup (SJAG1-b) seems any different to the Japanese original I removed. Comparing the ohmage of the two p/ups the original reads 6.3k and the SD 6.5k. Not a lot of difference there, but ohmage isn't everything. However....

It's still overpowered by the front one and it still feeds back if i use a compressor. The feedback's not an issue for surf gigs (it was OK before) but it's a bit of a disappointment/waste of money.

Maybe I should have bought the 'hot' version, but whenever I see the word 'hot' I suspect a lack of tone. In a Strat, I find DiMarzio 'Fat Strats' and SD Vintage Stacks an acceptable level of 'hotness' but SD Quarter Pounders are awful things. I bought one once and it was back in the shop before the second chord.

Sorry - gone off the original subject here...

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LHR

Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 2123
The jungle
Costa Rica

Posted on May 12 2007 05:28 AM

If the Duncans aren't working for you, you may want try some AVRI pickups. They are pretty nice and can be had for about $80 or $90 a pair. The best pickups are, apparently, another type wound by a fellow named Curtis Novak. Rave reviews for those. Yet it seems a bit difficult to justify the high boutique cost (almost twice that of the AVRI) for what is, essentially, a Stratocaster pickup. And I think the folks at Fender pretty much have the early '60s Strat pickups down by now.

Just my opinion, of course.

And speaking of bridges, the Allparts ones are too small also, like the Graphtech kind are. Bugs me.

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PhatTele

Joined: Jun 05, 2006
Posts: 445

Posted on May 12 2007 09:21 AM

I just picked up a used Olympic White AVRI Jag that had a really anemic bridge PU. In fact, it measured 3.4K vs the neck's 6.6K (no short...it was stock from the factory that way...crazy). Anyway, I took it out and had the folks at Lindy Fralin's shop rewind it for me to their Blues Special specs (around 7.2K). That woke it up. It sounds great now. It doesn't go overboard like the really hot PUs, but it balances well with the neck now. In fact, I might take the bridge PU in my other AVRI Jag (which measures normally at about 6.7K) and have it rewound too.

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JakeDobner

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
5 News Pins

Posted on May 12 2007 11:03 AM

Don't bump up string gauges after you switch out your bridge. Give the AV bridge a chance and try to set it up properly. I've never had a problem. Here's a dirty secret. My vintage Jazz has a CIJ bridge(I think) with thomastik 12s and that works fine because all the saddles sit snuggly and are at decent heights. I also own an AV and I know that bridge on my AV is much better than on my vintage jazz.

If you can't seem to get the Jazz bridge right do what WoodyJ suggested and notch your bridge. Personally I prefer the metal on the Jag and Jazz bridges over the Mustang ones.

The mustang bridge saddles were really bulky when I got one to put on. I had to shim the neck(as this was on the Jag and I couldn't lower the bridge anymore). I also remember you can't radius them how you want.

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eddiekatcher

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2769
Atlanta, GA
1 News Pin

Posted on May 12 2007 03:18 PM

Try this on your Jag pickup. Take it out of the guitar and go to the grocery store for some parafin wax. Melt the the wax in a small shallow pan or cut down tin can on the stove and dip the pickup in the melted wax. Trim the excess off the coil and pole pieces and re-assemble the guitar. Then lower the front pick up about 1/4" to see if the balance improves. This manuver is known as "potting the pickup", and is done to prevent the windings from sympathic singing at high volumes and causing feedback. My stock 68 Les Paul pickups would do the same thing. A wax job put a stop to that.........ed

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Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

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estreet

Joined: Mar 17, 2007
Posts: 839
United Kingdom
1 POTD Pin

Posted on May 12 2007 06:39 PM

Many, many years ago I tried this on the back pickup of my 66 tele. Unfortunately, no-one told me that candle-wax had too high a melting temperature and it fell to pieces... lol. I found out later it had to be parrafin wax.

