1958/1959 Jazzmaster Bridge

[armensguitars]

I have seen a few comments on here regarding the very earliest Jazzmaster bridges having narrower threads on the B and E strings. I have one of these bridges from one of my guitars, and wondering if anyone has more information on when they were used from, as I had thought it was only until early 1959.

[Highnumbers]

I believe that bridge (and more specifically, saddle) was used clear up through 1962.

[armensguitars]

I believe that bridge (and more specifically, saddle) was used clear up through 1962.

Exclusively? This is interesting as I got this bridge on a 1961 so that would check out, but I hadn't read anything about it prior. Thank you!!

[Highnumbers]

I believe that bridge (and more specifically, saddle) was used clear up through 1962.

Exclusively? This is interesting as I got this bridge on a 1961 so that would check out, but I hadn't read anything about it prior. Thank you!!

Yes, as far as I know the bridges all had the fine threads on high E/B strings until they made the switch, which I believe was in late 1962 or 1963, when all bridge saddles had the same course thread.

[timtam]

Just checked the saddle threads on the bridge off an L-series jag (~64 ?) ...

1 28 TPI
2 24 TPI
3 28 TPI
4 28 TPI
5 24 TPI
6 24 TPI

Of course it's possible that someone mixed up the saddle order along the way (who even knows how careful they were at the factory ?) - which looks likely for the B and D string here. But I have no reason to suspect that the bridge itself was not original on that guitar.

The saddles on the AV65 reissue jazzmaster were also spec-ed as all either 24 TPI or 28 TPI. Same on the latest reissues (AVII-66).

Is there evidence that the earliest bridges had higher TPI on the B and E ?

[armensguitars]

Just checked the saddle threads on the bridge off an L-series jag (~64 ?) ...

1 28 TPI
2 24 TPI
3 28 TPI
4 28 TPI
5 24 TPI
6 24 TPI

Of course it's possible that someone mixed up the saddle order along the way (who even knows how careful they were at the factory ?) - which looks likely for the B and D string here. But I have no reason to suspect that the bridge itself was not original on that guitar.

The saddles on the AV65 reissue jazzmaster were also spec-ed as all either 24 TPI or 28 TPI. Same on the latest reissues (AVII-66).

Is there evidence that the earliest bridges had higher TPI on the B and E ?

That is pretty bizarre, maybe someone swapped post factory? But who knows