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Post subject: Squier VM Mustang broken bridge...what to replace with?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:51 am
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Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:44 am
Posts: 1
Hey folks. I bought a Squier Vintage Modified Mustang a few months ago mainly because Fender doesn't currently sell a Fender Mustang with a vibrato. All was well for a while until I brought the guitar to a local guy to have it set up. When I got it back he mentioned that he had a hard time with the intonation because the bridge "had a bit of play in it". I hadn't noticed the bridge moving or sliding around at all until then but when he mentioned it I realized that the left post (looking up towards the neck of the guitar) was loose in the hole. I just wanted to play the guitar and I just left it and forgot about it for a while until I decided I wanted to change my strings from .10's to .11's to get more tension. When I took the strings off I realized that the left post of the bridge was actually completely snapped off and I guess the tension from the strings was just sort of holding things together. I have no idea how it could have happened. My only guess is that it must've shipped with the defect to begin with. Anyways, my plan now is to replace the bridge with something of higher quality. What I've decided to go with is a Mastery. I'm really new to all of this and have never modified a guitar in any way before basically I'm just looking for advice/answers to some questions.

Questions:

- Mastery makes a bridge (just the m1 with "vintage spec 303 stainless steel MT thimbles" included) specifically for the Squier VM Jaguar or Jazzmaster but not for the Mustang. Will this work for my Mustang?

- What exactly are "vintage spec 303 stainless steel MT thimbles"? I understand it is a part used to adapt the posts to fit the VM guitars but how exactly do I apply these to the bridge? Do they fit over the initial posts or is there more to it?

- I have heard of a lot of people wrapping the posts of their new bridges in tape or other materials in order to get a snug fit which I do not understand because, as far as I know, the posts are meant to fit loosely in order for the tremolo system to work? Will I have any trouble with my trem using a Mastery bridge?

- I believe the nut width of the VM Mustang and of the VM Jazzmaster/jaguar are the same. Will I have any trouble with strings lining up right with pickups or fitting on the fretboard using a Mastery bridge?

- Lastly, does anybody have any alternative recommendations for VM Mustang bridge replacements? I am open to suggestions.

Thank you for any advice you can offer me!

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Post subject: Re: Squier VM Mustang broken bridge...what to replace with?
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 2:46 am
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Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4240
First of all some friendly advice.

Fender seems to have started a practice which delays the first post from new members a couple of days - so I saw this "Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:51 pm" post of yours only today.

Complaining about no immediate answers, or multiposting the same question to every imaginable section of the forum except the one it belongs to (Squier section...) wakes more irritation than answers. A hint: I believe you can delete the extra topics on Lounge and Education Center as long as you've gotten no answers to those.

Same 'irritation factor syndrome' comes with pics that don't show. You need an image file (like .jpg) posted on some webhost, then copy the image location (starts with http/https, ends with .jpg) and use the IMG command on Fender forum.

Then to the guitar questions part:

Looking at your https://ibb.co/dDOh1F shows you have a broken bridge post, can't see exactly how it's broken so can't say if it could be fixed. Fender part number 0035555000/Mustang (Jag/JM) bridge is about 45 $€£, part number 0081239001/Blacktop Jazzmaster bridge about 25 $£€. Both work, with the usual may encounter some fitting issues clausule - drop-in replacements seldom exist...
The Mastery bridge costs around 185 $€£, and IMHO would be overkill, since either of the Fender bridges work when set up properly.

The function of the thimbles is self explanatory when you look at the Mastery M1 pic - they are the 'bed' where the bridge posts 'lay'. The 'vintage spec 303 stainless steel' part is marketing hype. :wink:

The original Mustang bridge was meant to wobble. Some don't like that, so they tape it tighter. Some don't know how to set up the bridge properly, and try to fix something using the same tape trick. The Mastery is a tighter thimble/post fit to begin with, so you'll spare the tape price...
But any trem (including the high-end, high-price boutique versions) has problems, if it's not set up properly. Most trems (including Squier trems) work just fine if the setup is perfect.
And remember: Fender tremolos/vibratos were designed for light butterfly flutter, not divebombing.

Nut width doesn't throw string lineup off nearly as much as string spacing at the bridge. Besides that, if I'd install a Mastery bridge on a VM, I'd sure upgrade the nut, too. Maybe not a necessary job, but I'm nuts about nuts.

Alt recommendations above.


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Post subject: Re: Squier VM Mustang broken bridge...what to replace with?
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 5:22 pm
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Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 3:59 am
Posts: 191
After few months my mustang started to rattle I think it came down to the bridge moving around. I bought a Modified Mustang Bridge and I sent it back. The stock bridge rattles but is fine for that guitar. I would recommend getting another one. The Mastery Bridge is too much for this lowly guitar... I've owned one and didn't really like it on my Japan Mustang.


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