Hi Guys, I need some advice about replacing a guitar bridge. Lately, I wanted to resurrect an old guitar I had at home, a Dinky DK2 Jackson. I don't remember the code of the specific variant. It was made in Japan in the early 2000s and was bought for around 1000 euro at the time.

I still think that the construction quality of these instruments is top-notch, even compared to the much more expensive newer guitars I own.

Unfortunately, to keep the price lower than the made in USA line, Jackson saved money on the pickups, which are a poor Seymour Duncan design with no dynamics (good for trash metal only), and the electronics. Also The bridge is a JT-580LP, which is surprisingly good at staying in tune even when you abuse the bar, but it's not made of the best materials, and it's not really smooth either. It requires new springs, and the blades are probably not in the best shape either, as it's quite old and used.

In summary, I want to replace the pickup with a new DiMarzio, bridge, lock nuts and locking tuners with something far higher quality and revive this amazing instrument. If I do everything correctly with nice wiring and shielding, I think I will get a beast with a really small investment.

But my problem is the bridge.

I'm in love with the Gotoh-1997T, it's my favourite Floyd style Bridge after the Lo-pro / edge Pro by Ibanez. I like the whammy bar, the quality of the materials, etc. but it uses 11 mm studs. The bridge I currently have is attached to the guitar with 10 mm studs that are slightly shorter than the one on the Gotoh 1996t. This means that I would need to enlarge the holes in the wood in order to install the new Studs for the bridge. This could be fine too , but I think there is a high chance of damaging the finish of the guitar and do a shitty job because the current studs are very close to the edge of the bridge cavity. So i would need to do way too much work to install everything correctly.

So in summary my questions are these 3 :

• - Can i use some Good quality Steel stud from a OFR or Schaller Lockmeister instead than the original one made by gotoh ? The bridge will work the same ? I risk to damage the blades and getting poor performance ?
• - I also saw that Gotoh make smaller studs in steel for their Tremolo System 510TS in theory they should be compatible with the Gotoh-1997t . it's true or there is a error in the description and the comment i read online ?
• - Do you think i should just give up on the Gotoh-1997t and buy the Schaller Tremolo or Lockmeister instead ? Even if a little more expensive I think they will be literally plug-and-play . The quality is pretty high on both but i know well the Gotoh and i have little experience on the Schaller honestly . I used old OFR tho that are made by Schaller as well i guess the quality is still pretty high in these one as well ? the whammy bar is smooth like in the gotoh 1997t ?

If you have any experience with these bridges, please could you give me some advice?

Thanks in advance!

UPDATE:

In the end, I got a "Schaller Lockmeister" . It fit my Jackson perfectly, required no drilling, and is probably even better than the new Original Floyd Rose made in Us. So all good.

I hope this post helps others who, like me, are looking to replace their old, rusty JT-580LP with something better.

Thanks again for the helpful advices , i learned a lot . it helped me make the best choice possible. 😎

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* Body: 000, 14-fret

* Top: Bearclaw Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)

* Sides: Purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.)

* Back: Three-piece Purpleheart and Katalox (Swartzia cubensis)

* Binding: Flamed Maple (Acer rubrum)

* Rosette: Mother of Pearl and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)

* Neck: Five-piece Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), Katalox, and Flamed Maple

* Fingerboard: Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora)

* Fingerboard Inlays: Hand-cut Mother of Pearl

* Bridge: Ebony, pyramid style

* Nut & Saddle: Bone

* Headstock: Purpleheart

* Headstock Inlay: Lizardite

* Tuners: Gotoh 15:1, nickel

* Scale Length: 25 21/32”

* Fingerboard Radius: 12”

* Finish: High-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer

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Thank You!

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