Tuffset Bridge

[DeathJag]

This is one of the most exciting threads I've read. I cannot wait to behold the grace and majesty of this wondrous design. And I really can't wait to divebomb all day!

[PorkyPrimeCut]

I saw your Facebook update & figured you'd have updated this thread too.

Man, it looks great! Really, really classy with just the right amount of retro aesthetics to make it look right at home (something that Mastery bridges never had). Obviously the proof is in the performance, but that's all sounding very encouraging too.

Bravo!!

[mekhem]

Nice!

[Shadoweclipse13]

Dan! This is amazing! The bridge looks great, and all the specs and feedback that went into it are incredible. Even the packaging looks phenomenal!

You mentioned that the wider bridge body and intonation adjustment will work with a Bass VI. I don't have a VI yet (will be building my own in the next couple years finally) so forgive my ignorance on this one, but the saddle grooves are wide enough to accommodate VI strings too? Or do you have a VI-specific version?

I'll be buying one for my JM and for a VI in any case. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!!

[Daitong II]

Definitely am amped about the new version. Really like the beefed up design change. Looking forward to more on this

[Deed_Poll]

Dan! This is amazing! The bridge looks great, and all the specs and feedback that went into it are incredible. Even the packaging looks phenomenal!

You mentioned that the wider bridge body and intonation adjustment will work with a Bass VI. I don't have a VI yet (will be building my own in the next couple years finally) so forgive my ignorance on this one, but the saddle grooves are wide enough to accommodate VI strings too? Or do you have a VI-specific version?

I'll be buying one for my JM and for a VI in any case. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!!

Cheers, J!

I'd actually really appreciate your (and everyone's) thoughts on this.

From what I can tell, a standard Bass VI set has a .090" low E and a heavy VI set has up to a .105" low E.

The string slots on the Tuffset are 1.5mm.

It looks kinda marginal - it's not how I would have designed it for that string gauge, but really the only way is to try it.

If it causes problems, the logical course of action is to design an alternative bass string saddle as a one-off piece, keep a stock of them and just install one of those and charge a few dollars extra, with the added complication that adds to the ordering and checkout.

Trouble is, the flush locking screw head is pretty close to the string slot on one side - so it's not possible just to make the slot wider for one string. So if I was going to do that, the "extra" width of the slot would have to be drawn on the opposite side of the locking screw head.

This would make the string spacing (centre to centre) between E and A *slightly* wider or narrower, depending on which side of the bridge you put the special saddle (flipping the orientation of the bridge for one or the other). This is versus the standard 52mm string spacing - I'm not sure whether a little extra might cause problems, or whether it would "even out" the actual spacing in between, given that the bass string is so wide.

Another alternative (given that we're talking about a bespoke component for the Heavy Saddle) would be to keep the slot centred in the same place, to make it wider, and to machine down the head of just that one locking screw. You might have noticed that the 2.1 prototype has smaller screw heads than the (most recent) V12.

The trouble there was that small-headed screws are about 15 times as expensive as standard-sized heads. Screws aren't so expensive, but for a run of 1000 bridges with 10 screws each, it was adding up to many thousands of pounds. But if it's just one screw and we can embed that cost into the "VI saddle" upcharge, it could be viable.

I also worry that having one screw head smaller (on the bass saddle) and the others all matching might look weird!

Anyway, best thing to do is definitely to test the current version on a VI and see how it performs - there might be no problem!

Thanks all for your kind words and enthusiasm! I'm so pumped for everyone to try this!!

Dan

[Shadoweclipse13]

Just want to reiterate that I was genuinely curious as I don't have a VI yet. Not complaining or criticizing at all! I'm sure you knew that, but just wanted to be very clear If I had a VI already, I'd just buy one (as I want one anywho) and be the guinea pig/test for everyone.

