Locking down the Squier VM Mustang Tailpeice?

[yearofstang11]

I'm considering flipping the tailpiece and locking it down. This has always been my dream set up as then the Mustang could be easily strung. I also want to purchase a TOM bridge. These are the only mods I think the guitar needs. I found a video on you tube and the guy said he really struggled to remove the springs. Has anyone else done this mod on the Squier that could tell me how everything went?

[yearofstang11]

I found this on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002V3C ... +tailpiece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you think if I flipped the tailpiece and adjusted that bridge this would be a better set up?

[tylerforyou]

Half this site is about the glory of the mustang bridge and you want to put a TOM on your mustang.

[yearofstang11]

Half this site is about the glory of the mustang bridge and you want to put a TOM on your mustang.

Well that is what I said... but not so fast!

I have played Mustangs with the stock bridge, Mastery Bridge and TOM bridge. I thought that the best sounding was surprisingly the stock Mustang bridge. The Kurt Cobain Mustang didn't sound that great TBH. The Mastery bridge was my favorite but for the price I can't justify spending that cash.

The mod I'm more interested in is the hardtail mod by flipping the tailpiece and and letting the strings just glide through for easy stringing. This might decrease tension but I have always thought that this would be a more reasonable mod than most.

I ordered the all parts Mustang Tailpiece and supposedly it also comes with a Mustang bridge. I hope to lock the trem and just insert the new tailpiece into my guitar with out modding the original tailpiece so I can still go back if I want to. Allegedly what I ordered comes with a Mustang bridge but I'm not too sure about that. I'll see what arrives. I potentially might order a TOM because I think that would sound better with a 9.5" radius. It's all up in the air.

I got this guitar for a little over $200. I have always wanted a Mustang with a locked down tailpiece and string through bridge with out going Fender hardtail. I'm just trying to make my dream a reality.

[trinitrotoluene]

I did this mod to my VM Mustang:




I had already replaced the stock bridge with a Mastery, and had replaced the Squier vibrato with a Fender one before I had decided to "flip the hotdog."

Removing the springs from underneath the vibrato was incredibly difficult and I did essentially damage them in the process. I had to use pliers to open the loops at the end of each spring just to free them, because the tension made it difficult otherwise. I then put 3 washers on top of each of the skinnier ends of the vibrato posts, to fill the gap between them and the underside of the vibrato plate. I apologize that I don't have any photos of this. Lastly, I shimmed the neck to increase the break angle over the bridge, as it drastically decreases when implementing this mod.

[yearofstang11]

Nicely done!

How does the Mustang sound with the flipped cigar tube? All of the hassle was it worth it? The main concern I can think of would be string tension.

Did the Fender tailpiece fit right on? From what I remember the Fender tailpiece felt more solid than the stock Squier one. The All Parts one I just ordered might be just a replacement but I'm hoping it is a little nicer as well.

Did you have to pay extra for the M2 Mastery Bridge? I'm tempted to just buy one again and be done with it but I'm really pressed to find the right bridge. I heard the adjusto-matic just drops right in so that is an option. I would still need to shim the neck the recommended .40mm. So I'm tempted to take the easy route and go Warmoth Modified Mustang Bridge or if needed the Mastery Bridge. I'm just having a hard time coming to terms putting that bridge on this Mustang because it will cost me almost the price of the guitar. The Squier bridge needs to go though.

[trinitrotoluene]

The Mustang sounds fine with the flipped tube, and I didn't notice any changes from how it sounded with the vibrato intact. I use D'Addario balanced tension 11s, and the strings feel like how 10s are on my Jazzmaster. The drastic decrease in the break angle is the main issue, and I don't think this mod would work well with the stock bridge, or other Mustang style bridge, because the strings may pop out of the saddles. The M1 Mastery Bridge worked for me on this guitar, but I would purchase the M2 just in case, which is only about $20 extra, so that you have both M1 and M2 bridge post sizes available. You never know what manufacturing variables the Squiers have. It may seem ridiculous to pay as much for a bridge as what the guitar cost, but it makes the guitar so much better. The Fender vibrato unit was an easy drop-in replacement, and is much heavier and sturdier than the Squier one. This will matter more if you are actually using the vibrato, so for a hard tail mod, the stock Squier vibrato will be just fine. I had already replaced it with the Fender vibrato before deciding to do this mod.

I don't use vibrato and really just wanted to have a hard tail Mustang. I did this mod in the fall of 2013 before the new hard tail Mustangs were introduced, and prefer the look of having the traditional Mustang tailpiece, so I would do this mod again if I ever get another Mustang.

