Congratulations on your new Jag.
I have a bunch of really nice guitars and yet one of those Squier Jags still burns bright on my want list.
Enjoy!

Cheers,
Jeff

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All of the vintage modified series are pretty amazing instruments, without price even being considered. Don’t like the poly neck? Sand it off and tru oil it, it’s only a couple hundred dollar axe...so no biggie.

Grats on the score. My vote is for mint.
As far as bridges, my vote is for mastery. It’s expensive, and they take forever to ship, but even the staytrem on my vi doesn’t compare.
If it’s a guitar you think you’ll keep indefinitely I’d even venture to say the full mastery kit is worth it, the vibrato and bridge. It’ll probably cost more than what you paid for the guitar, but they got the offset hardware absolutely dialed.

Last edited: Oct 14, 2017 19:02:24

Thanks for all the helpful advice. This is my first offset and experience with the notorious Jag/JM bridge (been pretty much a Gretsch/Guild archtop and Tele guy). For what I do, the stock vibrato has been working fine....enough wobble and stays in tune surprisingly well but I am used to Bigsby's so I understand judicious use of the whammy bar. It is unfortunate that someone doesn't make a moderately priced alternative to the Jag/JM bridge. Proper deeper saddle slots in the correct spacing, better height adjustment screws and maybe optional nylon sleeves for the posts if you want to disable the rocking feature.
I am intrigued by the recommendation of the AVRI bridge. Is there something better about that bridge that is an improvement over the stock import VM Jag bridge?
With regards to the Tone Bakery Reverb Unit. Couldn't be happier with it.
IMO, you can't beat it for under 400.00 (got mine for 33.00 incl free shipping).
Changing out the stock 6V6 for a proper NOS 6K6 cleaned up that bit of OD grind it was hitting my amp with when cranked and tamed the high end although some might like that. It really nails the vintage '63 reverb tone from fat blues 'verb to super drippy surf. The only thing I would recommend is for a gigging musician to have the uncoated tweed cloth covering lacquered for protection....mine never leaves the house so it would only be for cosmetics.

I forgot to mention, the VM Jag sounds great with the Tone Bakery Reverb Unit. I was really pleasantly surprised by the stock Duncan Designed pu's in the VM Jag (once I figured out the switching system ). Fatter, tighter low end than I was expecting (even the bridge pu isn't thin sounding at all) and while there is plenty of high end on hand it's not shrill or ice picky whatsoever. Definitely the sound I was looking for surfy stuff. There's something about these vintage style Jags that begs for for big doses of reverb...the more 'verb the better it sounds unlike other guitars that disappear in too much reverb.
Re my Gretsch and Guild guitars. My Gretsch is a 2006 6116 PTV Power Tenny made at the Terada plant in Japan. Incredible guitar. TV Jones PowerTron pu's, pinned bridge base, '59 Trestle bracing, Sperzel Locking tuners all stock except for the Tru Arc Bar Bridge. Immaculate, perfect, build quality and playability. The Guild is a Korean made Newark St Series X175B Manhattan with very accurate reproductions of the vintage Guild Franz pu's that look alot like P-90's but have a sound of their own. It's not a vintage USA Guild but it's made very well and has one of the nicest necks I have ever played. I also have a very nice MIM Fender Classic Player Tele in faded Sonic Blue w/ USA Custom Shop pu's...a very nice playing and killer sounding Tele. Last but not least is a MIJ ESP/Edwards Les Paul copy. One of those non-export guitars you generally have to order from Japan. Beautiful flame maple top, finished in real Nitro Cellulose lacquer w/ Duncan Seth Lover pu's. Great sounding and playing alternative to a Gibson for much less $$$. But I gotta say, this little cheap Jag is a bunch of fun....really gets the "sound" without a lot of effort.

Last edited: Oct 14, 2017 22:47:45

The 6116PTV and the single pu 6119PTV are great arch tops for rock n roll. Gretsch made an initial run of 100 6116PTV's in '06 (mine is from that run) and a year or so later, another small run.
Until owning a Jag, I never noticed that the pu's (at least the covers) are actually larger than Strat pu's. The Duncan Designed VM pu's like most good Jag pu's pretty much have their own unique sound when coupled with the extra short scale, Jag bridge and trem. Gotta wonder what a Jag neck pu would sound like in a Tele neck position? I know they did a VM Tele with a Jazzmaster neck pu (and JM neck) that sounded great...another Squier VM sleeper.

Thanks for all the info on the bridge alternatives....glad I didn't order any of them. I am considering shimming the neck. Right now the problem I am having is kind of a "push/pull" thing. I am getting some unwanted buzz on the low E and A strings when fretted but I don't think it's the bridge; I probably just need to put a bit of relief back in the neck but what then happens is there is less string tension on the bridge saddles (especially if I lower them a hair to get the action down a bit more) and alot of the bridge buzz returns, even on open strings. Any suggestions re what to use to shim the neck? I have plenty of expired credit cards, etc laying around.

In my experience it seems you're talking about a couple of different things here. If it were me, I'd shim the neck with a small piece of 400-grit sandpaper or thinner, doubled-over or not, to get maybe .008-.010" thickness. You can use something else; just happens to be what I use, doesn't compress over time. With shimming, a little goes a long way. Then you can raise the whole bridge a bit to get some better break-angle without sacrificing the jangly character of the guitar.

Relief is a different deal and the basic Fender setup ref is a good starting point for that. On a VM you have, what, a 9.5" radius neck? Try .010 of relief (25mm) as they recommend measuring it. Also, when you adjust saddles, make the sure the individual saddle is level, BOTH screws tight to the bridge plate. This can be another unwanted source of rattling, the wrong kind.

Getting individual string heights right will result in following the radius of the fingerboard (so maybe 3 things not 2, lol). Again, I'd start with the Fender ref of 5/64 bass side/wound strings, and 4/64 for the unwounds. Then go from there. I've found I actually like the lower strings up a bit like that because it helps when you're really digging on them, but you get nice round notes when you need them. YMMV.

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.

JakeDobner wrote:

I'm the opposite!

You are a fine guitar player; I'm the opposite.

Where do you typically run your action Jake, and are you still with 12's on the Jag or... ?

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.

I just use a piece for the front half. I double over the paper, grits facing, so not bearing on the wood. Again, just what I use & it's not much in terms of thickness to accomplish quite a bit. Only know the thickness 'cause awhile back I said "huh, how about that" and put the dial caliper on it.

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.

12's are a bit much for my small, 60 yr old, arthritic hands...even on a 24" scale neck.