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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink VM Jaguar bridge replacement

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Hey guys! I've been lurking here for the past month or so, I recently acquired a VM Jag and I keep reading on here to replace the bridge. The thing is I'm sort of confused on which one to get because in every thread theres like 6 different bridges different people recommend. Any help would be appreciated!

Well, the first question I would ask is, do you feel the need to replace the bridge? Are you having problems with it?

The Reverbivores - we're local favorites!

An affordable option is to put an AVRI Jag/Jazz bridge on. This is a great sounding bridge that needs a good setup.

Expensive is a Mastery bridge. Maintains the great Jag sound but add sustain which take away some of that classic Jag thud. So, sounds similar but takes away some of that classic character. I'm a Mastery user myself, although I've used many an original bridge for a very long time.

Staytrem is an option, I think it kind of robs the Jag of its natural sound. I actually have one of these on my Jags, but don't prefer it to an original or Mastery.

Stay away from Mustang bridges, see Staytrem but worse. My beef with the Staytrem and Mustangs is that those massive thick saddles sit directly on the bridge plate and they just absorb vibration. The original and Mastery have height adjustment screws that sit on the bridge, which I feel transfer the vibrations to the bridge plate more efficiently.

My VM Jag bridge worked fine once I put heavy gauge strings on and raised the action. If you have a serious problem playing with high action it's not a good solution, but it works for me personally. No buzzing or problems with strings moving. I don't get the obsession with low action in general, but my primary instrument is bass. So high string tension isn't that much of an issue for me, even with heavy bends.

One more for you. While I went back happily to the original on my VM JM project after shimming the neck, Fender has a replacement that is a drop-in on the VM's as well, just to consider. They call it an Import "Mustang" bridge but it drops in a Jag/JM. (Fender used it on some Kurt Cobain model to get rid of the regular Mustang bridge.) . Individual height adjustment screws for the saddles vs. them resting directly on the bridge plate; about $25. Fender PN 0081239001. Again, just an option.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

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