Stock CIJ Jaguar bridge - correct replacement part? (UK)

[Axeman52]

Hi

I recently bought a CIJ Jaguar (from around 2008), which a previous owner has "upgraded" to a mustang bridge and lost the original. The stock bridge works great on my CIJ Jazzmaster, so I want an identical replacement for this Jaguar, or at least the closest approximation.

I've seen a few whispers that suggest Hosco parts are exact replacements except without the "Fender" logo stamped on the tele bridge plates and offset tremolo plates etc as Hosco were the original suppliers of hardware for Fender Japan? Is this true? It certainly seems that way as all the details and dimensions of the Hosco replacement bridge seem to line up with what's on my CIJ Jazzmaster.

A friend did give me the stock bridge off a fairly recent squier to try, and it just made the guitar sound thin and plinky. It did the same when I quickly put it on my jazzmaster (which normally has the original CIJ bridge) to test, so clearly an inferior quality part compared to what was supplied for Fender Japan originally.

My other option is to try to find used parts, but they don't show up so often in the UK as much like Fender Japan instruments in general, they are quite scarce!

If not Hosco, can someone offer any other leads?

[GilmourD]

Sounds like you're looking for the AVRI bridge with threaded saddles.

This is the best price I was able to find from a reputable source with a quick Google.

https://reverb.com/item/57684262

[Axeman52]

I can easily get AVRI parts from dealers within the UK rather than importing them from US retailers at great expense to myself, but that's not what I was asking for

In the end I went with Hosco and it really is identical to the stock part on my CIJ Jazzmaster, so I guess the rumours are either true or pretty close to the truth. If it weren't for the fact that at some point I trimmed a couple of the intonation screws on my Jazzmaster so I could raise the saddles up for the strings to clear the intonation screws with a buzz-stop installed without them touching the strings at the other end, I wouldn't be able to identify any difference between the Hosco and the bridge that came with my Jazzmaster. So that was what I needed - case closed

[GilmourD]

I can easily get AVRI parts from dealers within the UK rather than importing them from US retailers at great expense to myself, but that's not what I was asking for

In the end I went with Hosco and it really is identical to the stock part on my CIJ Jazzmaster, so I guess the rumours are either true or pretty close to the truth. If it weren't for the fact that at some point I trimmed a couple of the intonation screws on my Jazzmaster so I could raise the saddles up for the strings to clear the intonation screws with a buzz-stop installed without them touching the strings at the other end, I wouldn't be able to identify any difference between the Hosco and the bridge that came with my Jazzmaster. So that was what I needed - case closed

D'oh! Missed the part where you're in Wales.

[timtam]

...
If it weren't for the fact that at some point I trimmed a couple of the intonation screws on my Jazzmaster so I could raise the saddles up for the strings to clear the intonation screws with a buzz-stop installed without them touching the strings at the other end, I wouldn't be able to identify any difference between the Hosco and the bridge that came with my Jazzmaster. So that was what I needed - case closed

It seems to be a characteristic of all the metric offset bridges that they come with 18mm intonation screws. Whereas on MIA Imperial bridges they have always been ~15.9mm (I forget what that is in the fractional inches primary unit). So I usually change the metric ones to 16mm up-front (M3 16mm easily found on ebay from China, a few bucks for 20), to avoid the string fouling the over-long screw ends. I even had one recently that had to be changed to 14mm to avoid that.

[tqi]

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[Axeman52]

It seems to be a characteristic of all the metric offset bridges that they come with 18mm intonation screws. Whereas on MIA Imperial bridges they have always been ~15.9mm (I forget what that is in the fractional inches primary unit). So I usually change the metric ones to 16mm up-front (M3 16mm easily found on ebay from China, a few bucks for 20), to avoid the string fouling the over-long screw ends. I even had one recently that had to be changed to 14mm to avoid that.

