JT6 bridge

[artonsafari]

I gotta ask...

What's with all the hate on these?

[Rich#6]

cheap metal= bad tone. I really hate trying to fine tune these things.

[haffwaythere]

I just got my first model 6 a couple months ago, and I have to say I think I will keep the JT6. I don't really think it's as horrid as some say. Mine seems to have a pretty good return. The knife edge is steel and in pretty good shape. Sure it's not as solid as an OFR, but it is at least as good as some of the Ibanez trems that are out there. A lot of them are made of only zinc too, with a steel knife edge. I think an upgrade to a large brass sustain block would solve a lot of the issue. I happen to like the narrower string spacing. I think the JT6 is just about the only trem you can find with the old Gibson string spacing.

[Axewielder]

JT6 = The Trem of Champions!

[artonsafari]

I picked up a second one a while back and pulled my beat up original. I cleaned the well loved original up recently and put a big brass block on the one I'm using. I love the fine tuners being back out of the way, the pop-in arm, and now with the brass block, the thickened up tone.

There's at least 20yrs of palm muted metal played on this one.
All parts original.

[Axewielder]

^^^ Yeah see all those little nooks and crannies in that rough finish fill up with tone, like melted butter in an English muffin.

[toejam]

I love the fine tuners being back out of the way, the pop-in arm

I always liked the pop-in bar, and any Ibanez pop-in bar will also work. The fine tuners on the back were cool, too, but they were never in the way on an original Floyd anyway. I don't understand how so many people complain about a Floyd's fine tuners being on top... if you hit the fine tuners on a Floyd, you need to work on your technique, as you should only be resting your palm on the post and not back any further.

[vklobucar]

For every JT6 that sounds okay, swapping it out to a real OFR will sound miles better. Period!

Why some people justify this POS is beyond me. If it was really that good Jackson would have kept installing them.

Go ahead and order a 4K CS guitar and ask for a JT6 to be installed. I dare you! LOL!

During the late 80's Kramer had the rights to the FR and Jackson was forced to settle for a 2nd best trem. Its that simple!

If they had been able to install OFR's on the imports (or some decent version of them) trust me they would have.

Now people will debate Kahler's for ages on end, but the JT6 was and will always be a total POS!

[toejam]

Sure, the metal may be cheap, but they worked fine and stayed in perfect tune on my old Model 5A and Model 6. I'd also rather have a regular Floyd, but I saw no reason to swap them out.

[tomanyjacksons]

All of the ones I've had over the years have been ham fisted into a pretty worthless piece of equipment.

[pianoguyy]

my favorite guitar (which is also my favorite trem guitar), has a jt6


but i must be a weirdo or something, because a lot of the stuff people complain about are on that unit. and yet, it is the most awesomist one I have.

[Axewielder]

I always liked the pop-in bar, and any Ibanez pop-in bar will also work. The fine tuners on the back were cool, too, but they were never in the way on an original Floyd anyway. I don't understand how so many people complain about a Floyd's fine tuners being on top... if you hit the fine tuners on a Floyd, you need to work on your technique, as you should only be resting your palm on the post and not back any further.

There is a different school of thought where you rest your hand right on top of the saddles to push down during compound/unison bends. I work on this a lot. And yeah, the JT6 is a bit more comfortable playing that way. The OFR isn't bad, though. The JT6 had some good ideas. It's too bad Grover didn't contract the Germans to build it out of harder metals instead of the Taiwanese hacks. If you take care of them and don't lend your guitars to Chris Holmes, they will last for decades.

[straycat]

I like the JT-6's never had one not work perfectly.I like the fine turners on the back and the pop in arm.
I'm not a trem snob at all if it works no need to swap it out.

[artonsafari]

Thanks for the replies.

I've not had an issue with mine, or the top side style fine tuners being in the way on any of my other bridges. From a function standpoint I like the double use of the locking screws. Visually they look slicker being at the back.

Wonder if I can get some hardness specs on the OFR?

[QuantumRider]

My issue with them is that the hex wrench holes in the locking screws were really easy to strip.

Budman sells locking screws for the JT-6 made from a harder metal (or at least he used to).