Tuffset Bridge

stickyfiddle

I saw this on insta earlier - it’s great! Certainly a guy who knows his offset onions

Do you know what he was using before seeing the light? 

Tuffset

Cheers mate! Oh for sure he's been into Jazzmasters in particular for the long haul, since the '90s. Long before they became recognised by collectors.

I've heard in a few interviews with other Jag / JM players that their choice of guitar was in part incidental because they were cheap, but in Grant's case I think he's just always adored them. It says a lot that he sought out a '59 before they were on anyone's radar - no coincidences there!

Just the original bridge was on it before I think, all the old tricks with loctite and electrical tape! He's experimented with Mustang bridges but the lack of individual height adjustment is a pain, especially on vintage players that have had lots of fret work.

He told me he still wraps the Tuffset's posts but not all the way snug because he appreciates the rocking bridge character in the sound, just as an insurance policy that if something crazy ever does happen and it gets whacked out, it's not by enough to ruin the setup.

His tech explained the Tuffset is currently running about a 10" radius on that guitar, even with the original board. Goes to show radius isn't always what it says on the tin! Levelling frets over time has a tendency to creep towards a compound radius, probably as a result of the neck width taper.

Tuffset

Thought I'd post some pics of the upcoming Raw Brass Saddle version of the Tuffset, which will be available when orders reopen later this month!

"Twang" doesn't begin to cover it!

Tight bass, some added richness in the midrange and a slightly rounded top end make it a more 'vocal' sound than the stainless... A great choice if you want a bit more fatness and muscle out of your Offset! And it still has no trouble cutting through the mix.

guitargeek62

I love those mixed metal ones - will the saddles be available separately at some point for those who want to switch between types perhaps?

Tuffset

guitargeek62 said:

I love those mixed metal ones - will the saddles be available separately at some point for those who want to switch between types perhaps?

Thanks for the suggestion! Believe it or not, the saddles are one of the most expensive parts of the bridge because they are completely bespoke manufacture and have the tightest tolerances. It's something we might consider in future, but not for the coming wave. Cheers!

RoadStar666

Put me down for one of these

guitargeek62

Tuffset said:

guitargeek62 said:

I love those mixed metal ones - will the saddles be available separately at some point for those who want to switch between types perhaps?

Thanks for the suggestion! Believe it or not, the saddles are one of the most expensive parts of the bridge because they are completely bespoke manufacture and have the tightest tolerances. It's something we might consider in future, but not for the coming wave. Cheers!

No worries at all, I had a feeling they might be - the machining on the first run really is superb!

Tuffset

Hello all!
Tuffset Bridge Orders are open again, biggest news is we now offer a choice between Original Stainless or brand-new Raw Brass Saddles

The raw brass saddles seem a bit more ‘vocal’ sounding with a more focused midrange character that adds some richness to single note lines and helps cleans cut through the mix. Brass combines well with higher output pickups, especially P90s and Humbuckers, to produce a fat, punchy sound that’s great for adding spice to single note runs and riffs, and partners well with fuzz.

Meanwhile, our original stainless saddles remain the best choice if you’re looking for a spacious “headroom” sound that brings out the best in polyphonic arpeggios and chord voicings, with clear note separation and a controlled low end. They’ve got the signature Offset Guitar ‘presence’ and atmosphere in abundance, and have the edge when drenched with reverb or as part of a complex pedal chain.

Pictured to show wide range of intonation adjustment. Bass VI players have told us they love having double the intonation range, but in a smaller package that allows them to fit a standard Jag mute

Brass Saddles adjusted for vintage neck radius

Secondly, we've made a usability upgrade to the posts with our new Bearing Lock system that keeps your setup rock-solid. This feature ensures your locking posts stay in place, allowing you to apply greater torque and keeping everything firmly locked down.

Each Wave 3 Tuffset Bridge will include the bearings and a guide that explains how to use them. We include a couple extra, so if you like how they work on your new Wave 3 bridge, you can retrofit a pair to your Wave 1 or Wave 2 Tuffset Bridge as well.

Plus, the Tuffset Bridge will now come with a CNC-engraved logo discreetly positioned on the underside of the chassis, so there’s no mistaking the quality of your official Tuffset product (and still no outward-facing logos to distract from the beauty of your guitar).


