Muddy Waters Tele question (bridge content)

garcia · July 25th, 2005, 04:07 AM

Does anyone happen to know if the Muddy Waters sig Tele comes with the exact same bridge as the 52' RI Tele? I can't tell from Fender's site if it is the real thing or the inexpensive Ping bridge. If it is not the same as on the 52', I wonder if it is the same size (length) as the Vintage model. I know that the 'vintage' bridge that comes on the Highway 1 Tele is the cheaper one and just a bit longer than the higher quality bridge, and therefore, not directly replaceable. Anyway, just curious. Thanks.

Mark Davis · July 25th, 2005, 10:41 AM

The MW Tele bridge is not the exact same part as the 52ri uses nor is it the same as the 50's Classic or the HWY1 they all use a different part number.

They do all use the vintage bridge so a 52ri will bolt right on.

garcia · July 25th, 2005, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

The MW Tele bridge is not the exact same part as the 52ri uses nor is it the same as the 50's Classic or the HWY1 they all use a different part number.

They do all use the vintage bridge so a 52ri will bolt right on.

I was under the impression that the 50's classic and Highway 1 Teles have a different size bridge than the 52' RI and as a result, are not interchangeable. Can you really put a 52'RI bridge directly on to a 50's or 60's classic or a basic Highway 1? Thanks again.

garcia · July 25th, 2005, 11:48 PM

[quote="garcia"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

The MW Tele bridge is not the exact same part as the 52ri uses nor is it the same as the 50's Classic or the HWY1 they all use a different part number.

They do all use the vintage bridge so a 52ri will bolt right on.

I was under the impression that the 50's classic and Highway 1 Teles have a different size bridge than the 52' RI and as a result, are not interchangeable. Can you really put a 52'RI bridge directly on to a 50's or 60's classic or a basic Highway 1? Thanks again.[/quote,

I know it may not be the most interesting topic but I am really curious. Does anyone know about this? Thanks.

Mark Davis · July 26th, 2005, 05:34 AM

I have put a 52ri bridge on a 50's Classic direct bolton.

Its the older made in mexico ones that are a different size.

yegbert · July 26th, 2005, 09:17 AM

The Fender Support site has parts lists here:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/index.php

I use that with the closeup pictures and specifications listed here:
http://www.fender.com/products/searc...cat=telecaster

According to the support site, which attempts to show current production specs...

The Muddy Waters Telecaster®, Highway 1™ Texas Telecaster® and the ‘50s Telecaster® all use part number 0054162000.

Looking at the pics for them, they all have
FENDER
PAT PEND
stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the pickup (angled).

The parts list for the Highway 1™ Telecaster® doesn't break out the bridgeplate as a separate part, but it looks similar to the one found on the ‘69 Telecaster® Thinline part number 0053675000.

The Highway 1 has
FENDER
and maybe some more numbers below that, stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the bridgeplate lower lip (horizontal).

The Thinline has FENDER stamped like the Highway 1, but the pic looks too grainy to tell whether it has additional numbers below that.

All of the above are unfortunately characterized the exact same way in the Products/specifications: "Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge"

The American Vintage ‘52 Telecaster® uses part number 0018352000.

It has
FENDER
PAT PEND
<serial number>
stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the pickup (angled).

The '52 is characterized in the Products/specifications: "Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles and “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover"

Fender was nice enough to clearly identify the tuning machines, with the '52 being "Fender/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines" and the '50s being "Fender/Ping Vintage Style Tuning Machines"

I wish they had done that with the bridge plates as well.

From an earlier discussions here on this subject: I've heard that earlier '50s Classics had a different plate than current production, thinner with a horizontal stamp like the Hwy1 or Thinline.

Garcia, you may be right that the Highway 1 is the less expensive and lighter plate, but it is surely the same size and hole spacing as the other vintage-style ones and therefore replaceable with one of them. I've never heard of Fender using a plate that much like vintage, but slightly longer.

I also suspect that the one on the MW and '50s Classic is different from the '52, only in the lack of a serial number. And you can buy one like those from Musician's Friend for $7-8. The one I bought there seems identicial to the one that came on my '50s Classic, so I believe it is in fact the same part, number 0054162000. I'd use that to replace the one on the HW1 if you want a heavier plate and want to stick with a FENDER stamped one. You can maybe find a serialized on like the real '52, but I suspect the difference from that and the $7 one would be purely cosmetic.