But otherwise, here's what I'm thinking. It seems to me that the modern bridges included on Fender/Squier Bass VIs aren't a special bridge, unless I've misunderstood that one. I know Staytrem offers a VI-specific bridge, but as far as I knew, that was a wider bridge base/chassis, not the saddles themselves. If the groove width of your saddles is the same or close to Fender/Staytrem dimensions, I'd bet that it won't be an issue.

Also, are VIs 52mm spacing standard? I've not yet bought a Staytrem VI bridge since John offers both 52mm and 55mm, and I genuinely didn't know what I'd need until I bought a neck and started assembling mine. Again, I don't actually know from in-hand experience, so this just knowledge gathering, not criticizing or suggesting that you need any other spacing.

[Deed_Poll]

Hello all!

I'm pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at The Guitar Show near Birmingham, UK on Sat 2nd and Sun 3rd March 2024!

I am farming for advice and ideas to make our pitch as good as possible.

My original thought was to have two guitars - Squier VM JMs - one with the Tuffset and one with the stock bridge, and to wire these up into the same (headphone) amplifier with an A/B signal pedal, so direct comparisons can be made.

However, on second thoughts, I feel like nobody would want to play the original just as a comparison. Everyone will want to play the guitar with the Tuffset - do you think this is a reasonable assumption?

If I am only bringing one guitar, I'd like to make it broadly representative of what the show-goers already have as a reference point. So a vintage-style JM, even if it's a Squier, would seem to foot the bill.

Then again, I want to show the Tuffset in its best possible light, of course. So perhaps I should fit some upgraded pickups and electronics?

If I was meeting with one or two people, as I have been doing thus far, I would bring my '65 JM (pictured). But I just don't want the nerves that would come with so many people (with so many different Ph levels in their sweat!) playing this guitar.



Perhaps I should bring two guitars, but have one Squier JM and one Squier Jag. I could do some basic upgrades (pickups, electronics, setup) on both? That way, if it's a Mustang or Jag player, they can check out how the Tuffset performs on a short scale; and if it's a JM player or a luthier with thoughts of their own full-scale offset model, they can play on the JM. Both would be "rose tinted" representations on a well set up guitar with decent pickups, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if either guitar were damaged.

My pitch is 2m x 2m (6ft 8" square). I've been thinking about including the following exhibits:

1) an oversized 3D-printed functional model of a single adjustable saddle, maybe 5x actual size, to demonstrate how the adjustment and locking system works

2) a literal bread board cut for tuners in one side, a vibrato in the other, and bridge thimbles - so guests can adjust a real Tuffset to their heart's content and get the hang of using the system.

3) a small carpeted stringworker's table, so other luthiers present can bring specific guitars and fit the Tuffset to them and try it for themselves (I guess they will be pretty busy themselves, though!)

I'd like to attach a light-up Tuffset logo to the back wall, and I was planning on getting some of these pop-up banner stands printed with pictures and some "at a glance" information from the website:



Please let me know if this sounds good to you, whether this would pique your interest - and most importantly, if there is something I have neglected to include or if you have any other ideas of what you'd want to see!

Cheers all and I hope to see you at the show!

Dan

[Gav Haus]

Take one fitted with a rattly mastery for comparison

[mcatano]

Just from a marketing perspective, I think if you're trying to position this as a 'premium' upgrade and you're only bringing one guitar then you'd want the guitar to be of comparable (perceived) quality.

[GilmourD]

Just from a marketing perspective, I think if you're trying to position this as a 'premium' upgrade and you're only bringing one guitar then you'd want the guitar to be of comparable (perceived) quality.

The science nerd in me does think the two identical guitar idea is good.

Or... I'm insane... I'd have both bridges dialed in for the same guitar... I'd have somebody play, loosen the strings, swap bridges, and tune back up. There's no more direct a comparison. Just get something like the Ernie Ball PowerPeg motorized winder or an electric screwdriver and the MusicNomad GRIP screwdriver bit.

