How I setup my bridges

[ohm-men]

I also used the teflon way on my first CIJ Jazzmaster, but afterwards, I went with locktide (which is used on RC cars) works very good (make sure you get the "light" (blue) one (the heavy one won't loosen easy afterwards, I thinks it's red)

I also tape my bridge posts with duct tape, it's softer then teflon tape so the bridge still can move forth and back. It does improve tuning stabilty.
I stopped using Mustang bridges and tele saddles. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the Tusq saddles as well and reinstall the stock saddles.
I do use heavier strings, so that might perhaps explain something. (Never like anything under a 0.11 on either the JM or Jag, but that's a personal favor, ofcourse.

And, yes older bridges work all the time....(so do trems)

[TheMilford]

I wonder if the tolerances were tighter (literally) back then?

this Jag I'm working on, the bridge screws are stuck good.

[i love sharin foo]

I wonder if the tolerances were tighter (literally) back then?

this Jag I'm working on, the bridge screws are stuck good.

That could be, but I know for sure that rust and corrosion do the job too 

Justin

[Mad-Mike]

Time and dirt seem to be the best thing for screws of that tiny nature, my CIJ's action screws are just starting to get "gummied" up by acids and sweat and the usual stuff that attacks a Jaguar's bridge saddles, the buzz that's audible only when unplugged has started to dissappear more and more too.  Buzzing to me is more a sign the guitar want's to be played more.

[burker]

Buzzing to me is more a sign the guitar want's to be played more.

haha great quote, I agree completely, my 76' JM has a reissue bridge and the thing drives me crazy, the are screws always coming loose. I put a mustang saddle in place of the low E one, and thats helped with the strings jumping out... my other JM has its original bridge, and gives me no problems.... I guess it really just needs to be broken in. (although some of the saddles have little shims under them cause I didn't feel like loosening the screws, I figure if I did I would have the same problems?)

I have the original bridge for the 76' but its rusted solid in a way that its unuseable, anyone know of a way to dissolve rust?

[Orang Goreng]

anyone know of a way to dissolve rust?

This stuff works miracles.

[burker]

anyone know of a way to dissolve rust?

This stuff works miracles.

Thanks!  I actually have some wd-40, did not know it worked for rust...

[TheMilford]

D-5 Deoxit and a little albow grease... I've also used the brass brush on the Dremel.

[haledixon]

would think roller saddles would work well on this sorta setup, as far as trem action.

but then i screwed mine down as hard i could and threw away the trem bar.

[slomomarc]

Loc-Tite and electrical tape around the bridge post is how i fix mine........although i do have mustang bridges on a few of mine 

[chrisjedijane]

I was messing around with the height of the saddles on my AVRI over christmas, and it must have dislodged all the grime that was in there holding the screw in place. ever since, I've had a lot of trouble with one screw on the G saddle dropping, and it was starting to really piss me off (i had to abandon the JM halfway through a gig a couple of weeks ago).

I got some clear nail varnish, and painted the bottom part of the screws with it - last night's gig went without a hitch (apart from the E saddle flipping over on me during one song). either way, the screws didn't seem like they were moving anymore.

does anyone know how to stop your saddles from flipping over?

[luau]

does anyone know how to stop your saddles from flipping over?

I used to try to angle the E and A saddles so that the treble side was a bit higher than the bass side. It definitely helped, but I ended up going back to having it level because it made the E/A and A/D saddles buzzy. I think a good solution to this would be to mill slots about half as deep as the bridge is thick for the saddle screws to ride in. I wish I had a mill.

[Puke+Cry]

nail polish is teh sex! 

i put some on and the saddles arent buzzing, but yeah the strings in the bridge are, so its still a bit buzzy but its not so loud

[luau]

does anyone know how to stop your saddles from flipping over?

... I think a good solution to this would be to mill slots about half as deep as the bridge is thick for the saddle screws to ride in. I wish I had a mill.

I've been discussing this problem on and off with an engineer friend of mine since I made this post and I think we've come up with a pretty good solution. Instead of milling slots into the bridge for the saddle screws to ride in, imagine a block of steel/brass bonded to the bridge with 12 slots for the saddle screws to ride in. Bonding should be reversible. The slotted block wouldn't have to be very thick to give the saddle screws just enough to bite into to keep them from flipping. Instead of flipping, saddle screws would just bend or break. This would potentially induce buzzing between the saddle screws and inside of the slots, but I think a tight fit could be achieved. Pick a poison I guess.

However, I still don't have a mill. 

Thoughts? This would be fairly trivial and pretty cheap to get made.

[Puke+Cry]

Hey, my low E always pops down, I can't keep it in one position, its always close to the right saddle screw. I tried to lower the left saddle screw so the right saddle screw is higher and the string cant go down.

And that failded, I strum very heavily and it always seems to pop down. Is there a solution? Or are mustang saddles sold in pieces and can I buy just one?