Jazz Trem
- Thread starter mwbjr13
- Start date
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
It's better than the Fender unit in that it doesn't have the worthless lock, so all you have to live with is the piss-poor hinge design, single spring, and flimsy wang bar all delivering inconsistent vibrato action. If you mate it up with some locking tuners, a Graphtech nut, and either a Wilkinson roller, roller TOM or Mastery bridge, then promise not to use it much, I imagine you could learn to live with it. You'd at least get the vintage appearance out of the deal.
Ideally, though, you'd get a Jazzmaster/Jaguar body routed for a Wilkinson VS100.
Ideally, though, you'd get a Jazzmaster/Jaguar body routed for a Wilkinson VS100.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
Don't listen to him. He's old and grumpy, and hates children. :toothy12:
I love them, whole lot better than 6 point strat trems. At least Leo improved on his old designs.
I love them, whole lot better than 6 point strat trems. At least Leo improved on his old designs.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
Depends. Are you a grumpy old man? :toothy12:
I play surf, jazz, and math metal.. I don't use trems for dive bombing, I don't use them often, but I miss them when they aren't there. They're great for subtle, soft pitch changes, but they do go out of tune if you try to use them too much. If you aren't concerned in the aesthetics, you're probably better off with a wilky like cagey mentioned, but those jazzy trems are sexy.
I play surf, jazz, and math metal.. I don't use trems for dive bombing, I don't use them often, but I miss them when they aren't there. They're great for subtle, soft pitch changes, but they do go out of tune if you try to use them too much. If you aren't concerned in the aesthetics, you're probably better off with a wilky like cagey mentioned, but those jazzy trems are sexy.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
marthur said:
$45. Let me know if you need one, I'll get you the guys info.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
Day-mun said:
Pm'd. Glad to have helped yet another grumpy old man across the street... :toothy12:
Re-Pete
Hero Member
- Messages
- 637
Cagey said:
I concur with Cagey's comments here, but wish to add that having a Jazzmaster styled body routed for a Wilkinson will move the Wilkinson's trem arm quite forward.
Some players may not like the way the trem arm may get in the way of their usual playing style.
Plus the Wilkinson doesn't give the Jazzmaster body the usual trad look, and the expanse of body behind the Wilkinson bridge might look odd to some.
I also don;t think that Warmoth will route a Jaguar body for a Wilkinson. I think it's either a trad styled routing or nothing?
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
If the Wilkinson's arm were as long as the old Fender arm, I would agree that it might be a distraction. But the length of the Fender arm is due to having to reach all the way to the ass end of the guitar, while the Wilkie's doesn't. The end points where you grab onto them to move the bridge will end up in roughly the same place.
You're right in that the Wilkinsons don't look like the traditional Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato tailpiece, and for a long time I thought that would be a concern as well. As you say - lotta real estate back there doing nothing if you don't install something there to distract the eye. But, somebody recently put one together that way and it looked fine. I can't find the damned thing now, but I'm hoping somebody will and post a copy of the picture here. It doesn't look as goofy as you might imagine. Quite the opposite - it's a joy to behold, as it opens up the design to a lot of people like myself who wouldn't otherwise consider using that body design.
As for Warmoth routing for a different bridge. I just posted one a few days back on the GAS page. Any ol' bridge you want; no charge. So, it's doable. And preferable. You should buy that body and make a proper Jazzmaster. You deserve it and you know it, because life is good. And fair.
You're right in that the Wilkinsons don't look like the traditional Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato tailpiece, and for a long time I thought that would be a concern as well. As you say - lotta real estate back there doing nothing if you don't install something there to distract the eye. But, somebody recently put one together that way and it looked fine. I can't find the damned thing now, but I'm hoping somebody will and post a copy of the picture here. It doesn't look as goofy as you might imagine. Quite the opposite - it's a joy to behold, as it opens up the design to a lot of people like myself who wouldn't otherwise consider using that body design.
As for Warmoth routing for a different bridge. I just posted one a few days back on the GAS page. Any ol' bridge you want; no charge. So, it's doable. And preferable. You should buy that body and make a proper Jazzmaster. You deserve it and you know it, because life is good. And fair.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
Here's a shot of an old-style Jazzmaster vs. a Squire copy that sorta illustrates what I'm talking about. The Squire doesn't have a Wilkie, of course, but the concept is similar. You can see the differences in where the arm ends up, and what a naked butt looks like on that body style...
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
I think he was talking specifically of a jaguar, in which case I think he's right about routing.
Re-Pete
Hero Member
- Messages
- 637
I just found a pic on file of a Jazzmaster style guitar with a Wilkinson trem. My recollection was prob wrong about the trem being too forward as it appears no more forward than Cagey's pic previous of the Squire.
But you can see there's a fair amount of body behind the trem/bridge, that gives the body an unbalanced aesthetic.
I'm also speculating, historically, that once Leo designed the offset body he realised he couldn't use the usual Strat trem (would have looked odd) and had to figure out a way to design a tailpiece/trem separate from the bridge, without impinging upon any previous design like the Bigsby or anything Gibson had done.
The OP however, seems more intent on filling the existing JM styled trem hole, with an improved design. In that case, the use of a Wilkinson might be too left field?
But you can see there's a fair amount of body behind the trem/bridge, that gives the body an unbalanced aesthetic.
I'm also speculating, historically, that once Leo designed the offset body he realised he couldn't use the usual Strat trem (would have looked odd) and had to figure out a way to design a tailpiece/trem separate from the bridge, without impinging upon any previous design like the Bigsby or anything Gibson had done.
The OP however, seems more intent on filling the existing JM styled trem hole, with an improved design. In that case, the use of a Wilkinson might be too left field?
Attachments
I have no qualms with the Wilkinson trem but I was hoping to keep the traditional look of the jazz but with more functionality. I think my love of the body style out weighs my liking of the bridge and I use a lot of trem. I'm just conflicted between looks and functionality.
Similar threads
