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Post subject: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:33 pm
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Hi,

I had the chance to buy recently some brand new Fender Mustang original parts.
It took me a while and money to find them but now I can start to build my Fiesta Red 'Kurt Cobain' Mustang Kurt Cobain.
The most surprising thing for me is this adjusto matic bridge.
I've never installed anything similiar on my guitar projects.

Is there anyone familiar with this type of bridge ?

I thought they would come with bridge thimbles but it doesn't seem to be the case. There are just studs on which you plug the bridge. :roll:
Right now I can see the holes need either to be enlarge slightly to allow me to screw them in or I have to find another way to make them fit it.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and feedbacks :) :idea:

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:42 pm
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Which guitar, which Adjusto-Matic™ (or Tune-o-matic) model do you have? Pics of the starting point & parts?

In general, the installing should be simple; drill the holes for the bushings (no hand drilling, body properly attached, proper depth control etc.), drop parts in, adjust.

But (no drop-in replacements...) old holes can be in the wrong place, worn oval etc; so they may need to be filled & then redrilled.
The radius of the bridge should match the neck (or be slightly flatter...). String spacing is one thing to remember.
Think where the intonation screws face; many recommend neck side, but that depends on how close the bridge pickup is, and how the strings flow on the tail side.
And sometimes intonating properly needs work on the saddles - from just flipping one to major machinery. :wink:

(I read your 'Lefty Froggy' post, so I gather you have enough experience to DIY this...)


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:14 am
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To be more precise here is the type of adjusto matic I'm trying to install :

Image

It is Fender Adjusto-Matic BRIDGE & Tailpiece Guitar Chrome Telecaster Tele JA-90
I'm not expecting to use the Tailpiece since I do have a brand new Fender Mustang tailpiece.

A few pictures of the body :

Image
Image
Image
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As you can see on the latest pictures I have started to make it fit inside but it requires strenght and screw it inside.
Apparently as shown on the front pictures, the standard holes drilled by Fender on the body are supposed to receive this studs.

Despite the different I am working on, I'm still relying on a luthier to validate what I am doing (soldering, mounting, tone, etc.)

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:27 pm
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Wow, good pics, nice guitar color. Thumbs up.

On the bridge, I read your original post sloppily, sorry. (I thought you had bushings/thimbles that were too big for the holes...)

But that bridge is the "standard" TOM-type without thimbles, as opposed to "modern" TOM with thimbles. Basically, you just install it in the holes - at least I'm not aware of any magic tricks needed. Just check the hole size, placement (scale length & sufficient intonation space), string spacing - and remember grounding.
Adjusting string height is a bit trickier with the standard type, you need to (= should...) loosen the strings, or use a tool like "Tune-o-Medic Bridge Jack" (google for pics - available from StewMac, but easy to DIY).
The bridge you got is (IIRC) for a 9.5" radius, which may fit a 7.25" neck perfectly (neck/nut radius is often flattened a bit at the bridge).

One more thing, there's two 'schools' for how the bridge should behave. Some set it up 'wobbly', which is the traditional way, and that's supposed to help returning to tune after trem use. Others tighten the bridge posts (aluminum foil etc.) to keep it more rigid. I go with the first model; the narrow posts get wobbly anyway with time...


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:56 am
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Thanks for your reply,

I will order this Tune-o-Medic Bridge Jack tool.

So I'll go ahead to finalize screwing the studs. Then I'll have to place a pickguard but first I need to buy one...

On this guitar body, I am installing a brand new genuine Fender Left Handed Vintage 69 Re Issue Mustang Neck Maple / Rosewood.
I've noticed it doesn't fit well in the neck pocket and it cost also removed a small piece of paint on the left side of the upper neck pocket :'(
Clearly the neck is too large or ...the neck pocket has to be slightly enlarged, and it's not well parallel to the neck routing.
Plus, when I compare with my Mustang MIJ from the 90's, I have a small gap between the neck and the neck pocket. Shim or no shim, I don't know.

I'll add pictures of the current steps (maybe I'll rename the topic in Lefty Fender Mustang Fiesta Red project :))

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:45 pm
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Busy week .... but at least I managed to spend some time on my projects today !
The good news is I received parts for each of them.
About this Mustang project I got tuners and pickguards.

I was so tired I failed to enlarge properly the peg holes...the only way I can confort myself is that it's with mistakes that you learn. The sooner the better.

Holes are drilled too for pickguard, tailpiece and control plate.
Because it's a left handed model I'll have to gently drilled the opposite side of the control plate to make it fit properly for screws head.
What is not as smart as the Jaguar control and upper plates is that the reverse side of the plate is not shinny and smooth as I was expecting.

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Now it's time for me to search for pickups that could make it sounds like a beast :) I don't know what funny combo I could place into this Mustang.

Image

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Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Mustang, Jag-stang, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Toronado, DuoSonic, MusicMaster and other models I love from Fender ! Thanks Leo and co !!


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain with Adjusto Matic bridge
Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 12:34 pm
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SD Antiquity II Mustang in the neck, Eastwood Phase 4 Humbucker in the bridge?


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