vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - differences?

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - difference

Post by OffYourFace » Wed Sep 05, 2012 10:37 pm

blacktiger wrote:Isn't the spring on vintage trems dark/black and chrome/silver on AVRIs?
Many AVRI trems have black springs as well. I've also owned a few early '60s trems with silver springs.

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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - difference

Post by blacktiger » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:46 am

A'ight, scratch that. Someone told me that before when I was wondering the same thing as the OP.
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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - difference

Post by theelectic » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:54 am

OffYourFace wrote:
blacktiger wrote:Isn't the spring on vintage trems dark/black and chrome/silver on AVRIs?
Many AVRI trems have black springs as well. I've also owned a few early '60s trems with silver springs.
Short or long springs? I haven't cracked my AVRI open yet to check, just curious.

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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - difference

Post by OffYourFace » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:45 pm

they would be like the pat# longer springs. They only had the shorter/stiffer springs in 58-60 (pat pend) or so.

these springs came from auto parts suppliers. I think they're shortened/cut piston springs. Fender used whatever was available at the time.

So which spring is better? Well, it depends on what you like. The shorter/fatter ones are pretty stiff.. that's what I have in mine. I use 12-54 gauge strings. I don't always love my trem... sometimes I wish I had the longer/skinnier spring so I can get a wider/more extreme vibrato effect. Other times, it's perfect. I guess I need to get another JM ;D

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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - differences?

Post by otis » Wed Jan 16, 2019 11:52 pm

thread revival:
What I say here goes for the pat# trems: the upper part of 'P' of pat is smaller in vintage trems/ the reissues are a bit different. Also, the bar of 'A' is higher situated in vintage trems. pictures will do my discriptions justice, but I have no time right now. later...

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Re: vintage vs. AVRI jag/jazz tailpiece/vibrato - differences?

Post by Mechanical Birds » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:03 pm

The stock trem on my ‘66 Jaguar is the best among my 5 offset trem-equipped guitars and probably the best one I’ve ever used. It just responds perfectly and the arm stays where I put it and that’s pretty cool for a 50+ year old guitar

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