Mark Davis · July 26th, 2005, 10:19 AM

When I stated the bridges were different serials I was looking at the complete assembly which does have a different serial. When I looked at the actual bridge plate as noted above the MW 50's Classic and HWY1 are all the same exact part.

July 25th, 2005, 04:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
garcia Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern California Age: 36 Posts: 484	Muddy Waters Tele question (bridge content) Does anyone happen to know if the Muddy Waters sig Tele comes with the exact same bridge as the 52' RI Tele? I can't tell from Fender's site if it is the real thing or the inexpensive Ping bridge. If it is not the same as on the 52', I wonder if it is the same size (length) as the Vintage model. I know that the 'vintage' bridge that comes on the Highway 1 Tele is the cheaper one and just a bit longer than the higher quality bridge, and therefore, not directly replaceable. Anyway, just curious. Thanks. __________________ “Desolation, desolation, I owe so much to desolation.” ...“The Dharma Bums”

July 25th, 2005, 10:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 57 Posts: 11,803	The MW Tele bridge is not the exact same part as the 52ri uses nor is it the same as the 50's Classic or the HWY1 they all use a different part number. They do all use the vintage bridge so a 52ri will bolt right on.

July 26th, 2005, 05:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 57 Posts: 11,803	I have put a 52ri bridge on a 50's Classic direct bolton. Its the older made in mexico ones that are a different size.

July 26th, 2005, 09:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
yegbert Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland (US) Age: 54 Posts: 4,384 66 Photos	The Fender Support site has parts lists here: http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/index.php I use that with the closeup pictures and specifications listed here: http://www.fender.com/products/searc...cat=telecaster According to the support site, which attempts to show *current* production specs... The Muddy Waters Telecaster®, Highway 1™ Texas Telecaster® and the ‘50s Telecaster® all use part number 0054162000. Looking at the pics for them, they all have FENDER PAT PEND stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the pickup (angled). The parts list for the Highway 1™ Telecaster® doesn't break out the bridgeplate as a separate part, but it looks similar to the one found on the ‘69 Telecaster® Thinline part number 0053675000. The Highway 1 has FENDER and maybe some more numbers below that, stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the bridgeplate lower lip (horizontal). The Thinline has FENDER stamped like the Highway 1, but the pic looks too grainy to tell whether it has additional numbers below that. All of the above are unfortunately characterized the exact same way in the Products/specifications: "Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge" The American Vintage ‘52 Telecaster® uses part number 0018352000. It has FENDER PAT PEND <serial number> stamped below the bridge pickup, parallel to the pickup (angled). The '52 is characterized in the Products/specifications: "Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles and “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover" Fender was nice enough to clearly identify the tuning machines, with the '52 being "Fender/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines" and the '50s being "Fender/Ping Vintage Style Tuning Machines" I wish they had done that with the bridge plates as well. From an earlier discussions here on this subject: I've heard that earlier '50s Classics had a different plate than current production, thinner with a horizontal stamp like the Hwy1 or Thinline. Garcia, you may be right that the Highway 1 is the less expensive and lighter plate, but it is surely the same size and hole spacing as the other vintage-style ones and therefore replaceable with one of them. I've never heard of Fender using a plate that much like vintage, but slightly longer. I also suspect that the one on the MW and '50s Classic is different from the '52, only in the lack of a serial number. And you can buy one like those from Musician's Friend for $7-8. The one I bought there seems identicial to the one that came on my '50s Classic, so I believe it is in fact the same part, number 0054162000. I'd use that to replace the one on the HW1 if you want a heavier plate and want to stick with a FENDER stamped one. You can maybe find a serialized on like the real '52, but I suspect the difference from that and the $7 one would be purely cosmetic.

July 26th, 2005, 10:19 AM	#7 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 57 Posts: 11,803	When I stated the bridges were different serials I was looking at the complete assembly which does have a different serial. When I looked at the actual bridge plate as noted above the MW 50's Classic and HWY1 are all the same exact part.