Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

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JupiterGTR
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Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by JupiterGTR » Sun Aug 01, 2021 7:45 am

Hello everyone !

A few months ago, I was still waiting to receive my first Staytrem, and I was talking about it with my father. He's a pipemaker (he crafts Uileann Pipes, the tradition Irish Pipe, and has a whole workshop with machines and stuff.)

I was telling him about the problems that us offset guitars users have with the traditional Fender bridge, and about the incredible possibilities of these guitars, once well set up. And we started fantasizing about a bridge that would solve these problems, AND allow fine tuning of the length of strings behind the bridge. My father worked on a prototype for months, and I received it a few weeks ago. I tested it a bit on my squier Vintage Modified Jaguar. It's by no means perfect, but it's a really interesting experience, and if some people are interested, this could be the start of an amazing adventure. Here's how it looks (warning : if you think the Mastery bridge is an over-engineered abomination that doesn't fit the "traditional offset look," you might wanna avoid looking at this - although I personnaly love it - ) :

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This is a rocking bridge. The radius of the plate is averaged between 7.25 and 9.5, but the front saddles allow height adjustement (of course they also allow intonation adjustments, the same way a Staytrem does.) To fine tune the strings behind the bridge, you have to unscrew a bit the round head screws, until their tip is no longer in contact with the strings. You can then push, or pull the whole column on the back of each tracks, find the note you want, and rescrew when you've found it. 2 of the four small screw on top of each column (next to the big one, that goes in contact with the string,) allow height adjustment of the whole column. Finally, the whole bridge can be raised or lowered, the same way all the others can.)

Overall, when it comes to classic, non-behin-the-bridge playing, I must say I have a hard time comparing the sound of this bridge with the traditional one, since I hadn't played the Jaguer for a long time when I put it on. Indeed, I bought a Jazzmaster a few months ago, and had been playing exclusively on it until now.

Behind the bridge though, I'd say the whole thing allows for adjustments that are somewhere between the tone and the semitone. Which is roughly enough to allow you to have a resonance made of notes that are in the 440 Hz scale (if that makes sense.)

When it comes to the flaws, there are several, as you can imagine with a prototype for something this ambitious.

1 - The round head screws are very high up the bridge, and it makes the resting position of the right hand pretty uncomfortable at first. This will be solved by changing the screw to flat head ones.

2 - As with a Staytrem, if you fine tune your string a certain way, the back of the bridge can be in contact with the portion of the strings behind the bridge, which sorta defeats the purpose. I have to say I have managed to find a setting that was okay without such contact, but still. We will try to solve this by lowering again the back plate the most we can, but, as you can see with a system that big, we won't be able to completely supress it the way Mastery does.

3 - Finally, and this is really the big one : Since there is a non-vibrating portion of string, caught between the front saddle, and the back column, the behind the bridge resonance is far less present when playing plugged in the amp. The only way we figure we could solve this is by putting a pickup between the bridge and the vibrato plate, Sonic Youth-style. I may try to do this with my father this summer, and will keep you all posted on the evolution of the project.

Down the road, if we manage to solve the few flaws, we would love to know if some people are interested in investing in such a project. My father being already busy with his work, you can imagine he wouldn't be able to mass produce these at a low cost.

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by DeathJag » Sun Aug 01, 2021 8:49 am

I think that thing is very cool! Who cares about the look when you're going for a function that is impossible with anything traditional?! Man it's so cool your pop worked with you!! I lost my dad in 2014 so I'm jealous of just that part.

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by JSett » Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:44 am

This thing is utterly mental, and I love it. Also, I'm hella impressed with the machining that has clearly gone into this thing to. Bravo!
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by smjenkins » Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:05 am

I love this. It's got actually useful extra functionality and it's steampunk AF. Awesome work and so cool that you got to work on a project like this with your Dad.

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by kimson » Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:23 pm

Wow, that's ridiculously cool!

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by pacemaker » Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:49 pm

Everything about this is badass! Gonna need a video...

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by Veitchy » Sun Aug 01, 2021 5:35 pm

Considering that when I started playing strings-behind-the-bridge guitars I was inventing open tunings that got me an open chord on both the regular and behind lengths of strings, this sort of thing would have been a game changer. Really interested to see where you go with this.

Bloody well done.

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by gibs » Sun Aug 01, 2021 7:57 pm

Looks slick, definitely like the concept for adjusting behind the bridge for more control over behind the bridge harmonics. My only worry would be those thumb wheel screws being pretty tall, might be uncomfortable for palm muting or any kind of resting your hand around the bridge. Otherwise looks like a great idea!

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Re: Protoype for a JM/Jag bridge that allows you to fine tune behind the brigde

Post by Flurko » Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:50 am

This is great !
went about it the opposite way when I had a behind the bridge pickup on my les paul copy, I used a wraparound tailpiece with movable saddles, which gave me some leeway for tuning the length of string behind the bridge, while still being awfully fiddly :D

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