Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

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claytushaywood
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Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:20 pm

I just traded one of my home built pedals for a sick sonic blue Squier VM Mustang- I have a few questions.

It didnt come with the mounting screws for the vibrato- Can anyone tell me what size screws I need to order or a place that sells them?

The springs feel really weak on the vibrato- I've read that some people buy springs from allparts that have more tension. BUt I was considering purchasing the american vibrato assembly. Are there really any major differences between the American (I guess its american- the $55 Fender labeled vibrato assembly) and the stock VM assembly?

I also was contemplating upgrading the bridge- I found these bridges on ebay- that claim to be made of steel with solid brass saddles an they are the larger saddles- Anyone have any experience with these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Steel-Mustang- ... :rk:3:pf:0 they LOOK really nice

The 7.25" radius wouldnt match but I suppose I could use my nut files to file them flat to a 9.5" radius- would this be a good upgrade- or is there a better affordable bridge upgrade with a 7.25" radius? The staytrem just seems to expensive (their site is down) for this guitar.

And what are the best low cost pickups? I have a lot of strats and experience with strat pickups so I was hoping for something a little different than a strat pickup. Though i guess I love strat pickups and the short scale and build of the mustang will make it sound different enough.

I do wanna use the trem as I have another mustang that is hard tailed. So I'm really interested in getting a solid bridge and vibrato- I'm gonna put a new tusq nut on it and the tuners actually seem really solid for now with the 11's

Any input on the rest of these topics would be fantastic- I know this has been covered before- but I havent seen any info on the linked bridge above- or a good 9.5" bridge that isnt a staytrem or a mastery. or the actual differences between the Fender Labelled vibrato assembly and the squier stock one. So... Anything would be wonderful!

Thanks!

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by timtam » Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:52 pm

claytushaywood wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:20 pm
I also was contemplating upgrading the bridge- I found these bridges on ebay- that claim to be made of steel with solid brass saddles an they are the larger saddles- Anyone have any experience with these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Steel-Mustang- ... :rk:3:pf:0 they LOOK really nice
The Squier VM Mustang has the import 0081239001 metric bridge with adjustable saddles (ie not the classic Mustang-style bridge) so you can set the radius to 9.5".

Your link looks like the common Mustang 7.25" import (Korean) metric bridge. Never heard of them having brass saddles, so I would be very surprised if that one does. It has the gap between saddles which is often the telltale sign of that import bridge. If you want that bridge there are cheaper sources ..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-bridge- ... 3594826469

The Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has the only Mustang-style bridge (7702080000 ) I know of with brass saddles.

The Am Pro JM bridge (7709942000) is the usual suggestion for a Mustang-style bridge with 9.5" radius ...
https://darrenriley.com/store/fender-am ... 709942000/
You would need to check the thimble spacing to be sure that it would be a drop in replacement for the VM Mustang.
"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: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Fri Dec 28, 2018 7:20 pm

is the American professional the only thing available as a good upgrade for the VM squier mustang? I cant seem to find these available for purchase anywhere on the net.

I wonder if you can even get them from fender if you own an American professional jazzmaster?

What about just replacing the saddles with graph tech saddles? Would the increased lubrication of the graph tech saddles work in opposition to the physics of the mustang bridge being a rocking bridge? Do you really even want the strings to slide over the saddles easily?

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by timtam » Fri Dec 28, 2018 8:12 pm

claytushaywood wrote:
Fri Dec 28, 2018 7:20 pm
is the American professional the only thing available as a good upgrade for the VM squier mustang? I cant seem to find these available for purchase anywhere on the net.

I wonder if you can even get them from fender if you own an American professional jazzmaster?

What about just replacing the saddles with graph tech saddles? Would the increased lubrication of the graph tech saddles work in opposition to the physics of the mustang bridge being a rocking bridge? Do you really even want the strings to slide over the saddles easily?
Am Pro 9.5" bridge (7709942000) listed as in stock here ATM ..
https://www.guitarpartsfactory.us/index ... ct_id=3002

Re lower friction saddles like graphtech tusq ....
While offset bridges are designed to rock, whether their effect when the trem shortens / lengthens the strings works best with low-friction saddles that allow the strings to slide (and thus the bridge rocks less) or high-friction saddles that don't (so the bridge has to rock more), is not something that I've thought much about. There is obviously a school of thought that says the bridge is supposed to rock and should be allowed to do so, and another that attributes problems to the rocking bridge and so prefers fixed options.