Surely a brand new Seymour Duncan shouldn't require this treatment though - it appears to me to be already potted. The original Jag p/up and the SD behave in exactly he same way. It seems more likely to me to be the metal surround being in the magnetic field that causes the microphony. I have had this problem before both with the metal plate on the bridge of a Tele and my with my LAG Jet's EMGs Picking up the tremolo springs from the back of the pickup. In the case of the LAG putting foam between the springs cured the problem.

However ... if it is the metalwork then all Jags should do it. Can anyone (should they want to) use distortion/compression on their JAG at high volumes with impunity? As i say, it doesnt really matter so much - it doesn't do it with the sounds I use for surf and I usually use either my LAG or my Les Paul for rock. I just wish the bridge pickup was as usable as the front is soundwise.

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http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns

Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery.

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holikujak

Joined: Apr 03, 2006
Posts: 107

Posted on May 13 2007 10:08 AM

I've got the graph tech mustang saddles on my AVJM and they work great for the bottom 5 strings, but i've been having serious problems with the high e string. The e string doesnt have enough pressure to stay on the saddle and any hard picking will flip the saddle on its side. Anyone have any ideas for fixing this? I think im just going to file down an origonal saddle and locktite it and see how that works. Another thing about the graphtech that i didnt anticipate is that the guitar wont be grounded to the strings, which I solved by wrapping a string around the string after the bridge and then shoving it down into the little hole for adjusting the height of the overall bridge.

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estreet

Joined: Mar 17, 2007
Posts: 839
United Kingdom
1 POTD Pin

Posted on May 13 2007 11:14 AM

That's often been a problem with graphtek saddles. I see they now advertise both conductive and non-conductive versions of some models.

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http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns

Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery.

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Brian

Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19256
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
United States

Posted on May 13 2007 11:43 AM

I think I actually preferred the larger mass of the Mustang saddles, plus there is more surface area in contact with the bridge. The lower strings never quite fit right on the regular saddles.