I find it's possible to set the saddle heights with plenty of clearance from both ends of the screws with the 18mm screws unless you're drastically altering the break angle with a buzz stop, a different tail piece that anchors the strings lower down, or a pretty extreme shim. It's a bit of a balancing act but it can be done. I don't need shorter screws with the Jaguar, and I don't think I would've needed the screws cut down on my Jazzmaster the way I have it set up now either.

Gonna ask the obvious leading question, are the intonation screws on the Mustang bridge evenly spaced or set to avoid the strings? Alternate way of asking the same question - does it use circlips or springs on the intonation screws?

It's just a totally standard import mustang bridge with evenly spaced intonation screws with springs on them, nothing exciting

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Sounds like you're looking for the AVRI bridge with threaded saddles.

This is the best price I was able to find from a reputable source with a quick Google.

https://reverb.com/item/57684262

Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but isn't the AVRI bridge 'wrong' for an MIJ/CIJ? I know with Mastery bridges you have to choose between them as the bridge thimbles used in USA/CIJ Fenders are different diameters.

[tqi]

-

[GilmourD]

Sounds like you're looking for the AVRI bridge with threaded saddles.

This is the best price I was able to find from a reputable source with a quick Google.

https://reverb.com/item/57684262

Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but isn't the AVRI bridge 'wrong' for an MIJ/CIJ? I know with Mastery bridges you have to choose between them as the bridge thimbles used in USA/CIJ Fenders are different diameters.

If it's set up for rocking it can drop right in either way. Mastery doesn't rock and needs to be the same as the inner diameter of the thimble, like tqi said.

[timtam]

It seems to be a characteristic of all the metric offset bridges that they come with 18mm intonation screws. Whereas on MIA Imperial bridges they have always been ~15.9mm (I forget what that is in the fractional inches primary unit). So I usually change the metric ones to 16mm up-front (M3 16mm easily found on ebay from China, a few bucks for 20), to avoid the string fouling the over-long screw ends. I even had one recently that had to be changed to 14mm to avoid that.

I find it's possible to set the saddle heights with plenty of clearance from both ends of the screws with the 18mm screws unless you're drastically altering the break angle with a buzz stop, a different tail piece that anchors the strings lower down, or a pretty extreme shim. It's a bit of a balancing act but it can be done. I don't need shorter screws with the Jaguar, and I don't think I would've needed the screws cut down on my Jazzmaster the way I have it set up now either.

I have found that the 'dance' required to get the metric bridge's saddle height/bridge height right, with a sufficient downforce (break angle, string tension), while the strings clear both the ends of the intonation screws at the front as well as the back edge of the bridge plate on their way to the (standard-placement/no buzzstop) trem ... is significantly easier with the shorter 16mm intonation screws akin to the length of the MIA screws. So swapping the stock 18mm screws to 16mm just means I'm less likely to run into problems with those constraints. But there's no real need to change the intonation screws unless you run into problems. If your setup works with lower saddles (intonation screws less angled upwards) perhaps associated with a lower bridge (bridge plate back edge more easily cleared), then there's no need for ~MIA-length screws.

[Axeman52]

I have found that the 'dance' required to get the metric bridge's saddle height/bridge height right, with a sufficient downforce (break angle, string tension), while the strings clear both the ends of the intonation screws at the front as well as the back edge of the bridge plate on their way to the (standard-placement/no buzzstop) trem ... is significantly easier with the shorter 16mm intonation screws akin to the length of the MIA screws. So swapping the stock 18mm screws to 16mm just means I'm less likely to run into problems with those constraints. But there's no real need to change the intonation screws unless you run into problems. If your setup works with lower saddles (intonation screws less angled upwards) perhaps associated with a lower bridge (bridge plate back edge more easily cleared), then there's no need for ~MIA-length screws.

Sure, I can see how it would make it easier, but as I'm only putting real thin card shims in (just one in my jazzmaster neck pocket, 2 in the jaguar), I guess I've got enough room to work with. I'd probably have to use shorter screws if I'd kept the "credit card" shim that was in the neck pocket when I got the guitar