Page 2 of 2

Re: New Fender Mex 'Vintera' series

PostPosted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:44 pm
by RUSSET
Hi Dave,
I bought a new 'Mex Classic series' Jaguar in Fiesta Red with White scratchplate in 2017. It has Nitro lacquer finish & really does look the business. The only upgrade I did to it was to install a Mustang bridge & change the strings from '9s' to '11s'.
The Trem arm is the old 'Push-in' type. Sadly I am now selling it, as it doesn't get played , partly because I realize that I am truly a Strat & Tele man, & also I really need to downsize my guitar collection, so this impulse buy has to go.

Tony.

Re: New Fender Mex 'Vintera' series

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:24 am
by JimN
Modern versions of the Jaguar and Jazzmaster - irrespective of whether they are sold as Fenders or Squiers - usually come with a troublesome point of contact between the trem arm and its socket in the tailpiece. The exceptions are the USA Vintage Reissues, on which the contact end of the arm is lathe-turned into a shape a bit like the tip of a jack plug, which locates correctly into the brass collet which sits deep inside the tailpiece.

There are three possible ways round this. The first is to buy the USA-made Jaguar tailpiece and arm as a retrofit item. Pricey? Yes, at about £100 for the tailpiece and a bit more the arm - but it solves the problem..

The second way is to buy an arm and collet from Staytrem in Kent. They are made to fit various versions of the tailpiece, with metric or imperial threads as appropriate. It works brilliantly (I have one fitted to a MIJ Jazzmaster reissue) and costs - if I recall correctly - about £30.

The third and cheapest way to address the problem is to place the short end of the arm into a vice and bend that end of the arm just a little bit. Pushing it into its socket now will mean that it wedges up against the inside of the tube and will work without slackness or fear of the arm falling out. It does work (I did it on a J Mascis Jazzmaster I bought from David Martin over yen years ago) but requires a strong nerve... Price: £NIL.

Re: New Fender Mex 'Vintera' series

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 7:15 am
by RUSSET
Hi Jim,
Yes, my Jaguar has the push-in arm with the jack-plug type end , so pushing it firmly into the collet locks it into place & it doesn't fall out & tends to help with holding it into whichever position you want to put it.
I also have a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster from around 2015, which also has the same arrangement. It seems to work well.

Tony.