Raga's Muffinmaster Korina Jazzmaster MkII
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Surf n Music n Ski n Bike
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Stunning work. Looking great!
ragamuffin
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Thanks!
ragamuffin
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I was unhappy with the Fender Japan Mustang bridge that I was using, mainly because it kept slipping/angling forward causing it to go out of tune, and also because of the unending buzz of the springs and loose parts. So I ordered up something fancy, a Tuffset bridge made in the UK. It's got a stainless steel body, mine has brass saddles, everything locks into place and and the radius is fully adjustable, but it maintains the "rocking" function of the Jazzmaster bridge unlike some other fancy replacements like Mastery.
It's a very solid piece of work, and it performs as designed. Zero complaints so far: it intonates well, stays in tune much better than the Fender Japan Mustang bridge that it replaced, there's no unwanted buzzing/vibrations, and it looks pretty sweet!
Does it improve sustain/tone? ... Maybe. I MAY be hearing a little more low mids and MAYBE a little more top end zing. Maybe.
But I didn't buy it for tone, I bought it to stay in tune better, to get rid of buzzing, because the radius is adjustable, because it looks well made, and tbh because it looks cool! And I am a very satisfied customer.
Also my pickups covers are in the mail, so in a couple days I can take off the electrical tape and gift card that are currently holding the pickups in place lol
It's a very solid piece of work, and it performs as designed. Zero complaints so far: it intonates well, stays in tune much better than the Fender Japan Mustang bridge that it replaced, there's no unwanted buzzing/vibrations, and it looks pretty sweet!
Does it improve sustain/tone? ... Maybe. I MAY be hearing a little more low mids and MAYBE a little more top end zing. Maybe.
But I didn't buy it for tone, I bought it to stay in tune better, to get rid of buzzing, because the radius is adjustable, because it looks well made, and tbh because it looks cool! And I am a very satisfied customer.
Also my pickups covers are in the mail, so in a couple days I can take off the electrical tape and gift card that are currently holding the pickups in place lol
ragamuffin
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I think they may exist, but rollers are kind of at odds with the traditional "rocking" function. Bridges like this one are made to grip the strings more. But if you converted to a t.o.m. style setup AND got a roller that might work pretty well, kinda like a Bigsby situation
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That bridge does look way cool. Had my eye on them for a bit.
ragamuffin
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I got the pickup covers in last week, and finally had a chance to shoot some pretty pictures!
Now that everything is in order I'm really enjoying the guitar! The pickups sound fantastic; the Fred neck pu is somewhat scooped but still has plenty of upper mid cut, the Woody++ bridge pu is, in fact, quite woody and has plenty of mids without sounding muddy or "un-Fender-y".
The fuzz sound is huuuuuuge!! Almost too huge, but its easily tamed by rolling back the volume knob or bass cut just a bit. Flavor wise it seems most like a silicon fuzz face with a bit of tonebender thrown in.
The neck is just how I like it as I knew it would be, I have some very similar Warmoth necks and they've yet to fail me. The action/playability is great; I was worried that I had given it too much angle in the neck pocket and that the bridge would be too high. I wouldn't want it any higher, but where it is now is perfectly comfortable for me.
The bridge, as noted my previous post, is great.
And that about rounds things up! I'm super happy with this build.
Now that everything is in order I'm really enjoying the guitar! The pickups sound fantastic; the Fred neck pu is somewhat scooped but still has plenty of upper mid cut, the Woody++ bridge pu is, in fact, quite woody and has plenty of mids without sounding muddy or "un-Fender-y".
The fuzz sound is huuuuuuge!! Almost too huge, but its easily tamed by rolling back the volume knob or bass cut just a bit. Flavor wise it seems most like a silicon fuzz face with a bit of tonebender thrown in.
The neck is just how I like it as I knew it would be, I have some very similar Warmoth necks and they've yet to fail me. The action/playability is great; I was worried that I had given it too much angle in the neck pocket and that the bridge would be too high. I wouldn't want it any higher, but where it is now is perfectly comfortable for me.
The bridge, as noted my previous post, is great.
And that about rounds things up! I'm super happy with this build.
Spud
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Ain't she sweet!I got the pickup covers in last week, and finally had a chance to shoot some pretty pictures!
Now that everything is in order I'm really enjoying the guitar! The pickups sound fantastic; the Fred neck pu is somewhat scooped but still has plenty of upper mid cut, the Woody++ bridge pu is, in fact, quite woody and has plenty of mids without sounding muddy or "un-Fender-y".
The fuzz sound is huuuuuuge!! Almost too huge, but its easily tamed by rolling back the volume knob or bass cut just a bit. Flavor wise it seems most like a silicon fuzz face with a bit of tonebender thrown in.
The neck is just how I like it as I knew it would be, I have some very similar Warmoth necks and they've yet to fail me. The action/playability is great; I was worried that I had given it too much angle in the neck pocket and that the bridge would be too high. I wouldn't want it any higher, but where it is now is perfectly comfortable for me.
The bridge, as noted my previous post, is great.
And that about rounds things up! I'm super happy with this build.
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ragamuffin
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Update/thoughts after four months!
While this guitar hasn't been my main player post honeymoon phase (and I never really meant for it to be), it's a damn cool guitar! I've got it looking, playing, and sounding pretty fantastic.
It's got a very different tonal flavor than my main guitars (p.a.f. pickups and hardtail bridges) and it's refreshing to play something different. The neck pickup in particular is fantastic; fat but very clear and snappy.
