Gotoh Tune-O-Matic on a Squier Mustang (Kurt Cobain Mod)

[davewire]

Just because Kurt put TOMs on his guitars doesn't mean it was a good idea or that it was practical

I don't understand why people say that installing a TOM on a mustang is a bad idea, if it's done well and adjusted well it rocks! I'm super happy with my modification, my mustang remains well tuned, I find that it has a lot more punch and that flashy sound that I was looking for like in Cobain's cleans! You can look at my link above in my previous post, there are lots of photos and all the necessary explanations!

[BoringPostcards]

Nobody said it was a bad idea, per se. Just it’s kind of pointless. A Mustang bridge functions just fine. I’ve owned several Mustangs, and currently have two.
I’ve never wanted to change a bridge out on them. Absolutely no need to. The rocking feature is also hardly an issue on a Mustang, due to the break angle. Again, an easy fix with some tape.
I’m sure someone mentioned it already, but a TOM has a 12” radius and a Mustang has either 7.25” or 9.5”

I understand you’re a Nirvana fan, and maybe that’s why you want to do it, which is OK, but I’ll say it again.. it’s pointless.
Your guitar won’t play better, in fact with the mismatched radius, it’s likely to play worse.

[AcrylicSuperman]

Just because Kurt put TOMs on his guitars doesn't mean it was a good idea or that it was practical

I don't understand why people say that installing a TOM on a mustang is a bad idea, if it's done well and adjusted well it rocks! I'm super happy with my modification, my mustang remains well tuned, I find that it has a lot more punch and that flashy sound that I was looking for like in Cobain's cleans! You can look at my link above in my previous post, there are lots of photos and all the necessary explanations!

I've never saw the need to swap a bridge out on an offset. The rocking bridges are great and work exactly how they are meant to if set up properly. I can understand wanting to keep the bridge from rocking but there are easier ways to do that. I've never saw the point of putting a TOM on an offset. To me, it's always seemed like a pointless mod and most often done just because Kurt's guitars had them. I absolutely understand paying tribute to one of your favorite guitar plays and influences. We all do that, whether it's Kurt or anyone else. But it's sort of one of those mods that is a solution to a problem that really doesn't exist, especially in a Mustang. Top that with a mismatched radius, it's sort of a recipe for disaster. Sure, you can shim the neck to make up some of that difference, but the TOM mod is just adding more work to the instrument. Like I said, it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist and creates more problems.

Absolutely no disrespect to anyone that likes the TOM on their offsets. To each their own. I just don't find it necessary.

[Cico_Jag93]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

[Cico_Jag93]

Just because Kurt put TOMs on his guitars doesn't mean it was a good idea or that it was practical

I don't understand why people say that installing a TOM on a mustang is a bad idea, if it's done well and adjusted well it rocks! I'm super happy with my modification, my mustang remains well tuned, I find that it has a lot more punch and that flashy sound that I was looking for like in Cobain's cleans! You can look at my link above in my previous post, there are lots of photos and all the necessary explanations!

Hi I read your post and I find it really interesting I mounted a TOM bridge on the mustang with a 7.25" fretboard radius And I noticed that it works very well in my opinion but I had a bit of difficulty in setting it up, but with a little patience I made it work very well
It improves the sustain a bit but on the mustang I prefer the traditional bridge.
Is there a TOM bridge with a 7.25" radius?

[timtam]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

If the Gotoh TOM bridge that Fender uses on the Cobain jag is indeed the GE103B-T model, the engineering drawings (at the Gotoh site linked in the post below) show 52mm. And a radius of 300mm (11.8").
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=125057#p1769776

[AcrylicSuperman]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

Martin installed a black Schaller GTM on the Jaguar.

The Schaller GTM guitar bridge has a string spacing of 52.5 mm from E to e.

[Cico_Jag93]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

If the Gotoh TOM bridge that Fender uses on the Cobain jag is indeed the GE103B-T model, the engineering drawings (at the Gotoh site linked in the post below) show 52mm. And a radius of 300mm (11.8").
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=125057#p1769776

Thanks so much TimTam I couldn't find the exact measurements of the bridge installed on the Jaguar MIM and of that bridge. Thanks I have to say that as a bridge it's not bad it's good but I had to replace the screws in my bridge.

[Cico_Jag93]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

Martin installed a black Schaller GTM on the Jaguar.

The Schaller GTM guitar bridge has a string spacing of 52.5 mm from E to e.

Thanks so much AcrylicSuperman I didn't know which axle was installed on Kurt's Jaguar, not the reissue. I knew that Martin had had a Schaller brand bridge installed but I didn't know the exact model, I hope it is still for sale, whether new or even used, but I must say that I found a very nice RAW brand bridge, it is the same as the Schaller bridge I didn't know the spacing either, thanks so much for your advice and stories

[Cico_Jag93]

So the bridge had a radius of 12 ? I would have bet everything on it but I was thinking of a bridge radius of 12" thanks to everyone for this information

[AcrylicSuperman]

Hello everyone I read a little about this pleasant thread that talks about the bridge of Kurt's Jaguar.Can someone please tell me how much the spacing of the strings at the bridge is? I had found a bridge identical to Kurt's, with brass stars

Martin installed a black Schaller GTM on the Jaguar.