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estreet Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom	Posted on May 10 2007 04:06 PM Well I've put the Mustang bridge on the Jag (see previous posting) - much better than the original. Also fitted the SD SJAG1 in the bridge position. Doesn't really sound a lot different to the original Japanese pickup playing it at home - but hopefully it wont feedback at live volumes. I'll find out tomorrow. — http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. Top
estreet Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom	Posted on May 12 2007 04:23 AM Hmmm I used the Jag for a (non-surf) gig last night and I can't say the Seymour Duncan Vintage Jaguar pickup (SJAG1-b) seems any different to the Japanese original I removed. Comparing the ohmage of the two p/ups the original reads 6.3k and the SD 6.5k. Not a lot of difference there, but ohmage isn't everything. However.... It's still overpowered by the front one and it still feeds back if i use a compressor. The feedback's not an issue for surf gigs (it was OK before) but it's a bit of a disappointment/waste of money. Maybe I should have bought the 'hot' version, but whenever I see the word 'hot' I suspect a lack of tone. In a Strat, I find DiMarzio 'Fat Strats' and SD Vintage Stacks an acceptable level of 'hotness' but SD Quarter Pounders are awful things. I bought one once and it was back in the shop before the second chord. Sorry - gone off the original subject here... — http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. Top
LHR Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle	Posted on May 12 2007 05:28 AM If the Duncans aren't working for you, you may want try some AVRI pickups. They are pretty nice and can be had for about $80 or $90 a pair. The best pickups are, apparently, another type wound by a fellow named Curtis Novak. Rave reviews for those. Yet it seems a bit difficult to justify the high boutique cost (almost twice that of the AVRI) for what is, essentially, a Stratocaster pickup. And I think the folks at Fender pretty much have the early '60s Strat pickups down by now. Just my opinion, of course. And speaking of bridges, the Allparts ones are too small also, like the Graphtech kind are. Bugs me. — SSIV Top
PhatTele Joined: Jun 05, 2006 Posts: 445	Posted on May 12 2007 09:21 AM I just picked up a used Olympic White AVRI Jag that had a really anemic bridge PU. In fact, it measured 3.4K vs the neck's 6.6K (no short...it was stock from the factory that way...crazy). Anyway, I took it out and had the folks at Lindy Fralin's shop rewind it for me to their Blues Special specs (around 7.2K). That woke it up. It sounds great now. It doesn't go overboard like the really hot PUs, but it balances well with the neck now. In fact, I might take the bridge PU in my other AVRI Jag (which measures normally at about 6.7K) and have it rewound too. Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on May 12 2007 11:03 AM Don't bump up string gauges after you switch out your bridge. Give the AV bridge a chance and try to set it up properly. I've never had a problem. Here's a dirty secret. My vintage Jazz has a CIJ bridge(I think) with thomastik 12s and that works fine because all the saddles sit snuggly and are at decent heights. I also own an AV and I know that bridge on my AV is much better than on my vintage jazz. If you can't seem to get the Jazz bridge right do what WoodyJ suggested and notch your bridge. Personally I prefer the metal on the Jag and Jazz bridges over the Mustang ones. The mustang bridge saddles were really bulky when I got one to put on. I had to shim the neck(as this was on the Jag and I couldn't lower the bridge anymore). I also remember you can't radius them how you want. Top
eddiekatcher Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2769 Atlanta, GA	Posted on May 12 2007 03:18 PM Try this on your Jag pickup. Take it out of the guitar and go to the grocery store for some parafin wax. Melt the the wax in a small shallow pan or cut down tin can on the stove and dip the pickup in the melted wax. Trim the excess off the coil and pole pieces and re-assemble the guitar. Then lower the front pick up about 1/4" to see if the balance improves. This manuver is known as "potting the pickup", and is done to prevent the windings from sympathic singing at high volumes and causing feedback. My stock 68 Les Paul pickups would do the same thing. A wax job put a stop to that.........ed — Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps? Top
estreet Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom	Posted on May 12 2007 06:39 PM Many, many years ago I tried this on the back pickup of my 66 tele. Unfortunately, no-one told me that candle-wax had too high a melting temperature and it fell to pieces... lol. I found out later it had to be parrafin wax. Surely a brand new Seymour Duncan shouldn't require this treatment though - it appears to me to be already potted. The original Jag p/up and the SD behave in exactly he same way. It seems more likely to me to be the metal surround being in the magnetic field that causes the microphony. I have had this problem before both with the metal plate on the bridge of a Tele and my with my LAG Jet's EMGs Picking up the tremolo springs from the back of the pickup. In the case of the LAG putting foam between the springs cured the problem. However ... if it is the metalwork then all Jags should do it. Can anyone (should they want to) use distortion/compression on their JAG at high volumes with impunity? As i say, it doesnt really matter so much - it doesn't do it with the sounds I use for surf and I usually use either my LAG or my Les Paul for rock. I just wish the bridge pickup was as usable as the front is soundwise. — http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. Top
holikujak Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 107	Posted on May 13 2007 10:08 AM I've got the graph tech mustang saddles on my AVJM and they work great for the bottom 5 strings, but i've been having serious problems with the high e string. The e string doesnt have enough pressure to stay on the saddle and any hard picking will flip the saddle on its side. Anyone have any ideas for fixing this? I think im just going to file down an origonal saddle and locktite it and see how that works. Another thing about the graphtech that i didnt anticipate is that the guitar wont be grounded to the strings, which I solved by wrapping a string around the string after the bridge and then shoving it down into the little hole for adjusting the height of the overall bridge. Top
estreet Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 839 United Kingdom	Posted on May 13 2007 11:14 AM That's often been a problem with graphtek saddles. I see they now advertise both conductive and non-conductive versions of some models. — http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery. Top
Brian Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19256 Des Moines, Iowa, USA	Posted on May 13 2007 11:43 AM I think I actually preferred the larger mass of the Mustang saddles, plus there is more surface area in contact with the bridge. The lower strings never quite fit right on the regular saddles. — Site dude - S3 Agent #202 Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea Top

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Mustang Bridge on a Jazzmaster