MIJ Jackson DK2 bridge replacement

[LeftyBo]

Picked up a used MIJ DK2 for cheap on marketplace. Previous owner(s) removed the Jackson trem and plopped a Floyd Rose Special in there that does not fit perfectly well.

Has anyone successfully replaced the Jackson Licensed Floyd with a different trem without having to rout? Or will I need to potentially have it routed slightly to fit a better trem like an OFR or a Gotoh GE1996t?

I am left handed as well, so that makes the chances of finding the original trem nearly impossible.

[pianoguyy]

Depends on which tremolo was originally on it.
In fact, it is possible that getting the same tremolo won't even fit - because one of the possible models was made by two manufacturers and had a slightly different design.

[LeftyBo]

pianoguyy Did not know that. Seems more and more that pick a Floyd and rout it seems like what I’ll probably need to end up doing.

[JJ119]

LeftyBo

I wonder if it was a factory JT580LP??

Measure your routered pocket and compare it to the specs at the Floyd Rose site.

[LeftyBo]

JJ119 Thanks! Will do.

[Number Of The Priest]

Depends on which tremolo was originally on it.
In fact, it is possible that getting the same tremolo won't even fit - because one of the possible models was made by two manufacturers and had a slightly different design.

Sorry, but what are you talking about? The Japanese DK2 only ever came with a Jackson-branded JT580LP made by Takeuchi.

For LeftyBo, sorry to hear what you're reporting, because NORMALLY, a Floyd Rose Special SHOULD fit in the JT580LP route, because the JT580LP route can NORMALLY fit an Original Floyd Rose, and an Original Floyd Rose has the same dimensions as the Floyd Rose 1000 and the Floyd Rose Special.

Reference: http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/Trem...ct.htm#jt580lp

But that guidance is for right-handed guitars and you have a left-handed version. The advice does not take into account left-handed JT580LPs or left-handed Floyd Roses, although it's hard to imagine why they would be different other than the mirrored orientation.

I would be curious to see any photos you are able to share of your bridge in that route. Images need to be hosted on a third party website, so choose any free image host (https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...4dUDCAg&uact=5), upload your images there, and copy-paste the generated links back here.

[Razor]

Sorry, but what are you talking about? The Japanese DK2 only ever came with a Jackson-branded JT580LP made by Takeuchi.

For LeftyBo, sorry to hear what you're reporting, because NORMALLY, a Floyd Rose Special SHOULD fit in the JT580LP route, because the JT580LP route can NORMALLY fit an Original Floyd Rose, and an Original Floyd Rose has the same dimensions as the Floyd Rose 1000 and the Floyd Rose Special.

Reference: http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/Trem...ct.htm#jt580lp

But that guidance is for right-handed guitars and you have a left-handed version. The advice does not take into account left-handed JT580LPs or left-handed Floyd Roses, although it's hard to imagine why they would be different other than the mirrored orientation.

I would be curious to see any photos you are able to share of your bridge in that route. Images need to be hosted on a third party website, so choose any free image host (https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...4dUDCAg&uact=5), upload your images there, and copy-paste the generated links back here.

This. All day long!

[pianoguyy]

I suppose the Japanese part may make a difference, as it is the MiM have the FR and pre-DK2 models that used things like the 590.
However, wasn't it the 580LP that was first made by Takeuchi, and then later a different company? And with a differently shaped baseplate?

[toejam]

I suppose the Japanese part may make a difference, as it is the MiM have the FR and pre-DK2 models that used things like the 590.
However, wasn't it the 580LP that was first made by Takeuchi, and then later a different company? And with a differently shaped baseplate?

The JT580LP was made by Takeuchi (and only in 1994 did it have a square baseplate). From what I seem to recall, they're no longer made by Takeuchi.

[Number Of The Priest]

Here is something I never thought about until now. The JT580LP disappeared from factory Jacksons after the Chushin Gakki era (2011). My 2009 KE3 has the JT580LP and its sustain block is stamped with the unmistakable italicized logo of the Takeuchi company and Japanese manufacture, so at least we know that Takeuchi Japan still made JT580LPs as late as 2009; I simply don't have any 2011 Japanese Jacksons at my disposal to verify. (The JT580LP pictured below is not mine but it's the same model.) Try to think of any post-2011 Jackson or Charvel that has a JT580LP from the factory. I don't believe they exist. Jackson and Charvel basically moved entirely over to the Floyd Rose company for all their double-locking trem needs on non-USA guitars, with the Floyd Rose 1000 and the Floyd Rose Special.

So whether or not Takeuchi still makes the JT580LP might be moot because Jackson/Charvel hasn't been equipping them on factory guitars since 2011.

I've also noticed Takeuchi trems not being equipped on other companies' mid-range and low-end guitars after the 2000s and 2010s. ESP/LTD is similar to Jackson/Charvel in moving entirely from Takeuchi to a Floyd Rose 1000/Special equipping scenario on their budget guitars. Ibanez had Takeuchi trems (TRS-101, Lo-TRS, ILT1) on some of their RG4xx, RG3xx, JEM-JR, JS100, and others, but not recently as that price range of guitars now have other non-Takeuchi bridges like the Edge III.

The angled baseplate on Takeuchi trems always bothered me because it's unsightly and against initial intuition to make things square. Part of me thinks it's more intuitive to make everything 90-degrees but the other part of me thinks the corners were intentionally angled perhaps to respect the license and not completely imitate the Floyd Rose tremolo. It is not difficult to imagine Takeuchi initially intended to have square baseplates as toejam said in 1994 but perhaps the Floyd Rose company soon instructed Takeuchi to angle the corners as part of their licensing deal.

[Mechayoshi]

I’m curious for pictures should we ever get them. I’m suspecting the left handed part having to do with this unfortunately.

[Ripley7t]

The only thing I think Takeuchi makes now is heavy equipment. I believe this particular division closed sometime around or just after 2010. I was curious about this awhile back and could not find anything definitive on what happened to their production.