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To add to what Brian said about the tremolo arm...
Be careful. There are two kinds of metal used in the creation of the
tremolo assemblies.
1. Steel: Bends nicely to put more "pinch" on the bottom of the tremolo arm
- This one is GOOD.
2. Weird composite metal: New reissues have been coming with this
configuration. I was working on Gein's jazzmaster one day (Gein and The
Graverobbers) and it had the composite metal. His tremolo arm was swinging
freely in the wind, and I said "we can fix that". I swear I just TOUCHED
that composite with the crimpers, and SNAP! One of the four little teeth in
it broke right off. I had to order him a new tremolo assembly (and got me a
gein souvenir out of the deal in the way of his old tremolo) These ones
SUCK. SUCK!
As far as I can tell, the obvious way to know is to look at the part of
your tremolo arm that slips into the hole. If it has a groove in it, you've
got bad news on your hands...if its unthreaded and ungrooved and just a
plain bar, you're cool. You can adjust it with pliers to control the
tension. Then obviously use the teflon tape.
>From: "xarxas" <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Jazzmaster bridge substitutions(long)
>Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 15:54:18 -0000
>
>--- In SurfGuitar101@y..., "ohsyrus" <ohsyrus@y...> wrote:
> >
> > Yeah, now that I have the JM guitar in my hot little hands--I have
>to
> > say that the bridge design is the suckiest piece of engineering I
> > have ever seen. Just simply retarded.
>
>...
>
> > I was just mincing around delicately, afraid to give
> > it the juice, because the strings were so hard to mount. That split
> > post without compression--what the hell? Why not just drill a hole
>in
> > the post--or throw some Sperzels on there for christs sake!
>
>Well, the idea behind the American Vintage series of guitars is to
>reproduce, as closely as possible, the guitar from 1962. So yes, it
>is primitive, and has the old fashioned tuner posts, the wacky
>bridge, the trem arm, etc. Thats what they were like in 1962.
>
>It would be beyond cool if Fender issued a modern line of Jags and
>JMs. With the truss rod adjustment at the headstock, safety tuner
>posts, a threaded arm. But I think Fender doesn't think there is a
>market for them. We are lucky to get the high quality AV line.
>
> >
> > What I am contemplating is going to a machine shop and having them
> > order me a titanium rod that is the same diameter as the barrels.
> > Then cut the rod into barrels, thread them for set screws, and
>notch
> > a nice groove--or better yet--drill a hole to hold a graphite
>offset
> > that can hold the string. Man--this is not new technology--that is
> > what bugs me about the whole thing. Although--I gotta try the
>mustang
> > bridge thing--and see if I like it.
>
>What you have described doing is basically a Mustang bridge.
>Actually, you only need the Mustang saddles, not the whole bridge.
>
> > The strings it shipped
> > with are a total joke--what pisses me off is that they threw in a
>set
> > of Fender 11-50 flatwounds--why didn't they string them on the
>guitar
> > and set it up properly?
>
>Because your average Joe guitar player would flip out if he found
>flatwounds on a guitar. It would probably put him off from buying it
>in the first place. At least Fender threw in a set of flats for those
>of us in the know. :)
>
> > And what's up with the trem bar? They can't engineer a way to keep
> > the bar in the unit when the player tips his body forward 10
>degrees?
> >
>
>Ahh yes, the trem bar. My nemesis. They are supposed to click into
>place if you push it in all the way. You may have to adjust the
>collet or wrap some teflon tape around the bar to keep it in.
>
>Have fun with your guitar. Sounds cool
>
>BN
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger:
hmmmm--I think it has grooves. :-( Should I search for a replacement?
doesn't sound very vintage, does it....
--- In SurfGuitar101@y..., "-=Dan Ware=-" <reverbtank@h...> wrote:
> To add to what Brian said about the tremolo arm...
>
> Be careful. There are two kinds of metal used in the creation of
the
> tremolo assemblies.
>
> 1. Steel: Bends nicely to put more "pinch" on the bottom of the
tremolo arm
> - This one is GOOD.
> 2. Weird composite metal: New reissues have been coming with this
> configuration. I was working on Gein's jazzmaster one day (Gein and
The
> Graverobbers) and it had the composite metal. His tremolo arm was
swinging
> freely in the wind, and I said "we can fix that". I swear I just
TOUCHED
> that composite with the crimpers, and SNAP! One of the four little
teeth in
> it broke right off. I had to order him a new tremolo assembly (and
got me a
> gein souvenir out of the deal in the way of his old tremolo) These
ones
> SUCK. SUCK!
