Vox (JMI) Bass Compensating Bridge Tailpiece >> Vintage Guitar and Bass

This page has extra content in the Supporting Members area, including additional images, video content, circuit diagram and scratchplate tracing. If you are a supporting member you can access this here

Some basses fitted with this bridge/tailpiece

As fitted to two British built Vox basses: the Vox Bassmaster and Clubman, circa 1960-1967. This is a very simple, but actually quite effective design: a folded metal plate, with holes drilled for strings, mounting screws, and saddle adjustment screws.

There were a few subtle differences in this bridge and its cover over the course of production. These, along with dimensions, thread sizes etc are detailed in the supporting members area.

This bridge allows height and intonation adjustment of the strings, but with each pair of strings (E and A, D and G) sharing a saddle, setting these can require a degree of compromise.

See also the six-string equivalent fitted to the Vox Soloist and early versions of the Vox Duotone. Note, although visually very similar, and effectively the same design, this is not the same bridge as fitted to the Italian-built Vox Panther.

List of Vox bass tailpieces.

Vox bass compensating bridge/tailpiece from a 1960 Vox Bassmaster

Early Vox bridge / tailpiece fitted to a 1960 Vox Bassmaster. Note the holes on the sides of the bridge plate which keep the cover in place when fitted. This bass is fitted with flatwound Rotosound RS77S strings (40-90) find them at Amazon.

Vox bass compensating bridge/tailpiece from a 1963 left-handed Vox Clubman bass

This image shows the bridge fitted to a left handed 1963 Vox Clubman bass - the dexterity of the bass makes no difference to the bridge, as it is entirely symmetrical. Note the green silk windings on the D-string. This is perhaps the biggest limitation of this design: certain strings will not intonate well if the silk windings extend over the saddles.

Vox bass compensating bridge/tailpiece from a 1963 Vox Bassmaster

The tailpiece with roundwound strings (1963 Vox Bassmaster). Note the saddles are about as far back as they can go. The strings fit through holes in the back edge of the baseplate. This can deform to some extent reducing the distance between ball end and saddle.