# Jackson js22-7 hipshot bridge



## MaxAidingAres (Nov 5, 2014)

When I ordered the Jackson js22-7 I assumed that it came with the Jackson "hipshot" counterpart bridge but I quickly realized that wasn't the case. I searched the web for anything about it possibly fitting but found nothing so I said forget it its not worth wasting $80 on a new bridge that might not fit.
UNTIL I saw a great deal on a used one.

I took off the old bridge marking its position and screw placement





Masked it off and marked it again




Plugged the holes with 1/3" dowel from Lowes




Sanded flush to the top








Drilled new holes




Finished






NOTE AS YOU CAN SEE YOU DONT ACTUALLY NEED TO FILL THE OLD HOLES

but better safe than sorry I guess 

Hope this helped anyone


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## apiss (Nov 6, 2014)

This post has been very helpful. 

So, the stock string-thru holes can work just fine, and you'd just need to plug and re-drill the holes for the bridge mounting screws?

Thanks!


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## MaxAidingAres (Nov 6, 2014)

You can use the string through holes and you dont exactly need to fill the old holes as the new mounting holes a quite a distance apart from them. I filled them before i got the hipshot bridge thinking i would need to but later realized i didnt need to


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## weirdoku (Nov 6, 2014)

The dimensions of the bridge are available on their website HERE if someone else wants to see if this bridge fits. The drawings are 1:1 scale too so you can print it out, cut out the drawing and cut out the holes and put it over your current bridge position to see how the holes match up.


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## PFlynn (Nov 9, 2014)

This has been most helpful. I've been thinking about getting the same bridge since I bought my JS22-7, but have been too lazy to measure anything.


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## aeosoth (Dec 25, 2014)

Awesome, would love to do this somewhere down the road with my soon-to-be-owned JS22-7. Just a couple of questions:
1. Is this the .125 or .175 Hipshot bridge? I recall seeing somebody using a .175 on their JS32-7, but I'm not sure.
2. How did you measure out where to drill the new holes? I've never done this type of mod to a guitar before, and I wouldn't want to mess up haha


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## MaxAidingAres (Dec 25, 2014)

1. I used the .125 bridge and the saddles sit above the edge so i would probably go with the .175. Its not a big deal but its something to mention.

2. To measure i just lined it up with the string through holes and used a measuring tape to make sure it was perfect.

But as for the .175,.125 i would measure the height of your bridge as it stands at the right setup from bottom of the bridge to the top of the saddle. Then check and see which bridge falls in the sweetspot of that. Should be able to adjust the bridge a little below and a little above the current action


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## aeosoth (Dec 26, 2014)

Okay, thanks a lot for the answers!

How would you compare the hipshot bridge to the stock one in terms of tuning stability and playability? It certainly looks a lot better! Is it possible for you to take a shot of the full guitar if you still have it? Would love to see the full guitar with the hipshot bridge!


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## jbealsmusic (Dec 26, 2014)

Awesome! Great job. Hipshot bridges are top notch.


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## alessandroarzilli (Aug 6, 2016)

Hello and thank you for the explainations.
I want to change the bridge on my JS22-7 too, but I would prefer a Tune-O-Matic better than a Hardtail-style one.
I am thinking of buying this bridge: http://www.chguitars.co.uk/bridges/7-string-bridges/b23-tune-o-matic-style-seven-string-bridge.html
and this stopbar: http://www.chguitars.co.uk/bridges/7-string-bridges/t7-seven-string-stopbar-tailpiece-2569.html

What do you think?
The sales manager at CH Guitars told me by e-mail "you might have to shim the neck, as these tun-o-matics are much higher than your tremolo".
Will it be really much higher than the original "Jackson® HT7 7-String Hardtail with Strings-Through-Body"?
Will the guitar be unplayable after this upgrade?


I assume of course that I will need to drill new holes and be very precise in my measurements. Maybe it's something a luthier should do, but hey...it's a 200$ guitar and I bought it to gain experience in modding.

However, these are the specs for both bridge and stopbar:










I hope someone could help!

Alessandro Arzilli


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## Pikka Bird (Aug 6, 2016)

^You could recess it, which I like the look of. It feels a bit different though, because your hand is much closer to the surface of the body... I'm thinking you might have a little bit of luck drilling new string holes at an angle into the old ones, then jam a thin hose into the hole and ... let me draw up an illustration for you, hang on.

...okay, the black rectangle is the body, the red lines are the string-through holes, the purple is a hose that fits tightly into the hole and the yellow is a length of hardwood dowel with the end cut at an angle matching the diagonal hole. This way you can reuse the existing holes in the back (remember to poke out the ferrules before drilling), but it does require a _really_ steady hand, and you have a few unsightly mounting holes on the front in any case.

I did forget that the recess for the TOM would be a little further forwards, so it won't be exactly on top of the old holes, but slightly in front of them.

...or you could use a stop tailpiece, which would also need to be recessed. Because my idea is a lot of hassle, and you may not think it's worth it.


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## alessandroarzilli (Aug 6, 2016)

Wow, that would be a very nice luthier job. Unfortunately though, this is my first experience and I would for sure end up destroying my guitar in pieces 
So I guess the best idea would be to use a TOM bridge and its tailpiece.
You're talking about recessing the bridge and the tailpiece into the body: how is this done? and how deep? 
I think I?m giving up


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## Pikka Bird (Aug 6, 2016)

You measure how deep to recess it by drawing up a full-sized plan of the profile. But yes, it is a rather ambitious project for a first timer, so just go for a regularly mounted TOM with the stop tailpiece. Shimming is easy, look it up- that's faster than for me to type in a whole barrage.


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## alessandroarzilli (Aug 9, 2016)

I Think I'm trying to do this, though I will possibly need to ask a Luthier to check my step by step work.
This is the stepbystep of what I am going to do: is it correct?
-Buy the 7-string cheap tuneomatic bridge and its stop bar
-measure the exact length of each string from the locking nut to the middle of each saddle
-remove the old bridge
-manually place the new tuneomatic bridge on some taped paper on the body of the guitar, searching the exact points where the string length matches the old measurement.
-use a pencil to write the edges of where the new drills will be
- drill little holes, the size of the mounting screws of the bridge
- drill bigger holes centered to the little ones, in order to recess the new Bridge a bit (PRS guitars tone knob style)

Is this going to work? I'm excited and scared &#9786;


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## Baron (Jul 31, 2018)

I have the exact same bridge and guitar. I took it to a guitar tech to have him install it properly and it's crooked. My question is can the holes he drilled be filled and can new holes be drilled properly even though they will slightly overlap into the filling?


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## MaxAidingAres (Jul 31, 2018)

Baron said:


> I have the exact same bridge and guitar. I took it to a guitar tech to have him install it properly and it's crooked. My question is can the holes he drilled be filled and can new holes be drilled properly even though they will slightly overlap into the filling?


Yes you can fill and redrill. Just take it back and tell them to fix their mistake. If a shop installed it crooked they should fix it


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## alessandroarzilli (Sep 28, 2018)

Hey, sorry for resuming old posts, but I never answered back.
I took the guitar to a guitar tech in my area, a very good one, and made him install a Tuneomatic bridge replacing the original crappy Jackson bridge. Yes, he had to recess it a bit inside the guitar's body and yes, the seven old string holes are still there, hidden under the newer bridge.
Then, I also made him replace the original bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan Invader SH -8B.
The guitar sounds really good, it's become my first choice guitar, you can hear a lot of sound tests and songs in my YouTube channel (just search for Alessandro Arzilli on YouTube, I'm not spamming links here).
Cheers and thank you all for all the help!


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