>
> As far as I can tell, the obvious way to know is to look at the
part of
> your tremolo arm that slips into the hole. If it has a groove in
it, you've
> got bad news on your hands...if its unthreaded and ungrooved and
just a
> plain bar, you're cool. You can adjust it with pliers to control
the
> tension. Then obviously use the teflon tape.
>
>
> >From: "xarxas" <bneal@z...>
> >Reply-To: SurfGuitar101@y...
> >To: SurfGuitar101@y...
> >Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Jazzmaster bridge substitutions(long)
> >Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 15:54:18 -0000
> >
> >--- In SurfGuitar101@y..., "ohsyrus" <ohsyrus@y...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Yeah, now that I have the JM guitar in my hot little hands--I
have
> >to
> > > say that the bridge design is the suckiest piece of engineering
I
> > > have ever seen. Just simply retarded.
> >
> >...
> >
> > > I was just mincing around delicately, afraid to give
> > > it the juice, because the strings were so hard to mount. That
split
> > > post without compression--what the hell? Why not just drill a
hole
> >in
> > > the post--or throw some Sperzels on there for christs sake!
> >
> >Well, the idea behind the American Vintage series of guitars is to
> >reproduce, as closely as possible, the guitar from 1962. So yes, it
> >is primitive, and has the old fashioned tuner posts, the wacky
> >bridge, the trem arm, etc. Thats what they were like in 1962.
> >
> >It would be beyond cool if Fender issued a modern line of Jags and
> >JMs. With the truss rod adjustment at the headstock, safety tuner
> >posts, a threaded arm. But I think Fender doesn't think there is a
> >market for them. We are lucky to get the high quality AV line.
> >
> > >
> > > What I am contemplating is going to a machine shop and having
them
> > > order me a titanium rod that is the same diameter as the
barrels.
> > > Then cut the rod into barrels, thread them for set screws, and
> >notch
> > > a nice groove--or better yet--drill a hole to hold a graphite
> >offset
> > > that can hold the string. Man--this is not new technology--that
is
> > > what bugs me about the whole thing. Although--I gotta try the
> >mustang
> > > bridge thing--and see if I like it.
> >
> >What you have described doing is basically a Mustang bridge.
> >Actually, you only need the Mustang saddles, not the whole bridge.
> >
> > > The strings it shipped
> > > with are a total joke--what pisses me off is that they threw in
a
> >set
> > > of Fender 11-50 flatwounds--why didn't they string them on the
> >guitar
> > > and set it up properly?
> >
> >Because your average Joe guitar player would flip out if he found
> >flatwounds on a guitar. It would probably put him off from buying
it
> >in the first place. At least Fender threw in a set of flats for
those
> >of us in the know. :)
> >
> > > And what's up with the trem bar? They can't engineer a way to
keep
> > > the bar in the unit when the player tips his body forward 10
> >degrees?
> > >
> >
> >Ahh yes, the trem bar. My nemesis. They are supposed to click into
> >place if you push it in all the way. You may have to adjust the
> >collet or wrap some teflon tape around the bar to keep it in.
> >
> >Have fun with your guitar. Sounds cool
> >
> >BN
> >
> >
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: -=Dan Ware=- [mailto:]
> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 12:59 PM
> Subject: [SurfGuitar101] tremolo assemblies
..
> I swear I just TOUCHED
> that composite with the crimpers, and SNAP! One of the four
> little teeth in
> it broke right off. I had to order him a new tremolo assembly
> (and got me a
> gein souvenir out of the deal in the way of his old tremolo) These ones
> SUCK. SUCK!
Yes, I know this anguish very well. I did this twice (a year apart)!!!! I
broke 2 #$@$%&*! collets doing this. The metal used for the AV reissue
collets does not bend! It is brittle and will break. I have heard people
have better luck with the Japanese reissues.
So let this be a warning to you...
I sold both of my broken tremolo assemblies on E-bay. One got $35 and the
other $20 something I think. In both cases, guys building their own Bass VI
replicas bought them. Each one had no intention of using the trem arm
anyway, so they just needed the tail piece functionality. And thank god for
the trem-loc.
BN
