Been watching this with interest. Setting up offset Fenders is a special skill. It seems like they were just never properly manufactured, and so getting them playing properly requires a mountain of work.

The only thing I have to add to the advice already offered is to consider a wound G.

thoughts-:
-The rocking bridge is a weak point for intonation. Much like consulting w/ a customer about a strat bridge being floating or tight to body, I usually ask about trem use before setting one of these up.
-sounds like the nut slots are where I would start. Slope is important. Not sure what kind of height you have at the first fret- My starting point is .012" at the high E and go up by .002" each string. totally possible to go lower on a neck w/ relief.

c jury wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:02 pm
thoughts-:
-The rocking bridge is a weak point for intonation. Much like consulting w/ a customer about a strat bridge being floating or tight to body, I usually ask about trem use before setting one of these up.

Good lord it must be. On my squire you can push on the bridge a little and it can land in a new resting place a couple millimeters from where it was before.

Not to be Mr Annoying Contrarian, but I gotta say the intonation on my Jaguar (staytrem bridge) is just fine, haven't had any issues at all.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:04 am Not to be Mr Annoying Contrarian,

"Actually...." [starts cleaning off glasses with silk handkerchief].

The straytrem seems to have earned a reputation as a well needed cut above the stock Fender hardware.

Sorry, been busy with a new job. I'm gonna throw fresh strings on it and try all the stuff you guys suggested, then take it to a tech after the weekend.

losthighway wrote: The straytrem seems to have earned a reputation as a well needed cut above the stock Fender hardware.

I tried a Mastery first and I much prefer the staytrem.

I've said it before but the stock bridge is such comical garbage I don't understand how it exists in such close proximity to one of the best tremolos ever designed.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:36 am

losthighway wrote: The straytrem seems to have earned a reputation as a well needed cut above the stock Fender hardware.

I tried a Mastery first and I much prefer the staytrem.

I've said it before but the stock bridge is such comical garbage I don't understand how it exists in such close proximity to one of the best tremolos ever designed.

The Staytrem also supports alternate string sets much better. The Mastery wont intonate with wound Gs and the like.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:23 pm

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:36 am

losthighway wrote: The straytrem seems to have earned a reputation as a well needed cut above the stock Fender hardware.

I tried a Mastery first and I much prefer the staytrem.

I've said it before but the stock bridge is such comical garbage I don't understand how it exists in such close proximity to one of the best tremolos ever designed.

The Staytrem also supports alternate string sets much better. The Mastery wont intonate with wound Gs and the like.

I now understand the comical pain of the stock jazzmaster bridge - I didn't 'get' the issue, but I do now. If anyone has a staytrem bridge for 9.5" they want to get rid of, im yer dawg.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:23 pm

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:36 am

losthighway wrote: The straytrem seems to have earned a reputation as a well needed cut above the stock Fender hardware.

I tried a Mastery first and I much prefer the staytrem.

I've said it before but the stock bridge is such comical garbage I don't understand how it exists in such close proximity to one of the best tremolos ever designed.

The Staytrem also supports alternate string sets much better. The Mastery wont intonate with wound Gs and the like.

I had zero intonation issues using a wound g with Mastery. Only thing about mastery is the middle strings on each of the two bridge pieces are just and average of where the top and bottom strings are so it aint perfect. Perfect guitars are boring so it doesn't bother me. They way the mastery locks into the thimbles is what I really like about them. Wound G string made my starfire tuning MUCH more stable but man, that is my bendy string and it makes certain thing a lot harder to play. I found a set with an .018W and its great but they break really easily.

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:09 pm I now understand the comical pain of the stock jazzmaster bridge - I didn't 'get' the issue, but I do now. If anyone has a staytrem bridge for 9.5" they want to get rid of, im yer dawg.

Not a staytrem but I still have the Mastery if you're interested.