Mustang bridge or tun-o-matic?

Natman

Kinda pointless asking this, but here goes: what do you prefer? The stock mustang bridge or your tuneomatic? I have disabled the trem, so it's all going to be stable and I have both bridges so I have to choose. Is there a big difference in tone with the big round barrel saddles or pointy TOM ones? Thanks!

Mad-Mike

Mustang bridge for sure, I use the whammy bar a lot (surprise surprise), and I'm always discovering new things to pull off with that particular setup. As of late I've been experimenting with nearly Trans-Trem Steinberger like effects by bending one of two strings fretted and pulling the bar or pushing it down to whammy into and out of chords.

nirvana23freak

i prefer tune o matic. i dont use the trem and lock it down, so its not necessary to have a mustang one and it keeps it in tune a little better

Aug

I've owned half a dozen Mustangs in my life and find that the mustang bridge works just fine if you'll take the time to set the guitar up properly. Besides, the tune-o-matic is ugly as #### and completely unnecessary.

Natman

Well that's what I was thinking. Especially since I will not be using the trem. Just wondering about things like sustain, string buzz and what not?

Fran

Mad-Mike said: Mustang bridge for sure, I use the whammy bar a lot (surprise surprise), and I'm always discovering new things to pull off with that particular setup. As of late I've been experimenting with nearly Trans-Trem Steinberger like effects by bending one of two strings fretted and pulling the bar or pushing it down to whammy into and out of chords.

Do you set tour trem floating so that you have a slight up pull on it then mike? I thought the general feeling a while back was to set the cigar tube fully back.

robertoriginal

i have my tube ll the way back.

the tune o matic won;t be raduised to the neck radius and you may even need to shim the neck a bit to get a low enough action.

Fran

Aye, get that action low 😉

You can actually file down the saddles on a TOM to match the neck radius, then recut the string slots. To be honest though its all a bit long winded coz i dont really see the benefits of a TOM.

Mad-Mike

Mad-Mike said: Mustang bridge for sure, I use the whammy bar a lot (surprise surprise), and I'm always discovering new things to pull off with that particular setup. As of late I've been experimenting with nearly Trans-Trem Steinberger like effects by bending one of two strings fretted and pulling the bar or pushing it down to whammy into and out of chords.

Nope, not full back, as the thing I wrote about my setup said, the holes for the spring tension should be set about 45 degress back, which leaves quite a bit of travel, but not as much as Fender sets it up with (which with my kind of whammy behavior could lead to some pretty fast string breakage, we're talking about a 9th up or so on 009's here), I get about a 3rd to a 5th up actually (same as a Steve Vai Ibanez oddly enough).

Fran

Mad-Mike said: my kind of whammy behavior could lead to some pretty fast string breakage, we're talking about a 9th up or so on 009's here.

Blimey i did'nt know you was using 009's, nice one, that totally dissmises the myth that you have to use heavier gauge strings with offset guitars. I use 10's.

Fran

Mad-Mike said: my kind of whammy behavior could lead to some pretty fast string breakage, we're talking about a 9th up or so on 009's here.

Blimey i did'nt know you was using 009's, nice one, that totally dissmises the myth that you have to use heavier gauge strings with offset guitars. I use 10's.

Jord-Stang

I deffinatly like the tune-o-matic more, its simple and easy.

although the mustang bridge is good too, but i have the hardest

time changing the strings and adjusting it on my jag-stang. it would

take me at least 10-15 minutes to change strings onthe jag, when i change

strings on my les paul (which has a tune-o-matic) it would take at least 5.

Fran

The reason for that is prolly more the trem system. If you set the locking button on your Jag right the trem will stay the same no matter what strings break or are removed.

Mad-Mike

Mad-Mike said: my kind of whammy behavior could lead to some pretty fast string breakage, we're talking about a 9th up or so on 009's here.

Yeah it does, and on Jaguar and Jag-Stang both.

kidwaJstang

Although I havn't used a TOM on a Jag-Stang, I've heard that it can lead to easier string breakage. Also, the string height is incorrect on a TOM in relation to the curve of the neck. My vote is for the Warmoth Mustang bridge w/ height adjustment screws.