[Larry Mal]

Personally, I would imagine the bridge should be presented in the most aspirational way possible, that is, attached to a guitar that is already coveted and held in high regard in and of itself.

[Deed_Poll]

Thanks so much for your opinions, guys!

It's frustrating that I don't have what I might describe as a "player" Jazzmaster or Jaguar. It feels like the ideal solution would be something like a slightly dinged up AVRI with a couple of upgrades... Wish I hadn't sold my MIJ Jag all those years ago!

I can think of a few solutions to the problem - not sure how realistic some of them are.

The first solution would be simply to buy a guitar specifically for the show. See if I can find a player-grade but quality instrument at the right perceived quality level, and go from there. I reckon that would cost me about a grand if I get lucky and find one with the stuff I want, but with drawbacks I don't care about. I will need a show mule in future, so it might be money well spent.

I feel like I could do a fairly decent job of hot-rodding an Anniversary Squier Jazzmaster or similar, taping over the headstock logo, changing the pickups out, replacing the wiring and potentiometers. This could probably be achieved for about £500. But I don't want to turn people off featuring the Tuffset on a guitar that only costs about twice as much as the bridge!

Second, I could make a Marauder and use the opportunity to shill for GF at the same time... But getting a finish on it in that time frame is likely to be a challenge... and would cost a good chunk of change in itself when you account for finishing, the cost of a decent neck, pickups etc.

I feel a Marauder would attract people quite independently of the Tuffset bridge, so it might be a good idea from that point of view - but I could see myself spending all my time talking about Marauders instead of the Tuffset bridge with curious visitors.

The other issue with a Marauder is that it's not exactly representative of most of the guitars I expect people to put a Tuffset in. Maximum interest would be a totally vintage-style Marauder, but those have a mix of Jag, JM and Mustang features (pickups, scale, and vibrato respectively). They also can't combine pickup sounds in parallel, only in series.

I could make one that is more representative in spec - we have many different plate options, so I could do a simple Mutineer JM x JM with original vibrato location and a lever switch on the treble horn... But it still feels like a lot of time, when factoring in the finish.

Third, maybe I come to some arrangement with a retailer or builder who will also be at the show and feature one of their guitars in my booth, with a sign that gives the suitable accreditation - "the Tuffset is featured today in a *X guitar model*, find them across the hall in this direction!"

It strikes me this would be tricky logistically, it would require that I pick up the guitar ahead of time to be sure of the setup, and it would make me responsible for someone else's property across the two days - hardly a big improvement on the anxiety of bringing one of my own '65s.

It's definitely some food for thought, though! Maybe I'll keep my eyes open on the classifieds to see if something suitable comes up.

Cheer everyone and thanks for joining in so far!

Dan

[DeathJag]

Of all things, I'd be most excited and convinced by a big ass to-scale Tuffsaddle! Make it out of wood and have it be the size of your hand haha! No one on earth has ever seen anything like that before, or played with anything like that before, and the mental process of miniaturizing it and picturing it along five of its fellows is very fun. If you're looking to attract people who are intimately familiar with the shortcomings of these offset bridges, just seeing that "up-scaled" model would convince most people, I'd think.

You're right that a good AV65 JM would be the perfect one. (I'd happily loan you mine if you were anywhere drivable.) Then again, putting it on a Squier that plays beautifully could be more convincing than putting it on a fancy guitar (that everyone knows plays great).

I'm picturing a sort of graphic like Conan standing on a pile of corpses, except it's the Tuffset standing atop a pile of old JM bridges.

[JVG]

Personally, I would imagine the bridge should be presented in the most aspirational way possible, that is, attached to a guitar that is already coveted and held in high regard in and of itself.

I agree with Larry - doesn’t have to be vintage, but make it a good guitar.

If possible, bring a Jaguar as well as a JM, for the Marr enthusiasts etc.

Keep the whole thing simple - the more options and possibilities you introduce, the greater the risk of something going wrong. You don’t want that any time, let alone at a guitar show.