Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

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claytushaywood
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Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by claytushaywood » Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:45 am

A thurston moore jazzmaster was brought to me for a setup as it had all sorts of setup issues. First- the neck angle was super flat! there was BARELY any angle at all over the tune o matic. Next, the guitar has a 7.25" radius on the fretboard with a tune o matic that looks to be the standard 12" radius! Is this how these guitars come?!? Is fender that bad to release an expensive guitar was that much of a radius difference and neck angle problems?

I was thinking of filing down the outer 4 strings a bit to try to get closer to the 7.25" neck radius. I'm wondering if anyone has tried this. The Low E and High E strings have shorter saddles already on these tune o matics and I feel like filing them down much at all would cause then to hit the back edge of the tune o matic as they head down towards the bridge. Of course this may not have been as much of a problem before I adjusted the neck angle- as now the tune o matic is set higher and there is a bigger break angle off the tune o matic than it was to start with.

has anyone tried this and how close could you get the tom radius to 7.25 (or 9.5 if you did it on another guitar) before the strings hit the back side of the bridge? Thanks!

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bacca51
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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by bacca51 » Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:21 am

I haven't ever filled down a tune-o-matic, but I can recommend to your friend or cleint that they get the stay trem drop in replacement. It's floating and fits on the existing thimbles! Better tremolo aciton and a nicer bridge ;)

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pscates
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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by pscates » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:10 pm

I would automatically recommend that as well, but I was just looking at Staytrem's page about it, and, for whatever reason, it's not compatible with the Thurston Moore Jazzmaster (or the J Mascis Fender, not Squier, model):

http://staytrem.com/epages/950002362.sf ... __Category

Interesting that the Pawn Shop Offset (the pink, black or sunburst one with the F-hole, Jazzmaster pickups, maple neck, etc.) isn't listed there, either way. It has an Adjust-O-Matic bridge as well, I believe.

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timtam
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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by timtam » Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:17 pm

Similar discussion on TMJM neck-bridge mismatch .....
http://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtop ... 7&t=106431
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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redchapterjubilee
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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by redchapterjubilee » Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:27 am

I contacted Staytrem about doing up a bridge for my TMJM several years ago and they asked me to send them the TMTM bridge so they could figure out how to make a Staytrem to fit that guitar. I didn't want that guitar to be completely down for the two months they said it would take to figure it out and make one, as it was my backup guitar at the time. So I ultimately didn't do anything about it and sold that guitar. You might contact them and ask if they'd still be willing to do something like that.

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Homeless Blueless
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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by Homeless Blueless » Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:13 pm

Re Staytrem conversion on TOM bridge guitars:

A few years ago, Staytrem made me one of their bridges to fit on a Kurt Kobain Jaguar, which comes with a TOM bridge. I had put a 7.25 radius neck on the KC Jaguar.

Staytrem hadn't done this model before, so I emailed them to see if they were happy to give it a try. I then measured the bridge with a ruler and emailed them the photos. No need to send the original bridge anywhere and the Staytrem fit perfectly. If Staytrem are still happy to do jobs like this, they can match your neck radius and then make sure that the bridge plate has the right spacing to fit precisely on top of the existing TOM bridge posts in your particular guitar.

Another option instead of filing down the original TOM bridge is to get a TOM with adjustable saddles so you can set the radius to match the neck and make sure that the saddles sit up above the parapet of the edge of the bridge plate. I tried this on the KC Jaguar before I got the Staytrem bridge and it worked fine. Well, "fine", if you like TOM bridges (I am sure that Larry will be along soon to praise the olde TOM again).

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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by JVG » Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:07 pm

I actually like having a slightly flatter bridge radius on a 7.25" fretboard - reduces fretting out when bending the high E.

I find a 9.5" radius Staytrem bridge is perfect for my needs, however a 12" radius might be a bit too flat....

Cheers!
J.

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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by timtam » Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:50 am

Homeless Blueless wrote:
Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:13 pm
Another option instead of filing down the original TOM bridge is to get a TOM with adjustable saddles so you can set the radius to match the neck and make sure that the saddles sit up above the parapet of the edge of the bridge plate. I tried this on the KC Jaguar before I got the Staytrem bridge and it worked fine. Well, "fine", if you like TOM bridges (I am sure that Larry will be along soon to praise the olde TOM again).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Gotoh-510B ... 2055936687
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Radius Mismatch

Post by thomas2508 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:09 pm

Staytrem used to make conversion thimbles for tune-o-matic equipped jazzies and jaguars. Once you replaced the tune-o-matic bridge thimbles with the conversion thimbles It allowed you to use the original jaguar or mustang bridges. I used mine on my thurston Moore jazzmaster to add a mastery bridge. You should contact him and see if he still makes them. It made my jazzmaster go from a dud to my favorite guitar. With these thimbles you could add mastery, staytrem, or any fender offset bridge.

mastery makes some thimbles that also fit but they are a little loose. I wrapped some copper shielding around them to make them fit snug. This worked fine till I found the staytrem option which fit perfectly. Hope you can find a solution. These guitars really are excellent sans the miss-radiused bridge.

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