[yearofstang11]

Thanks for replying.


It sounds like a great mod. I might eventually get around to doing it with a adjustomatic. I've decided to first see if the all parts tailpiece is any better and I'm going to order a Warmoth Modified Mustang Bridge. My goal is to try from simplistic least expensive options to most complicated and more expspensive mods. The modified Mustang bridge should drop right in without shimming so maybe that is all I need. If I can get this anywhere near as stable as a 65 or 69 RI that will be ok with me

[tammyw]

Removing the springs from underneath the vibrato was incredibly difficult ...

That must have been the Fender unit. It's funny because when I had a VM Mustang, the first time changing the strings, the springs just fell off inside.

[yearofstang11]

Removing the springs from underneath the vibrato was incredibly difficult ...

That must have been the Fender unit. It's funny because when I had a VM Mustang, the first time changing the strings, the springs just fell off inside.

Honestly my stock tremolo doesn't work at all as how I remember the Fender one did.

Who knows maybe the springs are just flopping around in there.

Will see when I get my new tailpiece and bridge...

[yearofstang11]

Just ordered the Warmoth Modified Mustang Bridge. So I should have everything sometime next month.

[yearofstang11]

I ended up just replacing the tremolo tailpiece. I heard some popping noises when tuning and kinda freaked out. Thinking maybe the tailpiece wasn't aligned correctly, I took off the strings and everything seemed fine. (The stock screws weren't really lined up well.) Restrung once more and everything was OK. Something I noticed is that the All Parts Tailpiece is probably the same as the stock tailpiece. I couldn't tell any differences. I used the stock screws and didn't even expect them to come with them. The whammy bar that came with the All Parts kit is garbage though and the plastic piece won't even stay on. I'm going to contact them and hope that they can send me a new whammy bar as this one is too sharp to use without the plastic tip. The stock whammy bar is defiantly of higher quality!

Some other things I noticed. Nut sauce really helps as a nut lubricant but needs to be used every restring. Lemon oil on the fretboard work much better than other cleaning and conditioning products. Restringing yours guitars strings every week or so would be ideal if you are concerned about tone. (I know I'm not going to be able to stick to this!) Polishing your guitar after every use really brings out the contours on the guitar! Also using polish on the hardware keeps it looking new!

Back to my main focus...

The All Parts and stock tailpiece both have the springs on the 2nd notch. I'm wondering what notch my Fender was because I remember the tension much differently on my '65 Mustang RI. I didn't lock my tailpiece yet but I still haven't really been able to find a useful setup for this! The tailpiece seems really "stiff". I raise the tailpiece up high because without doing that I can't restring it. I don't really know what else to try?

Excited to get my new Modified Bridge by Warmoth. Hopefully that will be enough mods for awhile. I was planning on switching tuners out but the stock tuners are fine. I would like a new neck-plate without the Squier logo but that may not happen.

[Embenny]

I ended up just replacing the tremolo tailpiece. I heard some popping noises when tuning and kinda freaked out. Thinking maybe the tailpiece wasn't aligned correctly, I took off the strings and everything seemed fine. (The stock screws weren't really lined up well.) Restrung once more and everything was OK. Something I noticed is that the All Parts Tailpiece is probably the same as the stock tailpiece. I couldn't tell any differences. I used the stock screws and didn't even expect them to come with them. The whammy bar that came with the All Parts kit is garbage though and the plastic piece won't even stay on. I'm going to contact them and hope that they can send me a new whammy bar as this one is too sharp to use without the plastic tip. The stock whammy bar is defiantly of higher quality!

Some other things I noticed. Nut sauce really helps as a nut lubricant but needs to be used every restring. Lemon oil on the fretboard work much better than other cleaning and conditioning products. Restringing yours guitars strings every week or so would be ideal if you are concerned about tone. (I know I'm not going to be able to stick to this!) Polishing your guitar after every use really brings out the contours on the guitar! Also using polish on the hardware keeps it looking new!

Back to my main focus...

The All Parts and stock tailpiece both have the springs on the 2nd notch. I'm wondering what notch my Fender was because I remember the tension much differently on my '65 Mustang RI. I didn't lock my tailpiece yet but I still haven't really been able to find a useful setup for this! The tailpiece seems really "stiff". I raise the tailpiece up high because without doing that I can't restring it. I don't really know what else to try?

Excited to get my new Modified Bridge by Warmoth. Hopefully that will be enough mods for awhile. I was planning on switching tuners out but the stock tuners are fine. I would like a new neck-plate without the Squier logo but that may not happen.