Some people like, or just don't mind the low-friction tusq saddles, and others seem to hate them (tone related ?).
"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: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by andy_tchp » Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:35 pm

"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by timtam » Tue Jan 01, 2019 11:24 pm

timtam wrote:
Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:52 pm
The Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has the only Mustang-style bridge (7702080000 ) I know of with brass saddles.
I was just nerding out on bridge parts and looked more closely at the 9.5" Am Pro jag/JM's Mustang-style bridge (7709942000) components ...
  • 30 BRIDGE ASSY AM PRO JAGUAR / JAZZMASTER 7709942000
    30A CHANNEL AND POST BRIDGE PLATE JAGUAR / JAZZMASTER 0054519000
    30B SCREW ST 4-40 X 1/2 OC CN PT 0056157049
    30C SCREW M 4-40 X 5/8 RHP NI 0015693049
    30D SPRING INTONATION ADJ 7 COIL 0056139000
    30E SADDLE E-E AM PRO JAG/JAZZ BRASS NI 7709941010
    30F SADDLE D-G DYNAMIC VIBRATO BRIDGE BRASS NI 0091085010
    30G SADDLE A-B DYNAMIC VIBRATO BRIDGE BRASS NI 0091086010

    31 THIMBLE BRIDGE POST JAG/JAZZ 0054447049
    32 SLEVE THIMBLE AM PRO JAG/JAZZ 7710508000
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Orig ... 7-2016.pdf

As you can see, the 3 different-size saddles that make up this 9.5" radius bridge are listed as BRASS (presumably chrome-plated). So I'm correcting the record on what I said above about the TVL being the only brass Mustang-style bridge I knew of.

I feel better now. ;)
"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: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Fri Jan 25, 2019 6:42 pm

andy_tchp wrote:
Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:35 pm
Graphtech saddles are terrible - tone killers.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=62689
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... p?t=106878
I have them on my strat and i have to disagree- I'd bet good money you couldnt tell me which is which in a blind test.

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Fri Jan 25, 2019 6:53 pm

I tried to email fender's parts department about getting a bridge and they never even sent a confirmation email- fender and gibson are utter shit when it comes to anything but being money grubbing whores these days. Having worked at a music shop and having access to tons of parts catalogs- i am way too familiar with them- kinda ruins my love for fender guitars- anyways- i have access to all these parts catalogs and nothing for a mustang.

I'm assuming the mastery bridge that is listed for the VM jaguars and jazzmasters works for the mustang? or maybe not?

I cant source any american fender parts- think how crazy that is- other companies just send you parts for free most of the time. I've had supro do that, breedlove, larrivee, peavey- but fender makes it difficult to even buy them, and gibson just charges an insane amount.

Anyone out there from the UK want to order a staytrem and mail it to me- that seems like a really great option, but they dont sell to the US anymore. Really the only option I can find that are actually easily obtainable are the $20 bridges everywhere online that are apparently not even really brass but have the bigger saddles, the one i'm trying to replace and graphtech saddles. and for more than I paid for the guitar- MAYBE mastery

Is this what its come to?

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by timtam » Fri Jan 25, 2019 7:18 pm

Fender parts catalogs list only a small proportion of their parts. And that seems to be all that your average music store can order. Aftermarket vendors like Riley, Angela, Guitar Parts Factory can get a lot more though. All currently show the 9.5 radius American Pro Mustang-style bridge with chrome-plated brass saddles (7709942000) in stock. You would need to confirm post spacing for VM Mustang (but should be the same as your 0081239001 bridge).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/770-9942-000-A ... 3725188763
https://www.guitarpartsfactory.us/index ... ct_id=3002
https://darrenriley.com/store/fender-am ... 709942000/
https://www.angela.com/fenderbridgeasse ... aster.aspx
"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: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by andy_tchp » Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:00 pm

claytushaywood wrote:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 6:42 pm
andy_tchp wrote:
Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:35 pm
Graphtech saddles are terrible - tone killers.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=62689
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... p?t=106878
I have them on my strat and i have to disagree- I'd bet good money you couldnt tell me which is which in a blind test.
Well I could certainly tell immediately when I used them on a Tele I used to own. Total fucking junk; a solution to a non-existent problem.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Sat Feb 02, 2019 10:55 am

andy_tchp wrote:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:00 pm
claytushaywood wrote:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 6:42 pm
andy_tchp wrote:
Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:35 pm
Graphtech saddles are terrible - tone killers.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=62689
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... p?t=106878
I have them on my strat and i have to disagree- I'd bet good money you couldnt tell me which is which in a blind test.
Well I could certainly tell immediately when I used them on a Tele I used to own. Total fucking junk; a solution to a non-existent problem.
why would you use them on a tele? First of all- yeh replacing them with brass is different than steel- especially zinc cheap squier saddles. But using them a telecaster is dumb. yes it is a non existent problem on a guitar without a tremolo.

A guitar with a trem and huge string break angles it is a fantastic solution. They sound nearly identical to bone- so youre essentially saying bone sounds bad as a bridge material.

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Re: Squier VM Mustang Vibrato Screws- Pickups- American vs Stock Vibrato

Post by claytushaywood » Sat Feb 02, 2019 10:57 am

timtam wrote:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 7:18 pm
Fender parts catalogs list only a small proportion of their parts. And that seems to be all that your average music store can order. Aftermarket vendors like Riley, Angela, Guitar Parts Factory can get a lot more though. All currently show the 9.5 radius American Pro Mustang-style bridge with chrome-plated brass saddles (7709942000) in stock. You would need to confirm post spacing for VM Mustang (but should be the same as your 0081239001 bridge).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/770-9942-000-A ... 3725188763
https://www.guitarpartsfactory.us/index ... ct_id=3002
https://darrenriley.com/store/fender-am ... 709942000/
https://www.angela.com/fenderbridgeasse ... aster.aspx
Thank you so much- google really failed me on this one. I had originally found guitarparts factory but they were out of stock when i checked several weeks ago.

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