'60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

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DaFuzz
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:57 am

I live in Athens/Greece. I have seen the one you are referring to and as you state, it goes for €70 with shipping. If you add on top of that 24% taxes plus customs, you could go close to €150 which I will not deal with. And all that without the tremolo arm which is probably €20-€30 depending where you find it. Why not pay €220 for the mastery?

Import duties in Greece are all over the place and not so clear for these kind of internet purchases. €90 is a price I am willing to pay but there is no guarantee that import duties will be 20%-25%.

Last year I made a mistake to buy a "Harry Potter" wand as a gift to my nephew from a US site which cost about $40. They called me from customs and I ended up paying a total amount of €120 for the damn thing. I can't risk it again.
Last edited by DaFuzz on Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:03 am

Fuzzbuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:40 am
I had no trouble finding an AVRI Trem. Bought two in as many months from CME on Reverb, $68 shipped! Both were brand new in fender packaging.
When was this and where do you live?

I have also bought a US tremolo assembly from Angela three years ago but since then, the laws regarding internet purchases outside the EU have changed a lot in my country making it very risky. This means that you could receive the item via regular post without any issues or you could get a call from the customs agency and pay an insane amount in my opinion, for something that retails at $70-$80 and Fender doesn't offer here in Europe since its out of stock for many months now in all the well known European shops that carry Fender parts!

In other words, I'm willing to spend €100 for the damn tremolo plus the arm. Even €1 over that, means saving up for a mastery. Till then, I can live with the one I already have.
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by Fuzzbuzz » Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:25 am

DaFuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:03 am
Fuzzbuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:40 am
I had no trouble finding an AVRI Trem. Bought two in as many months from CME on Reverb, $68 shipped! Both were brand new in fender packaging.
When was this and where do you live?

I have also bought a US tremolo assembly from Angela three years ago but since then, the laws regarding internet purchases outside the EU have changed a lot in my country making it very risky. This means that you could receive the item via regular post without any issues or you could get a call from the customs agency and let the party start!
Ahhh ok. That price is making sense when you see all the added charges. I’m in the USA. It seems like humanity has just been taking steps backwards the last couple of years by leaps and bounds. Now all these restrictions on import/exports all in the name of patriotic country first. You guys in Europe seem to have it much worse. Although I’m sure we will be there soon right along side you.

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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:48 am

Great turnaround!

A week ago I placed an ad on the local craigslist asking a Jazzmaster/Jaguar US tremolo assembly and of course didn't keep high hopes. However, one hour ago I got a message from the guy that bought my partsmaster a few months back. Turns out he wants to upgrade it with a mastery tremolo and is willing to sell the US one that I had on the partsmaster for a good price. Half an hour drive and deal done! I have the AVRI tremolo. In fact its the SAME one I bought from Angela 3 years ago!!!! Wow!!!

Installed it and works like a charm. I'm a happy camper!

Thank you everyone for the input!

Cheers!!!
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by timtam » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:38 pm

DaFuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:48 am
Installed it and works like a charm. I'm a happy camper!
Can you see what it is exactly that explains the difference between the two ? Just a different spring ?
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DaFuzz
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:34 am

timtam wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:38 pm
DaFuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:48 am
Installed it and works like a charm. I'm a happy camper!
Can you see what it is exactly that explains the difference between the two ? Just a different spring ?

Well, the spring on the MIM one (I don't think its actually made in Mexico), is different from the US one in the sense that it looks a bit more skinny and made out of a different kind of metal combo. This also applies for the inner plate under the main plate that mounts on the guitar.

There is also a difference in the curved surface of the main plate at the point where the 2 "blades" of the inner plate touch each other. Actually the curve is not exactly a curve (if that makes sense!!!). I'll try to post some pics.
Last edited by DaFuzz on Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:37 am

Here is the MIM trem.

Image

Image
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by cjrod » Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:46 am

DaFuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:48 am
Great turnaround!

A week ago I placed an ad on the local craigslist asking a Jazzmaster/Jaguar US tremolo assembly and of course didn't keep high hopes. However, one hour ago I got a message from the guy that bought my partsmaster a few months back. Turns out he wants to upgrade it with a mastery tremolo and is willing to sell the US one that I had on the partsmaster for a good price. Half an hour drive and deal done! I have the AVRI tremolo. In fact its the SAME one I bought from Angela 3 years ago!!!! Wow!!!

Installed it and works like a charm. I'm a happy camper!

Thank you everyone for the input!

Cheers!!!
Did your trem arm from the JM Lacquer fit into the AVRI tremolo?

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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Wed Oct 10, 2018 12:46 pm

cjrod wrote:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:46 am
DaFuzz wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:48 am
Great turnaround!

A week ago I placed an ad on the local craigslist asking a Jazzmaster/Jaguar US tremolo assembly and of course didn't keep high hopes. However, one hour ago I got a message from the guy that bought my partsmaster a few months back. Turns out he wants to upgrade it with a mastery tremolo and is willing to sell the US one that I had on the partsmaster for a good price. Half an hour drive and deal done! I have the AVRI tremolo. In fact its the SAME one I bought from Angela 3 years ago!!!! Wow!!!

Installed it and works like a charm. I'm a happy camper!

Thank you everyone for the input!

Cheers!!!
Did your trem arm from the JM Lacquer fit into the AVRI tremolo?
No, I don't think that it does. Didn't try it since the AVRI term that I got came with a trem arm of its own.
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by AtomicPumpkin » Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:27 am

The MIM trem arm most definitely does NOT fit the AVRI trem. I have both sitting right here and the MIM trem arm is a larger diameter than the AVRI.

I have a white 60's lacquer JM and I hated the MIM trem assembly, so I replaced it with an AVRI unit and the difference is night and day. On the AVRI, the metal is thicker, the spring is beefier, and overall has tighter tolerances.

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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by DaFuzz » Thu Oct 11, 2018 3:50 pm

AtomicPumpkin wrote:
Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:27 am
The MIM trem arm most definitely does NOT fit the AVRI trem. I have both sitting right here and the MIM trem arm is a larger diameter than the AVRI.

I have a white 60's lacquer JM and I hated the MIM trem assembly, so I replaced it with an AVRI unit and the difference is night and day. On the AVRI, the metal is thicker, the spring is beefier, and overall has tighter tolerances.
Yes, I do agree. The difference is huge.
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Re: '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer - stiff tremolo

Post by JazzmanLDG » Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:26 am

Sounds like it could be the trem route. If it's not square at the string edge the trem doesn't work smothly. It is a small detail but pretty important. Sorry no pics to illustrate the point. Still working out how to loead photos.

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