Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

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Tele295
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Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by Tele295 » Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:10 am

1. Does the bridge mount differently than a standard 2-point Jazzmaster bridge?

2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?

Thanks in advance
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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by beatcomber » Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:45 am

1. Does the bridge mount differently than a standard 2-point Jazzmaster bridge?

A standard JM bridge will not drop in.

2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?

It has the tailpiece moved closer to the bridge compared to a traditional, vintage-spec JM.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by dinosaurkale-> » Tue Jul 05, 2022 12:16 pm

1. yes. it is different spacing, it uses the spacing for a TOM bridge

for both the squier and the fender mascis JMs

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by superficial » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:03 am

I believe Staytrem do a rocker-style bridge that will fit the JMJM. Also there are roller TOM bridge options.
2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?
Yes, but that's also seen on some other Jazzmasters with traditional bridges E.g. the Vintera Mod Jazzmaster and the Player series IIRC. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and doesn't mean you can't use a different bridge piece.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by Lost In Autumn » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:48 am

Tele295 wrote:
Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:10 am
1. Does the bridge mount differently than a standard 2-point Jazzmaster bridge?

2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?

Thanks in advance
yes and yes. Both are ultimately the reasons that I never got on with my J Mascis Jazzmaster. I tried all manner of bridges and found some that worked acceptably well, however, there's no getting past the tremolo tailpiece placement. IMO, it chokes the harmonics from behind the bridge and deadens the sound. No matter which mods I did to the guitar, which bridge or pickups I used, it just felt dead to me, which is a shame, because my JMJM had one of the best playing necks I've ever had on a guitar. Lots of people think these guitars are the cat's pajamas, but I just couldn't bond with it. I tried a Standard Series HH with a number of different pickup combinations that had worked well for me on other guitars and came to the same conclusion: the tremolo placement killed the feel for me. YMMV.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by beatcomber » Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:51 am

If you want a traditional Jazzmaster, the Squier Vintage Modified is a great budget choice, and the more expensive (but still affordable) Fender Vintera '60s is also a great option.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by alexpigment » Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:30 pm

I see that you have a Buzzstop in your profile picture. The bridge being moved forward is essentially just recreating a Buzzstop without introducing an additional point of contact where tuning issues "can" occur. The break angle over the bridge is increased, and I welcome this. The Adjust-o-matic bridge is not my favorite, but there are several ways to retrofit either a traditional or Mustang-type/Staytrem bridge. Lastly, the neck on the Mascis is worth the price of admission. I'd recommend the Mascis over the Classic Vibe, and if you don't like the bridge, go down the rabbit hole of addressing a replacement.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by Tele295 » Wed Jul 06, 2022 7:42 pm

Thank you all for this very useful information!
Jill Martini & The Shrunken Heads - all aloha, all the time

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by skeletonpower » Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:08 pm

So, to piggyback off this thread, I just installed a roller bridge on my JMJM, and I'm wondering the best way to deal with the radius difference. Any tips? I've never shimmed bridge saddles before, obviously.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by bessieboporbach » Mon Aug 22, 2022 5:58 pm

superficial wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:03 am
I believe Staytrem do a rocker-style bridge that will fit the JMJM. Also there are roller TOM bridge options.
2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?
Yes, but that's also seen on some other Jazzmasters with traditional bridges E.g. the Vintera Mod Jazzmaster and the Player series IIRC. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and doesn't mean you can't use a different bridge piece.
Vintera Mod JM uses a tune-o-matic bridge like the Mascis.

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by bipedal2 » Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:07 am

So, to piggyback off this thread, I just installed a roller bridge on my JMJM, and I'm wondering the best way to deal with the radius difference. Any tips? I've never shimmed bridge saddles before, obviously.
Depends on the roller bridge you're using, of course. I have a Wilkinson roller bridge on my JMJM and I shimmed individual saddles 2-5 with a few layers of aluminum snipped from soda cans. It's a bit rough and ready as I chose the # of shim layers based on feel and my eyes rather than formal measurement, but it's worked for my needs. (I'm pretty sure I got this suggestion from somewhere else on OSG years ago, so idea credit goes to that person.)

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Re: Questions about the Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by Duffy » Tue Aug 30, 2022 1:57 am

bessieboporbach wrote:
Mon Aug 22, 2022 5:58 pm
superficial wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:03 am
I believe Staytrem do a rocker-style bridge that will fit the JMJM. Also there are roller TOM bridge options.
2. Do I understand that the tremolo is moved closer to the bridge, as compared to standard Jazzmaster placement?
Yes, but that's also seen on some other Jazzmasters with traditional bridges E.g. the Vintera Mod Jazzmaster and the Player series IIRC. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and doesn't mean you can't use a different bridge piece.
Vintera Mod JM uses a tune-o-matic bridge like the Mascis.


I am not an expert but it looks like it is definitely not simple to put an ordinary Tom or generic roller bridge on a player jag because the post bore holes for the bridge studs that are bored into the wood of the body are not properly distanced apart and this results in a situation where you can't find a roller bridge that will fit over posts that far apart. Because of this it seems like you would need to carefully plug the bore holes with pieces of dowel rod. Then drill new holes for the Tom or roller bridge of the correct radius as well as stud spacing. This is a big job requiring precision and artistic skill because it may be easy to mess up the area/paint around the new bore holes. A drop in roller Bridge would be great, but that's not the way it looks.
"I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love," George Harrison ... 'guitar gently weeps'.

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