What Tune-O-Matic bridge for Fender Mustang?

HNB

seansinclair90 said:
I would have bought the wrong pup (sh4) if I hadn't read your advice.
Cheers man,you saved me a hassle and few quid $$$

Someone here pointed me to that link before because I would have done the same thing and been pissed that the poles didn't match up with the strings, so I am very happy to help with that. On a Jag-Stang you probably wouldn't tell there was a difference since it is messed up by being at an angle, but a straight route Mustang would look strange like the pic on that link and it would bug me. 😀 Putting my white TB 4 in my Mustang Friday hopefully and will post pics. It won't have strings for a bit since I discovered my bridge adjustment screws were stripped so I had to get a new one. I can't want to play it!

Grungie

HNB said:
Here is a pic. The pickguard arrived today. I got parchment. (An off white similar to the one it had before.) Need to route it now and work on installing electronics.

DSC09072 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Cool. What pickup are you going to get?

Nevermind. Ididn't see that you already posted. I think I'm going to getthe tb4 as well.

Grungie

seansinclair90 said:
I would have bought the wrong pup (sh4) if I hadn't read your advice.
Cheers man,you saved me a hassle and few quid $$$

Since I'm getting a Gotoh TOM put in, do you think using the SH4 instead of the TB4 would be ok, or not make a difference? I guess what I mean is would the SH4 work since I'm getting a different bridge?

HNB

Grungie said:
Since I'm getting a Gotoh TOM put in, do you think using the SH4 instead of the TB4 would be ok, or not make a difference? I guess what I mean is would the SH4 work since I'm getting a different bridge?

Now for that one I am not sure. LOL Unfortunately I don't know anyone with a TOM on their Fender. I would guess you would still want the TB 4, but I could be wrong.

Earth

SH4/TB4 it wont make any difference with a mustang bridge or TOM bridge.

BTW, you need the Gotoh Nashville TuneOmatic bridge.

But for future reference: if you are wanting a humbucker on a stock fender you need a trembucker to match the string spacing perfectly. If you plan on using a TOM you need a regular gibson spaced humbucker to match. You can mix it up and you wont hear any difference at all, you'll barely even see it.

HNB

Earth said:
SH4/TB4 it wont make any difference with a mustang bridge or TOM bridge.
BTW, you need the Gotoh Nashville TuneOmatic bridge.
But for future reference: if you are wanting a humbucker on a stock fender you need a trembucker to match the string spacing perfectly. If you plan on using a TOM you need a regular gibson spaced humbucker to match. You can mix it up and you wont hear any difference at all, you'll barely even see it.

My TB4 doesn't fit all the way through my pickguard. There is a midline bump that catches on the pickguard. Normal?

Earth

Don't really know what part you're referring too...in any case, pickguards can be filed and sanded.

HNB

Earth said:
Don't really know what part you're referring too...in any case, pickguards can be filed and sanded.

There is a ridge halfway down from the top of the pickup to the bottom that runs horizontal. I can feel it through the ribbon. It causes the pickup to stop going up through the pickguard when it is 1/4" up above the pickguard. Maybe it is on purpose so you can't put the humbucker up too high? All the other humbuckers I have slide through it fine.

Here is a pick. There is a ridge that feels like it goes all the way around the pickup where the red line is.

DSC09156 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

What you see in the pics below is the highest I can have the pickup up before it hits that ridge.

DSC09155 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

DSC09157 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Do you think I need to sand it or is it probably high enough?

Grungie

Earth said:
SH4/TB4 it wont make any difference with a mustang bridge or TOM bridge.
BTW, you need the Gotoh Nashville TuneOmatic bridge.
But for future reference: if you are wanting a humbucker on a stock fender you need a trembucker to match the string spacing perfectly. If you plan on using a TOM you need a regular gibson spaced humbucker to match. You can mix it up and you wont hear any difference at all, you'll barely even see it.

I dropped my Mustang off with my tech a few days ago, and went with the SH4. He said it would be a better choice. He said that the spacing would be better than the TB4. I also went with the Gotoh TOM. He's going to have to drill, but he said it would work out nicely in the long run.

HNB

Grungie said:
I dropped my Mustang off with my tech a few days ago, and went with the SH4. He said it would be a better choice. He said that the spacing would be better than the TB4. I also went with the Gotoh TOM. He's going to have to drill, but he said it would work out nicely in the long run.

Makes sense since the TOM should have Gibson spacing. 😀 Make sure to post pics when you get it done. In theory mine could be finished tomorrow after I route the opening a bit more.

Grungie

HNB said:
Makes sense since the TOM should have Gibson spacing. 😀 Make sure to post pics when you get it done. In theory mine could be finished tomorrow after I route the opening a bit more.

Cool man. I'll post pics. I'd like to see your 'stang too when its done.

HNB

Grungie said:
Cool man. I'll post pics. I'd like to see your 'stang too when its done.

Will do! 😀

Marlonmm

HNB said:
There is a ridge halfway down from the top of the pickup to the bottom that runs horizontal. I can feel it through the ribbon. It causes the pickup to stop going up through the pickguard when it is 1/4" up above the pickguard. Maybe it is on purpose so you can't put the humbucker up too high? All the other humbuckers I have slide through it fine.
Here is a pick. There is a ridge that feels like it goes all the way around the pickup where the red line is.

DSC09156 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
What you see in the pics below is the highest I can have the pickup up before it hits that ridge.

DSC09155 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

DSC09157 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr
Do you think I need to sand it or is it probably high enough?

the pickguard routing may not be large enough.

here's mine

Earth

Grungie said:
I dropped my Mustang off with my tech a few days ago, and went with the SH4. He said it would be a better choice. He said that the spacing would be better than the TB4. I also went with the Gotoh TOM. He's going to have to drill, but he said it would work out nicely in the long run.

You DO NOT have to drill if you use a Gotoh/Gibson or any other brand NASHVILLE!!! If, like I done on my jaguar, you use a Gotoh MODERN nashville you do.

---------------------

About the HB, just file the pickguard a bit, it wont take much to let the HB move freely.

HNB

Marlonmm said:
the pickguard routing may not be large enough.
here's mine

How high do you have your pickup coming through the pickguard? I could grind it a bit to make the hole bigger, but it comes out about 1/4 of an inch and I think that might be high enough.

HNB

So I tried to widen it myself and f$*%ed it up and have to wait for a new pickguard to arrive. I discovered the likely problem. A TB-4 is 2.780 wide and a SH-4 is 2.624 wide. Oddly though the TB-4 is slightly more narrow. I am checking with pickguardian to see if they could make me a new one with the wider hole. Sadly that will cost me about a month in time since it takes them awhile to make them. ☹

Earth

One thing I have learned. Always use the correct tool for the job! if I dont have the correct tool for it, I buy it. This way you never mess sh!t up!

HNB

Earth said:
One thing I have learned. Always use the correct tool for the job! if I dont have the correct tool for it, I buy it. This way you never mess sh!t up!

Very good advice. I guess what I should have done was to look at the size of the pickup online. I just don't have access to getting it done right. If I knew the trembuckers were bigger, I would have ordered the larger size from the get go. My punishment now is having to wait another couple weeks for the new pickguard to arrive. Oh well... At least I have my new Jaguar to play with for now. 😀

Marlonmm

HNB said:
How high do you have your pickup coming through the pickguard? I could grind it a bit to make the hole bigger, but it comes out about 1/4 of an inch and I think that might be high enough.

I can set the pickup almost touching the strings or until the pickup plate touched the pickguard. With the tunematic bridge I have to set the pickup high.

HNB

Marlonmm said:
I can set the pickup almost touching the strings or until the pickup plate touched the pickguard. With the tunematic bridge I have to set the pickup high.

I guess destroying it was for the best then. A new one is being made with the right size hole. ^^

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