Three thoughts:
1) If you're having problems with binding at the nut unless you put lubricant every string change, then you probably need to file the slots a bit.

2) Go easy on the lemon oil. It's not a cleaning product - and it's not even a proper conditioning product. It seeps in to the wood, displaces moisture, and actually exacerbates dryness and cracking in the long-term (think of it like licking your lips - looks and feels better for a moment, but then exacerbates the underlying problem). Not to mention that it can build up and leave string-killing gunk. No serious luthier I have ever spoken to has thought lemon oil was a good idea.

3) Instead of restringing weekly, consider trying Elixirs. I've been using them for 15 years. The current formula really sounds great to my ears and feels more or less like regular strings, but the tone lasts for months, and it's a lot more convenient than weekly string changes, not to mention cheaper! Costs as much as 2-3 packs of cheap strings, but lasts as long as 10 of them or more (in my personal experience using them on a dozen guitars for a decade and a half).

[honeyiscool]

I locked my Mustang down. I didn't flip the cigar tube, as I never cared for the lack of break angle. But what I did is this. I took the cigar tubes completely off from the stock posts. Then, I slipped the springs off of the tailpiece notch (which is easy, getting the springs off the posts is another matter, as others have mentioned). Then, I went to the hardware store and bought some metric hex bolts that bolted into the cigar tubes, and a few washers that slipped over the bolts. Then, I slipped the bolts from underneath and stuck a washer between the cigar tube (not flipped) and the plate, a little bit of Loctite for good measure, really cranked the hex bolt down, so that everything's locked down and nothing moves. I really like how stable it feels now. I'll probably float it again one day, but while I'm doing more rhythm gigs, I didn't want the wobbly tailpiece to mess up my tuning.

[yearofstang11]

I ended up just replacing the tremolo tailpiece. I heard some popping noises when tuning and kinda freaked out. Thinking maybe the tailpiece wasn't aligned correctly, I took off the strings and everything seemed fine. (The stock screws weren't really lined up well.) Restrung once more and everything was OK. Something I noticed is that the All Parts Tailpiece is probably the same as the stock tailpiece. I couldn't tell any differences. I used the stock screws and didn't even expect them to come with them. The whammy bar that came with the All Parts kit is garbage though and the plastic piece won't even stay on. I'm going to contact them and hope that they can send me a new whammy bar as this one is too sharp to use without the plastic tip. The stock whammy bar is defiantly of higher quality!

Some other things I noticed. Nut sauce really helps as a nut lubricant but needs to be used every restring. Lemon oil on the fretboard work much better than other cleaning and conditioning products. Restringing yours guitars strings every week or so would be ideal if you are concerned about tone. (I know I'm not going to be able to stick to this!) Polishing your guitar after every use really brings out the contours on the guitar! Also using polish on the hardware keeps it looking new!

Back to my main focus...

The All Parts and stock tailpiece both have the springs on the 2nd notch. I'm wondering what notch my Fender was because I remember the tension much differently on my '65 Mustang RI. I didn't lock my tailpiece yet but I still haven't really been able to find a useful setup for this! The tailpiece seems really "stiff". I raise the tailpiece up high because without doing that I can't restring it. I don't really know what else to try?

Excited to get my new Modified Bridge by Warmoth. Hopefully that will be enough mods for awhile. I was planning on switching tuners out but the stock tuners are fine. I would like a new neck-plate without the Squier logo but that may not happen.

Three thoughts:
1) If you're having problems with binding at the nut unless you put lubricant every string change, then you probably need to file the slots a bit.

2) Go easy on the lemon oil. It's not a cleaning product - and it's not even a proper conditioning product. It seeps in to the wood, displaces moisture, and actually exacerbates dryness and cracking in the long-term (think of it like licking your lips - looks and feels better for a moment, but then exacerbates the underlying problem). Not to mention that it can build up and leave string-killing gunk. No serious luthier I have ever spoken to has thought lemon oil was a good idea.

3) Instead of restringing weekly, consider trying Elixirs. I've been using them for 15 years. The current formula really sounds great to my ears and feels more or less like regular strings, but the tone lasts for months, and it's a lot more convenient than weekly string changes, not to mention cheaper! Costs as much as 2-3 packs of cheap strings, but lasts as long as 10 of them or more (in my personal experience using them on a dozen guitars for a decade and a half).

I'm sure the stock nut needs to be refiled. The stock nut is defiantly cut for 9-42 max.

I'll take your advice about the lemon oil. I was only planning on using it once every blue moon.

Defiantly not a fan of Elixir strings but I see your point.