May Birthdays 
Last autumn I purchased a gently used Vintera '60s Jazzmaster, which arrived with a terrible set-up. It appeared that the original owner futzed around with the bridge but didn't have a clue how to dial it in, which is probably why she sold it so quickly! Like many neophytes, I also struggled for quite a while with the set-up. The rattling and instability of the bridge was easy to fix with blue Loctite and a neck shim, but it took a little longer to figure out how to best adjust the vibrato tension. I got the relief set up per spec, but I don't have a radius gauge and relied on using a coin to get the saddles' relative heights correct.
The one area that gave me the most trouble was figuring how to correctly position the strings on the threaded saddles, since there are quite a lot of options. I tried aligning the strings with the centers of the poles on bridge pickup and also tried it with the neck pickup, and it just didn't feel right; I think the pickups were not perfectly positioned at the factory. That, combined with the round 7.25" radius, was giving me fits. I struggled for weeks trying to get the low action I like without the high E choking above the 12th fret.
Late one night last week, in a fit of frustration, I said 'flark it' and ordered an All Parts Mustang bridge on Amazon. I figured that the pre-set saddle heights and string spacing would solve the problems I was wrestling with.
Literally the very next night, I took a fresh look at the bridge set-up, and it dawned on my that I should start by positioning the D and G strings on either side of the neck dot closest to the heel, and then position the outer strings accordingly. VOILA! That did the trick. I achieved the low action I wanted and the high E on the upper frets no longer chokes. The Jazzmaster was immediately transformed into a terrific, fun playing guitar as soon as I had that revelation!
So here's the thing... With all of the set-up problems solved and the guitar playing great, I still had that Mustang bridge on its way, and it was delivered today. I can easily return it for a refund - it's still in its packaging - but it only cost $20 , so I'm wondering if I should just hang onto it.
This longwinded post leads to the following question:
What benefits, if any, would I gain by swapping in the Mustang bridge at this point? Do the larger saddles have more mass (= more sustain)? Is there a meaningful tonal difference between the chrome Mustang saddles and threaded steel JM saddles?
Should I just call it a day and send back the Mustang bridge?
—THE HYDRONAUTS…Surf Music from the shores of old Cape Cod.
CLICK HERE to check out our first album, Interstallar Clambake!
Last edited: Jun 17, 2022 16:44:55
