Fender Toronado bridge the same dimensions/shape as the XII's?

[fullerplast]

It's smaller... it would fit but there would be some room around it. Not that it would be a problem.

I was thinking more along the lines of a completely custom creation, along the lines of a XII. So the guard would be a custom job too and everything would fit.

[zhivago]

hmmm...yes...a custom job would save loads of hassle...the only problem I have with a custom pickguard would be the tortoise shell...can't find any decent one

I'd like to go for black body with tortoise shell guard, you see

*keeps the dream alive*

[zhivago]

by the way, is the Squire Venus XII the same bridge as an XII's from the 60s?

they look very alike....

[mjet]

Yes, the Venus XII had the same bridge as the early MIJ/CIJ Strat XII bridge (which was the same as the Electric XII). I think the cutout for the bridge plate on the pickguard will be a bit larger on the XII-equipped models than the Musicmaster / Toronado bridges, although fairly similar in shape.

Actually Guitar Parts Resource now lists two bridges of interest - the first one is a "Musicmaster Reissue" (interesting as I've not heard of a Musicmaster Reissue put out by Fender anytime recently):



And the Toronado bridge:



I'm guessing that the bridge that they call a Musicmaster is like the MIM DuoSonics from the 1990s and Squier versions that picked up in the late 90s, and are top-loaders. The Toronado bridge, as was commented upon earlier, is string-through.

[zhivago]

great info Michael!

I'd idealy like an original bridge (or 80s Strat, or Venus), but if worse comes tou worse, the Toronado one should work (I wanna go string through - never had a string through guitar before)

this is all speculating at the moment, a sI'm broke...but it'll be good to keep an eye on for the right parts

[mjet]

A year or two ago I had a Venus XII body (surf green - very cool color) that was bridgeless. I tried to get the bridge part by part and ended up giving up. I could never find the saddles, and I sold off the body and the parts I had collected (which I think were NOS Electric XII parts, actually - I got them from Smart Parts when they were still around). About two months later, I saw a complete XII bridge setup from a Venus XII on UK eBay for £50. I was shocked - if I'd just waited I could have had a complete XII body on the cheap.

I'll put some photos here of my parts (long since sold) - they're the ones with the white background. I also have some photos of a bridge plate with saddles (but no bridge block nor ferrule retaining bar) from Olivia's Vintage that they had on eBay last year.

Photo dump commencing:



And the Olivia's Vintage auction:

[zhivago]

oh man, how annoying!!

I might go for a toronado bridge in the end if it takes too long to find a proper XII bridge...


has anyone got a tracing of the pickguard, or know where to get a XII pickguard from?

I suppose the pups would have to be custom ordered from somewhere.

another idea would be to trace a Venus XII and rob it of it's split pups and also the bridge and ebay the rest....

[mjet]

oh man, how annoying!!

I might go for a toronado bridge in the end if it takes too long to find a proper XII bridge...


has anyone got a tracing of the pickguard, or know where to get a XII pickguard from?

I suppose the pups would have to be custom ordered from somewhere.

another idea would be to trace a Venus XII and rob it of it's split pups and also the bridge and ebay the rest....

Chandler Pickguards has a template of the Venus XII pickguard.

http://www.pickguards.us

The pickups (based on the old Electric XII models) were done by Seymour Duncan. The Duncan Custom Shop will still do them for you - I think they're around $180 a pair, but that info is a year or two old.

Venus XII guitars don't come around too often, and when they do, they don't go cheap. I sold mine for around EUR 500 (having bought it for around USD 450). The bridge cutout is done in such a way that it's tough to imagine an aftermarket bridge that could be used in its place, so if you took the bridge from one and wanted to flog it afterwards, it might not be an easy sell. I always wondered why I was able to get the surf green body so cheaply..  :-\

[zhivago]

hmmm...you're right about flogging the rest of the Venus...very good point...

so it seems that it'll be easier, and not to mention waaay cheaper to go for one of them aftermarket bridges...looking at the below pic of a 70s Musicmaster, it looks like it's about the same size/shape as the XII....probably a tad smaller, but it'll probably not be too much of a big deal....

[fullerplast]

That Musicmaster reissue bridge might be from the Vista Musicmaster, the only Vista to be Chinese origin instead of MIJ. Even so, it was a really cool guitar, Musicmaster body, 24.75" neck (like Cyclone), guard cut like orig Musicmaster bass, single humbucker in bridge, matching headstock... etc. They are really cool. I had a black one. It IS string-through, you can see the holes in your picture.

[zhivago]

coolness, if it works witht he XII pickguard, then it'll be super sweet!

the musicmaster bridge is under $30 too

[mjet]

That Musicmaster reissue bridge might be from the Vista Musicmaster, the only Vista to be Chinese origin instead of MIJ. Even so, it was a really cool guitar, Musicmaster body, 24.75" neck (like Cyclone), guard cut like orig Musicmaster bass, single humbucker in bridge, matching headstock... etc. They are really cool. I had a black one. It IS string-through, you can see the holes in your picture.

The Musicmaster Bass was also from China (and also pretty cool with the matching headstock). The fact that there are six saddles rather than the three Tele saddles makes it a bit easier to intonate.

[fullerplast]

Oh yea, and the bass too.

I bought my black Musicmaster 6 string for $112 on ebay a few years ago. It was a steal. If I remember right, the tone knob was a coil tap switch. Reall neat little guitar. The came in a nice surfy green too... Mmmmmmmm!

[mjet]

The Surf Green was really cool. I think that they also came in black and shell pink. 

[fullerplast]

You're right! What a neat idea, and at beginner-market prices!

Squier has some cool stuff out now too, but not as cool as that, IMO.