Operation 6-String Mini JM Tenor thingy

[JSett]

So, I decided in a fit of madness, to order one of these...



With the intention of building a tenor-ish guitar. It'll live in G-standard or something similar so the scale length will be perfect. I'm not going to go crazy with expensive parts, just medium quality so it's reliable and sounds good

Plans so far are: swap out the electronics for single coils and decent pots/switches (pickups as-yet undecided), vintage Klusons, matched headstock, tort guard, witch hats and...

...hopefully a vibrato. This is where it's gonna get even remotely tricky. Is there an easy system I can source to convert the top-loaded strat style bridge over to a roller/rocking/vibrato setup? Or is my best option to borrow a router and slap in a JM unit (I think the body may be too thin though). Suggestions for this GREATLY appreciated as, so far, I'm stuck on ideas and the thought of putting a Bigsby on makes me wanna puke 🤮

[HarlowTheFish]

If the body is too thin for a JM trem, it's probably gonna be too thin for most Strat trems too.

Give it a measure, if it's around 1.5" you could go with a Mustang trem, if it's between 1.5" and 1" it can take a Kahler. If your choice is Big K or Big B, I'm gonna level with you and say that there's an objectively correct choice here.



(it's not the Bigsby)

[JSett]

Hah! I hadn't even thought of a Kahler!

Although the look will be objectively weird, it might just be on the side of the fence that is 'so bad it's good'

When it lands I'll break out the verniers and see what we've got to play with. A Mustang would be my #1 over a JM unit

If the body is too thin for a JM trem, it's probably gonna be too thin for most Strat trems too.

Give it a measure, if it's around 1.5" you could go with a Mustang trem, if it's between 1.5" and 1" it can take a Kahler. If your choice is Big K or Big B, I'm gonna level with you and say that there's an objectively correct choice here.



(it's not the Bigsby)

[Gordon]

Also, just for information (as a lot of people don't know): those Minis have a close-to-perfect conversion neck. You can use a Strat/JM neck, the saddles can compensate the extra difference in length to intonate.

[JSett]

Also, just for information (as a lot of people don't know): those Minis have a close-to-perfect conversion neck. You can use a Strat/JM neck, the saddles can compensate the extra difference in length to intonate.

That's interesting to know... although I have no idea why I'd ever want to put a full size neck on this tiny body (or vice versa)

I am keeping an eye out for a cheap mini strat to potentially steal a rosewood neck from though as, I assume, they're the same neck in every other way

[Gordon]

That's interesting to know... although I have no idea why I'd ever want to put a full size neck on this tiny body (or vice versa)

I once wanted to get a Mini Strat just to put a baritone conversion neck on it. I like freak guitars.

[bodhi]

Because of ... reasons... I'm acutely aware that the Goeldo DG tremolo systems are top-mount and only require a single larger hole to be drilled in. Instructions say to have it measure about 33mm deep, and 25mm wide.

There's one in a Fender offset style, but in any case these might be one of the easier alternatives: https://www.goeldo.de/en/guitar-parts/t ... -tremolos/

I believe someone might be doing hagstroms and gibson vibrolas and other topmount stuff for not too bad a price (Wilkinson for the latter?), depending on what your desired aesthetics are.

[Zork]

I was about to bring the Düsenberg Les Trem into consideration but the DG Trem is also a very good option. Since the body is so small I would suggest the smaller horseshoe variant instead of the jazzmasterish one but that's just me. As for pickups: what about a pair of GFS Surf 90s? I got some in my Les Paul and I like them a lot, they are very affordable and are a direct replacement for the stock humbuckers.

[JSett]

Those Goldo vibratos actually look great. A quick Google seems to show I'll need to do a little hunting to get one. And they're not that cheap...but it's likely cheaper than messing around with something more elaborate. Shane we've just left the EU as now anything from the continent has an extra 20% to factor in bloody Brexit

Good shout, and I'll do some proper digging after dinner

[LVC]

There's also the Teisco-style trem. Cheap, surface mount and with a small footprint.



https://www.axesrus.co.uk/Vibrato-Tail- ... vbt004.htm

[JSett]

There's also the Teisco-style trem. Cheap, surface mount and with a small footprint.



https://www.axesrus.co.uk/Vibrato-Tail- ... vbt004.htm

this was my first thought, and are ubiquitous and cheap. It's almost certainly what I'll use if I cant find one of the other systems within the right budget