JM-1 bridge installation

[lroff2]

Hello
I am currently building a JM-1 kit and have gotten up to installing my bridge but noticed there is no pre drilled holes for posts in the body or six screw holes in the bridge. I can not find information for a bridge like this in the instruction book as it only talks about the strat style and floyd rose. if anyone can tell me how to secure the bridge with these posts it would be very helpful.

[Sonic Mountain]

Hi Iroff2. You are the second person to have this issue. The bridge holes should be pre- drilled. It is possible to do it yourself, happy to walk you through that process. But I would probably contact Pitbull and let them know before you do anything.

[Sonic Mountain]

Hey Ok, I was looking on mobile earlier and didn't see that you are already into finishing. So basically you are going to have to locate the bridge yourself.

To do this you will need to temporarily fit the neck. I would start by clamping it in place. Fit the high and low E tuners and run two pieces of ordinary string through them and over the nut.

Now put your pickguard in place and the bridge in its approximate location.

Run the strings into the High and Low E saddles on the bridge.

Now you should be able to check everything is lined up. The strings should run evenly over both sides of the fretboard and over the outer poles of the single coil pickups.

wind the bridge saddles forward about 3/4 - 4/5ths of the way.

Now take a measurement from the inside edge of the nut to the saddles. I focus on the High E as it normally sits bang on the scale length (648mm), all of the thicker strings will need to be slightly longer for intonation, so ensure there is enough travel on the thread to adjust them backwards. On my JM the low E string saddle is all the way back with the spring removed to get correct intonation.

So now you should have the bridge correctly located. You can drill the holes for the neck and fix it in place with the screws and plates. After doing that,repeat the above process to double check everything still lines up.

Now you need to mark the post holes - I can get some measurements for you a bit later on, but if you have a set of verniers put them around the retaining groove in the post and take that measurement. I think it'll be around 4 mm. Now you want to half that to get the centre - so 2mm. Measure from the edge of your located bridge where the post cut outs are 2mm and mark.

This should be the correct location for the holes (which I THINK are 10mm but I'm not 100% certain on that, you may have to measure the post receivers to confirm. Start by drilling a small pilot hole and then finish with the final size - a lot easier if you have a drill press, but if you are careful and keep the drill as 'true' to the surface of the guitar it is possible.

That's the general gist, others may have some more insights that I've forgotten. I hope that makes sense.

Its a good idea to use some painters tape for marking and to protect your painted surface from moving the bridge around.

[caseyone1]

Yeah I just had this happen to me. Pitbull just sent me an express NEW body and neck.
The holes are offset, apparently all the JM-1 bodies made it through QA undrilled. Just message them from the site and Adam will get straight back to you.

[Sonic Mountain]

The holes are not off set on the JM. That's only on Tune O Matics.

I would definitely contact Adam, but it may be a problem that the body has already been partially finished.

Whereabout are you? There may be a forum member local to you that can help out if you aren't confident doing it on your own.

[lroff2]

Hello
Thankyou for the information
I have contacted Adam yesterday, no reply yet.
Luke

[caseyone1]

Yesterday was a Saturday but I reckon he'll get back to you Monday.

He was really good with me, quick response and I am in Sydney.
That said, he may be getting loads of these requests depending on how many of these went out. I seem to have been the first to notify him when I spoke to him, he asked me to send pics to send to the factory and then told me the JM-1 guitars shipment were all the same and that if I wanted another Alder wood it may take a while so I took the Ash which comes with a Indian Rosewood Fret-board.
He could be dealing with those orders like ours also.
Good Luck,
hope he gets back to you soon.