The Schaller GTM guitar bridge has a string spacing of 52.5 mm from E to e.

Thanks so much AcrylicSuperman I didn't know which axle was installed on Kurt's Jaguar, not the reissue. I knew that Martin had had a Schaller brand bridge installed but I didn't know the exact model, I hope it is still for sale, whether new or even used, but I must say that I found a very nice RAW brand bridge, it is the same as the Schaller bridge I didn't know the spacing either, thanks so much for your advice and stories

The GTM is still a very obtainable bridge. You can find it here. You'll want the reversed model if you are aiming for accuracy.

https://schaller.info/en/gtm/1209

[MrSparkle]

I've never saw the need to swap a bridge out on an offset. The rocking bridges are great and work exactly how they are meant to if set up properly. I can understand wanting to keep the bridge from rocking but there are easier ways to do that. I've never saw the point of putting a TOM on an offset. ... Top that with a mismatched radius, it's sort of a recipe for disaster. Sure, you can shim the neck to make up some of that difference, but the TOM mod is just adding more work to the instrument.

It's a bit like the Mustang bridge mod - it caused as many problems as it solved because of the wide string spacing, but it was one of the only options available in the long past. Now we have the Mastery for ToM users, the Staytrem for Mustang bridge users, and then the Halon, Descendent Companion, Trent, Tuffset, and probably half a dozen more I've forgotten or not found yet. AS a functional rather than "as a tribute" mod; the time for this has passed.

[Cico_Jag93]

Martin installed a black Schaller GTM on the Jaguar.

The Schaller GTM guitar bridge has a string spacing of 52.5 mm from E to e.

Thanks so much AcrylicSuperman I didn't know which axle was installed on Kurt's Jaguar, not the reissue. I knew that Martin had had a Schaller brand bridge installed but I didn't know the exact model, I hope it is still for sale, whether new or even used, but I must say that I found a very nice RAW brand bridge, it is the same as the Schaller bridge I didn't know the spacing either, thanks so much for your advice and stories

The GTM is still a very obtainable bridge. You can find it here. You'll want the reversed model if you are aiming for accuracy.

https://schaller.info/en/gtm/1209

Thank you so much AcrylicSuperman will be the next purchase I will make, but I found a very nice and practically identical bridge.
I don't remember the name now,I'll search a bit on the internet and among my lists and I'll tell you which bridge it is.
Thanks again for your advice

[Cico_Jag93]

Martin installed a black Schaller GTM on the Jaguar.

The Schaller GTM guitar bridge has a string spacing of 52.5 mm from E to e.

Thanks so much AcrylicSuperman I didn't know which axle was installed on Kurt's Jaguar, not the reissue. I knew that Martin had had a Schaller brand bridge installed but I didn't know the exact model, I hope it is still for sale, whether new or even used, but I must say that I found a very nice RAW brand bridge, it is the same as the Schaller bridge I didn't know the spacing either, thanks so much for your advice and stories

The GTM is still a very obtainable bridge. You can find it here. You'll want the reversed model if you are aiming for accuracy.

https://schaller.info/en/gtm/1209

Hi sorry for writing so late By the inverted bridge do you mean that the bridge must be inverted with the saddles having the flat part towards the neck? Sorry I didn't understand well. I found a very nice Nashville bridge, however it is chromed and has brass saddles.
And it's a Gibson style bridge, it's thinner.

[Cico_Jag93]

Just because Kurt put TOMs on his guitars doesn't mean it was a good idea or that it was practical

I don't understand why people say that installing a TOM on a mustang is a bad idea, if it's done well and adjusted well it rocks! I'm super happy with my modification, my mustang remains well tuned, I find that it has a lot more punch and that flashy sound that I was looking for like in Cobain's cleans! You can look at my link above in my previous post, there are lots of photos and all the necessary explanations!

I've never saw the need to swap a bridge out on an offset. The rocking bridges are great and work exactly how they are meant to if set up properly. I can understand wanting to keep the bridge from rocking but there are easier ways to do that. I've never saw the point of putting a TOM on an offset. To me, it's always seemed like a pointless mod and most often done just because Kurt's guitars had them. I absolutely understand paying tribute to one of your favorite guitar plays and influences. We all do that, whether it's Kurt or anyone else. But it's sort of one of those mods that is a solution to a problem that really doesn't exist, especially in a Mustang. Top that with a mismatched radius, it's sort of a recipe for disaster. Sure, you can shim the neck to make up some of that difference, but the TOM mod is just adding more work to the instrument. Like I said, it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist and creates more problems.

Absolutely no disrespect to anyone that likes the TOM on their offsets. To each their own. I just don't find it necessary.

Couldn't you "cut" or sand the TOM bridge saddles to make the radius match the neck radius? It wouldn't be a bad idea, i I am very happy with the 12 radius bridge on a 7,25 " and 9.50" or 10" radius neck.
have a Jaguar with a radius of 7.25".
but sometimes it takes it to 8.00" maximum 8.50".I'm talking about the traditional Jaguar bridge.