The trem is great! I'm generally a hardtail guy and not a fan of strat trems, but the JM trem is something I enjoy. It feels more natural to me and allows for a great "warble". Since installing the Tuffset bridge the tuning is rock solid too.
There are a few "things" though:
- I angled the neck pocket just a little more than I should have; the bridge sits pretty high and the pickups don't want to adjust quite high enough to get as close to the strings as I'd like. I suppose I might be able to correct this with a slight "reverse shim" but I haven't gotten around to messing with it.
-The bridge pickup is ok but not my favorite. It's not bad, but it's kind of honky and nasal and doesn't have the qualities that I like about the neck pickup. I could try a different jazzmaster bridge pickup, but I think it's more likely that I put something else in there; perhaps a widerange humbucker type pickup or p90 type? Idk!
-The Colorsound fuzz circuit is kind of ridiculous. I'm not saying that it isn't a cool sound, but it's massive sounding and over the top in a way that doesn't suit this guitar. When I dial back the volume or bass cut a little the fuzz quickly goes from massive to shrill and annoying. Not the right circuit for me! Anybody have a suggestion for a more usable fuzz or gritty drive circuit? Must be one or two knob.
Still enjoying the heck out it though: it just requires a little more tinkering and hey, I like to tinker!
While this guitar hasn't been my main player post honeymoon phase (and I never really meant for it to be), it's a damn cool guitar! I've got it looking, playing, and sounding pretty fantastic.
It's got a very different tonal flavor than my main guitars (p.a.f. pickups and hardtail bridges) and it's refreshing to play something different. The neck pickup in particular is fantastic; fat but very clear and snappy.
The trem is great! I'm generally a hardtail guy and not a fan of strat trems, but the JM trem is something I enjoy. It feels more natural to me and allows for a great "warble". Since installing the Tuffset bridge the tuning is rock solid too.
There are a few "things" though:
- I angled the neck pocket just a little more than I should have; the bridge sits pretty high and the pickups don't want to adjust quite high enough to get as close to the strings as I'd like. I suppose I might be able to correct this with a slight "reverse shim" but I haven't gotten around to messing with it.
-The bridge pickup is ok but not my favorite. It's not bad, but it's kind of honky and nasal and doesn't have the qualities that I like about the neck pickup. I could try a different jazzmaster bridge pickup, but I think it's more likely that I put something else in there; perhaps a widerange humbucker type pickup or p90 type? Idk!
-The Colorsound fuzz circuit is kind of ridiculous. I'm not saying that it isn't a cool sound, but it's massive sounding and over the top in a way that doesn't suit this guitar. When I dial back the volume or bass cut a little the fuzz quickly goes from massive to shrill and annoying. Not the right circuit for me! Anybody have a suggestion for a more usable fuzz or gritty drive circuit? Must be one or two knob.
Still enjoying the heck out it though: it just requires a little more tinkering and hey, I like to tinker!
Spud
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Raggamuffin, you are the MAN! Love all your builds bro!
ragamuffin
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Thank ya Mr Spudlington!
Silly question: why not back the bridge pickup off a bit? Get it further away from the strings and you'll get less honk 
Alternatively, I know Tim will be happy to accommodate if you want. His Iola set is my all time fav, but a number of my other guitars have more exotic/ specific ideas he wound and rewound until they were right.
My favorite JM mod is PTB on a switch instead of rhythm circuit, just replacing the standard treble control.
If you go 1m volume, 500k tone, then 1m in the PTB you have quite a versatile beast
Alternatively, I know Tim will be happy to accommodate if you want. His Iola set is my all time fav, but a number of my other guitars have more exotic/ specific ideas he wound and rewound until they were right.
My favorite JM mod is PTB on a switch instead of rhythm circuit, just replacing the standard treble control.
If you go 1m volume, 500k tone, then 1m in the PTB you have quite a versatile beast
ragamuffin
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Not a silly question, but I have played with the pickup height quite a bit. As it is the bridge pickup is not all that close to the strings.Silly question: why not back the bridge pickup off a bit? Get it further away from the strings and you'll get less honk
Alternatively, I know Tim will be happy to accommodate if you want. His Iola set is my all time fav, but a number of my other guitars have more exotic/ specific ideas he wound and rewound until they were right.
My favorite JM mod is PTB on a switch instead of rhythm circuit, just replacing the standard treble control.
If you go 1m volume, 500k tone, then 1m in the PTB you have quite a versatile beast
Maybe I'll shoot Tim an email and see what he think!
I'm also a big fan of PTB wiring! The lower roller knob on this guitar is a bass cut.
500k tone pot sounds like a good idea too; I currently have 1meg vol and tone pots and always have the tone knob rolled back to like 6-7
ragamuffin
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Update on the bridge pickup, I talked with Tim from Sunday Handwound who is super nice and is going to let me trade out the Woody++ bridge pickup for his "Freds" bridge pickup which matches the neck pickup and is more of a conventional jazzmaster sound.
After researching a lot of simple fuzz/drive circuits I'm thinking of swapping the Colorsound fuzz for a Mythos Golden Fleece, EQD Speaker Cranker, or a good old fashioned Fuzz Face
After researching a lot of simple fuzz/drive circuits I'm thinking of swapping the Colorsound fuzz for a Mythos Golden Fleece, EQD Speaker Cranker, or a good old fashioned Fuzz Face
Hodgo
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Is the Colorsound supposed to be a Sola Tonebender clone?
ToneBenders are my favorite fuzzes but they are hairy beasts. As you discovered, unless you push them hard they quickly become unusable.
Spud
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