A Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster came in for a setup and because it would not stay in tune. Two saddles had been swapped, so the bridge radius was wrong; the tuning drift traced to the floating bridge moving. Saddles corrected and the guitar set up in 1 hour 20; a Mastery bridge was recommended for the tuning.
- Instrument
- Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, Copper Age
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup, and the guitar would not stay in tune
- Diagnosis
- Two saddles swapped, bridge radius wrong; intonation, truss rod and bridge height out; tuning drift from bridge movement
- Work performed
- Saddles swapped back; intonation, truss rod and bridge height adjusted; Mastery bridge recommended
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Outcome
- Set up; the tuning instability is inherent to the bridge design and not fully cured by a setup
What Came In
A Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age, the signature model with the bound maple fingerboard and block inlays. The owner wanted a setup, and the guitar would not stay in tune.
What We Found
Two of the saddles had been swapped, so the bridge radius was wrong. The guitar also needed intonation, truss rod and bridge height adjustment. The tuning drift, in Dave's reading, came from the bridge moving.
What We Did
Swapped the saddles back to improve the bridge radius, then adjusted the intonation, truss rod and bridge height. Recommended a Mastery bridge to the owner to improve tuning stability. About an hour and twenty minutes on the bench.
Result
The guitar left set up. The tuning instability is common with the Jazzmaster bridge design and a setup does not fully cure it, which is why the Mastery bridge was recommended.
Why does a Jazzmaster go out of tune?
The bridge floats on two posts and rocks with the tremolo and with hard playing, and that movement pulls the strings out of tune. This model ships with a Mustang-style bridge, already a step up from the original, but it still sits in the same rocking posts. A setup gets the guitar playing right; if the drift bothers you, a bridge that locks in place is the usual upgrade. Saddle order matters too: each saddle is cut to follow the fingerboard radius, and two in the wrong slots put the radius off however well the rest is set.
Related
- The Repair Vault
- Guitar Setups at Paul's Guitar Hideout
- Why Won't My Guitar Stay in Tune
- New Fender Jazzmaster: Factory Action Too High
- Hofner Bass: Spinning Jack and a Bridge in the Wrong Place
Bring It In
Jazzmaster or Jaguar that drifts out of tune mid-song? Bring it in and we will tell you how much is setup and how much is the bridge. Setups at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com