Mustang / Jaguar

[spauldingrules]

So I cannot get a different bridge on these models from Warmoth?  Only routed for Mustang / Jag? 

Anyone know?  If so, that is totally weak.  They'd sell a lot more if they even did a standard strat rout.

 

[nathan a]

I asked them about that a while back-- you're right, just the original bridge design. Could always leave bridge route out and DIY  :-\

 

[spauldingrules]

Kind of a shame - USACG does other routes on a Jag.  Maybe Warmoth should step up!

 

[willyk]

Have you asked them about a custom bridge route, as a special order? It might cost a few bucks ($??)  Might be worthwhile :dontknow:

 

[spauldingrules]

I emailed them and they haven't replied yet - although, I did send it from work, so I won't be able to check it until tomorrow.  I'll let you know what they say.  Although, USACG will do it for the same price (although they don't have a Mustang).  I have been so happy with my Warmoths, though, I'd hate to get it from somewhere else.    But if I have to, are there any other places to get a Mustang or Jag body for relatively cheap?

 

[Kostas]

USACG are offering only Jag/Jazz bodies and they are not cheap, same prices as Warmoth. First decide the exact body shape you want and then the company. If you go with Warmoth better leave it unrouted and have an experienced luthier do it for you with the bridge of your choice.

 

[stubhead]

What's the big deal? Buy a bridge and screw it on:

You have to drill the six holes for the strings-through on this style bridge, but there are other topmount ones like the Schaller 475 (that Warmoth sells). A Mustang body is 1.5 inches thick, so you physically can't use a Strat whammy bridge on one if that's what you want - there's not enough room for the springs. Hard to see how anybody'd "sell more".... Warmoth does offer a Strat bridge route on the Jazzmaster so I'm sure they could do it on the thicker 1.75" Jaguar body, but because of the scale length difference it wouldn't be in their CNC programming so you'd pay extra.

You can do a Jag yourself too, it's just a hole in some wood. :hello2: A router is most politically correct, a moto-tool will do, Antonio Stradivarius endorsed Buck Knives for his fiddles and they came out OK.

P.S. (The other option would be a TOM/stop tailpiece setup - again, Warmoth knows that route, but it's not lined up for a Mustang {yet}. With this you'd have to have them re-angle the neck pocket, too. Just about anybody will do just about anything if you just throw enough money at them - proceed with caution, on that little lesson. :toothy12

 

[spauldingrules]

Here's their response:

We don't offer any bridge routing but what you see on the page, we can omit any bridge routing and you can get that taken care of on your end.

Best regards,

Dan Allen
Warmoth Guitar Products, Inc.

I just don't want to mess with doing a route myself, although I guess I would consider it.  How simple is it to determine bridge location, and how microscopically correct does it need to be?

 

[Rickgrxbass]

How simple is it to determine bridge location, and how microscopically correct does it need to be?

What type of bridge are you looking at?  As was said earlier, a standard-style trem may not physically fit in the body.  A Kahler or Bigsby-style, OTOH...

Bridge location is pretty straightforward.  The breakpoint (where the strings cross the saddles) has to be the same distance from the 12th fret as the nut for proper scale length.  To measure this you can use a ruler or even a bit of string; Stewmac sells a special tool for this if you want to spend a lot of money on a tool you're only going to use once or twice.  You'll want to allow adjustment back and forth for intonation.  As far as side-to-side placement, I dunno, I'd probably string up two old guitar strings to the outside tuning machines and bridge saddles and square it up.

As far as being "microscopically correct", that's what the intonation screws are for.  As long as you put the bridge the in the mathematically correct (scale length) location, you can adjust the intonation without any big problems.

 

[tfarny]

I guess you wanna be real careful left to right on the placement, you should probably string up both E's, get the scale length right (with the intonation screws about the halfway point, just to be cautious? You don't want to find out you drilled it 2 mm too far back to intonate the high E or vice versa). Then you could get the left-right spot just right, mark it, and start drilling. Assuming you want some kind of strat-style hardtail that doesn't sound too hard. If you're using a string-through body hardtail bridge, you definitely want to use a drill press for those holes because they need to be dead straight through the body. A surface-mount bigsby might look cool on a mustang, but other trem options may be too tough.

I like this trend of people cutting up their W bodies themselves - it's inspirational (ie, gives me GAS).

 

[stubhead]

String lengths are always going to be longer than scale length, because strings always go sharper when you press them. On a 25 1/2" scale length guitar, your saddles will be about 25 9/16th" to 25 3/4" back, high to low. Unless the aliens have goomed my brain* and strings start going flatter when they stretch further.



*(It's been known to happen....) :blob7: