Replacing Jt390 Bridge

[El-Ahrairah]

Hi

I'd like to replace the crappy bridge my Jackson DKMGT came with (probably child-labour anyways) by a quality bridge which would make it possible to properly adjust the intonation. Can anybody help? Are there any Gibson bridges that would fit?

Are those tune-o-matic bridges somehow standardised? I mean, the diameter of the screw thread which goes into the guitar body.

BTW, is there a way to remove the nut without damaging the guitar? It's a block of plastic with six ugly saw notches, and I'd really like a brass nut.

Thanks in advance.

El-Ahrairah

[crafty]

Hey, that's a nice looking guitar!

Anyway, you'll need to measure the distance between the posts that hold the bridge. Once you've done that, just go to some place like StewMac and pick out which one you like. They even have one with piezos in it so you can rig up an acoustic-electric setup as well.

Be forewarned, though, that while most of these bridges will have the same post spacing as what you already have, you may need to enlarge the holes in your guitar or fill them to drill new smaller holes.

If you could tell us more about your intonation problems, maybe we could help you without you having to replace the whole bridge, too. I'd be willing to bet what you already have is a decent korean Gotoh bridge. Some other upgrades I may suggest are locking tuners and real active EMG pickups. They are worlds better than the EMG-HZs.

As far as the nut goes, you should be able to gently pry it off with a small screwdriver. Finding and fitting a brass nut could be a little tougher, though. I've never seen ready-made brass nuts for a Jackson neck, so you may have to find a block of raw brass and make your own. Just glue it back in place with a small dab of epoxy.

Edited April 2, 2005 by crafty

[El-Ahrairah]

Hey, that's a nice looking guitar!

Thanks, I really like it, too. Very comfortable neck to play on.

Anyway, you'll need to measure the distance between the posts that hold the bridge. Once you've done that, just go to some place like StewMac and pick out which one you like. They even have one with piezos in it so you can rig up an acoustic-electric setup as well.

The piezo-pickup bridge sounds very interesting, I'll need to have a look at it, or rather look at similar options in the country I live in.

Be forewarned, though, that while most of these bridges will have the same post spacing as what you already have, you may need to enlarge the holes in your guitar or fill them to drill new smaller holes.

I am afraid of doing that. It's not that I'm completely incapable of handcrafting wooden stuff, but I fear I might cause some damage. Maybe I'd take it to a pro then.

If you could tell us more about your intonation problems, maybe we could help you without you having to replace the whole bridge, too. I'd be willing to bet what you already have is a decent korean Gotoh bridge. Some other upgrades I may suggest are locking tuners and real active EMG pickups. They are worlds better than the EMG-HZs.

←

The bridge is Korean indeed, but I'm not quite sure about the quality. The finish was all over the screw thread and the screw-nut, making it hard to adjust anything. Other than that the one of the recessed head screws are very hard to turn and the screwdriver slips, causing damage to the screwhead. (And yes, I did take the right size, I believe it's the paint.)

The intonation problems are the following. If I tune the A string (standard tuning) and play the note at fret 12, the A goes flat. Which, if I got it right, means that I have to make the string shorter, and thus release the screw holding it a bit. But as there is no more space, or loads of finish on the bridge, I can't release it any further. I was able to adjust four strings correctly (flagolet @ fret 19 = frettet note @ 19) but the A and the D string are still not properly set up.

I thought about getting a EMG 85/81 combo already, but I'm still not quite sure about spending a lot, as I just purchased a secondhand Tonelab SE.

Thanks for your time!

Edited April 2, 2005 by El-Ahrairah

[crafty]

Well, I think you may be better off taking your guitar to a pro for a good setup. It sounds to me like you've run out of adjustment in the saddles for the A and D string. It's a pretty common thing for the D string, the simplest fix is usually just to take the bridge apart, turn the saddles for the A and D strings 180 degrees, and reassemble. That should give you another millimeter or two of adjustment to properly intonate the strings.

Again, if you're not really familiar with how it goes together, I'd definitely take it to a pro. I'd walk you through it but I have no idea how those saddles are held in on your particular bridge. Usually it's either one long clip or little retaining clips for each saddle.

[El-Ahrairah]

Well, I think you may be better off taking your guitar to a pro for a good setup. It sounds to me like you've run out of adjustment in the saddles for the  A and D string. It's a pretty common thing for the D string, the simplest fix is usually just to take the bridge apart, turn the saddles for the A and D strings 180 degrees, and reassemble. That should give you another millimeter or two of adjustment to properly intonate the strings.

Again, if you're not really familiar with how it goes together, I'd definitely take it to a pro. I'd walk you through it but I have no idea how those saddles are held in on your particular bridge. Usually it's either one long clip or little retaining clips for each saddle.

←

Thanks for the saddle-turning tip!

I'm glad it's a common thing. I'll give it a try as soon as I restring, looks like it's within my handcrafting capacities. Thanks!