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259 Views 8 Replies Latest reply: Jan 6, 2013 2:43 PM by TheRealZap RSS
mashgear Just Startin'
mashgear
16 posts since
Oct 25, 2009
Currently Being Moderated

Dec 17, 2012 2:18 PM

Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

I have been reading all of the posts on replacing the bridge on a Variax 300 with a LR Baggs or Graphtech tune-o-matic. I'm just about to start this project myself. I want to understand the wiring in the current 300 bridge before I invest in a new piezo tune-o-matic. I notice that the connector to the bridge has eight wires coming out of it. The outside two wires are black. So I assume that the inside 6 go to each of the 6 piezo pickups. Are the two outside black wires not used? Are they grounds? Do they connect to anything on the bridge? Thanks for any help you can offer. --Alan

  • amx05462 Power User
    amx05462
    3,495 posts since
    Sep 1, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 18, 2012 6:49 AM (in response to mashgear)
    Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

    the  two black wires  ground  the pcb to the  main board. the current  pickups   have one wire   eachto the  pcb under the bridge  plate.  the current  pickups  contact ground to the bridge  plate   through there  metal case. to the  saddle   to the  bridge  plate  with the  pressure  of  the  tuned  spring.

     

      just curous..  why  go to  a tunomatic  when the  guitar is already setup like  a strat..

     

    also  id take  into consideration that   the tunomatic   may very  well sit too high  for the   guitar even when bottomed  out.

     

    and the  current   setup is  more  versatile    when it comes  to making  ajustments

    • mashgear Just Startin'
      mashgear
      16 posts since
      Oct 25, 2009
      Currently Being Moderated
      Dec 19, 2012 4:55 AM (in response to amx05462)
      Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

      Thanks. That helps. So there's a mounting screw connecting the bridge PCB to the current bridge. Can I just connect the ground wire for the new tune-o-matic pickups to that screw or do I have to splice it directly to the two black ground wires headed to the main board?

       

      I'm putting on a Bigsby B5 trem, so I need the tune-o-matic. Understand about the bridge height. I plan on routing out the bridge cavity in the guitar body a little to lower the tune-o-matic. I have two Variax's: a 500 and a 300, so this is my Variax to experiment with.

      • mashgear Just Startin'
        mashgear
        16 posts since
        Oct 25, 2009
        Currently Being Moderated
        Dec 19, 2012 5:11 AM (in response to mashgear)
        Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

        Okay, I think I found the answer to this on another post... the ground on the tune-o-matic goes to the mounting screw on the bridge PCB. Thanks again for your help.

        • amx05462 Power User
          amx05462
          3,495 posts since
          Sep 1, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Dec 19, 2012 8:32 AM (in response to mashgear)
          Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

          yes  thats  correct. you have to remember that  the  screw  also grounds  the bridge  plate as well  to the  main board.    not  sure    if youll have to run a ground  to the bigsby as in a conventinal  guitar .. might  not  hurt to just do that..

           

          lol  its a funy coincidence  that   i transplanted  my variax   and other things  into  an epiphone dot... and  put  a  fender  style  trem on the dot   rather than  have to buythe tune o matic...   i had  already invested  in the  graphtech pickups  for the  300..

          • mashgear Just Startin'
            mashgear
            16 posts since
            Oct 25, 2009
            Currently Being Moderated
            Dec 19, 2012 10:18 AM (in response to amx05462)
            Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

            Okay, one last concern... string noise from the Graphtech bridge piezo's when the Bigsby is used. Do you think that will be a problem? I've read that the Graphtech string contact points are teflon impregnated. That's good. But I get string noise on my 500 from just moving barre chords up and down the fretboard (switching to flatwound strings helped that problem). I'd hate to set this whole thing up and get scrapping string noise every time I used the Bigsby. Know anyone who's actually tried this? Thanks again for words of wisdom.

            • amx05462 Power User
              amx05462
              3,495 posts since
              Sep 1, 2008
              Currently Being Moderated
              Dec 19, 2012 1:03 PM (in response to mashgear)
              Re: Replacing the Bridge on a Variax 300

              i dont  have  and answer   on that one  . as  i said   i  set mine  up with a  fender  style tremelo.

               

                the strings  move  withthe  saddles  not  over.   anything  iv used a bigsby on  has a roller  nut  and roller   bridge.    .  were i to take a guess  id  say  the  wound strings  will give  you a problem. also   because  graphtech   has  there  pickups  embeded  in composit.    id think you  would  have a wear factor to deal with  down  the road. vs  lr baggs   having  the metal case. 

               

                but i found the  graphtech response  to be   much  better  and  more  even.. 

               

                id  guess   that if  you dive bomb  then you could  have   a noise  problem  if  you  just  use the bigsby  to  add   slight  tremelo  then   with  flat  wounds  you should  be  ok.. again  ive  never   had  to deal  with that on a variax.

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