It was more difficult to achieve, but I'm really pleased we managed to make the proper engraving happen. I've never been a fan of how flat laser or acid-etched logos can look!


Old on the left, new on the right

Under the bonnet, we’ve overhauled our post-chassis interface. Those with very keen eyesight might notice the post hole now has a broader chamfer around the top edge of the hole, and the threads start just a bit deeper.

But the change is more than skin-deep - the possibilities this new and improved design opens up are deceptively vast! It will allow us to produce several versions of the bridge more easily, by mating the same chassis geometry to different post spacings and designs - starting with the TOM/AOM version, coming in Q1/Q2 2025.

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of the Tuffset project from the beginning! There are too many names to list, but a cursory glance over this thread will show the great enthusiasm, patience and passion that made this whole trip possible. I really can't thank you all enough!

Cheers and all the best,
Dan

Seziertisch

https://youtu.be/lQzM4n9-yOY?si=yhJVJ055-vTJ2VZz

Steel vs brass saddles. The difference in the higher gain clips is very noticeable.

stickyfiddle

Happy birthday to Dan @Tuffset  

dorisandjess

Hi Dan
Can you please put me down on the list for a tunomatic version when it becomes available. 

Tuffset

stickyfiddle said:

Happy birthday to Dan @Tuffset  

Cheers mate!! 
dorisandjess said:

Hi Dan
Can you please put me down on the list for a tunomatic version when it becomes available. 

Hi! We have the footer of the website homepage working again (if not there, definitely at the footer of the FAQs page) where you can input your email address, and we'll definitely send out an email when the TOM/AOM version is coming up to launch

I hope everyone is still enjoying their Tuffset Bridges! The Tuffset stand was so busy at The Guitar Show last weekend that I didn't get the chance to come and say hello to you guys at The Fretboard booth, but there's always next year.

We had a wicked show this year - on Sunday in particular, Bobby Jarvis and another customer Steve P popped by with some amazing guitars to add to the Tuffset show stable - Jarvis's raffle guitar in gold sparkle finish by Rexter, Sun Bear Pickups WRHB in the bridge position (really sweet sound with excellent clarity, almost like a 335!) and a really nice Mojo Pickups Charlie Christian in the neck position which was an absolute beauty. I will definitely be working some of those CC pickups into my plans in future!! The guitar was set up expertly by Indra Guitars - I don't know how he got the action so low and fast, but it was literally lie playing an Ibanez (in a good way!!)

Steve brought his jaw-dropping vintage 1960 Jazzmaster that had just had a fresh refin in the original Sunburst (and setup with the Tuffset Bridge) by Huw Price, and he did an incredible job also (it was excellent also to see Huw and Ed on Sunday!) Everyone loved that guitar, and Steve even let a few well-behaved punters play the guitar as a Tuffset demo, so massive thanks to him for that!

He nipped out to the car around lunch time to bring in a more recent acquisition - a 1975 Telecaster Custom with factory Bigsby!

As many do, Steve had struggled with the original (Jazzmaster-type) vintage bridge. Although the rusty saddles did a decent job of gripping the strings, there was just too much looseness and claggy bits going on, the springs were pretty shot and it was rattling painfully, like a bag of old spanners. Tuffset's very own Max Gibson installed a fresh new Tuffset Bridge in about 5 minutes flat, and completely transformed the guitar! Steve couldn't believe what a massive difference it made, and went home with (another!) Tuffset Bridge to add to the collection. Cheers, Steve!

He was equally obliging with that guitar, and before I knew it everyone was having a go! We were plugging it in to the Orange stacks opposite, and a right royal time was had by all!

The Tele Custom was unbelievable - so, so punchy when playing through the vintage WRHB in the neck position! And it played so clearly and cleanly all the way up the neck, and on the lighter strings. It really had something of the Les Paul about it, in terms of sheer fretboard feel and bending ease. And the Bigsby worked great - despite the issues I often have with the B5, especially the retainer bar. The arm feel is still a little bit sloppy compared to an Offset vibrato (as Bigsbys often are) but the guitar overall was a monster.
















Cheers all and take care!!
Dan