BTBB: Behind the Bridge Technique and Setup Guide for Fender Jazzmaster & Jaguar 

Nels is a beast with behind the bridge technique. Early Sonic Youth inspiration...

Hands up all the people who just spent an entire day making noise after watching this.

WOOOOW, that intro. You're my offset hero. Glad I don't look so silly strumming chords rather than noise behind the bridge.

The National’s “Mistaken For Strangers” is a great example of these techniques

That’s actually a fucking sick chord progression that you made at the start of the video bro... you should definitely finish it

I bought that jaguar because of that song. Still waiting for it to come in, months later lol. Thanks 2020

People thought the opening riff to You Know You're Right by Nirvana, was Kurt plucking strings behind the nut. One of the engineers even thought it was steel drums. It was him playing below the bridge on the jag.

I have a huge guitar collection but no jazzmaster or jaguar. They are now one my list after seeing this! thanks

The ol' Thurston Moore, Great shit mike!

I am so glad you make videos, you’re one of the reasons I decided, definitively to ditch my strat and go full Jazzmaster mode. I am literally indebted to you for that reason. The quality of your videos has already insanely improved, they’re informative, easy to watch and understand, and just overall fantastic. Underrated shit.

Subscribed! Dude, this is gold. Just now getting into using more string behind the bridge with a Gretsch project and this has been eye opening!

Came back to watch this one again while struggling with my Bass VI. This is wonderful and helpful, Mike. Thank you!

Very cool! Truly ground breaking sounds hidden behind that bridge. I've got a Sea foam green Jazz ie on my wihlist, can't wait to try this!

Wow, that was mind expanding. It opens up a whole field of latent possibilities. Gee wizz, thanks.

That fender tone drove me nuts... I bought my jaguar because of your playing

Sonic Youth made a career out of behind the bridge Jazzmaster noodles.

Thank you so much for this in depth video describing how it works. I've always been intrigued when you'd write about it on Instagram but not fully understanding the practicality of it. Once again thank you so much!

i’ve been waiting for this! thank you so much

Really cool stuff! Thanks so much for sharing these cool ideas and tips!

Great video, very fascinated with the Jaguar...

Very helpful and inspiring Video, Mike! 👍👍👍

Thanks for shedding light on this coolness!

As always, thanks SO much for your time and expertise. Thou art an avant-guardian of the galaxy! Much obliged!

Amazing JM techniques! Thanks - really interesting.

Great video, haven't tried this in a recording yet, but definitely intrigued now...

Wowwww there is a lot of creativity on your playing.

Recent subscriber here, love your channel! There is no other channel that provides as much useful information on Jazzmasters. I really love your playing too, I could care less about shredding. I like musical, melodic playing with great tone and you nail that, any links to full songs?

I just discovered your channel and I'm already in love with your enthusiasm and how passionate and nice you are. I really enjoy your playing, any bands to get into those alternate voicing rythm you make? Thanks!

The ‘3PO and Vader Offsets are just awesome. Keep it weird my friend, come back to Seattle so I can watch in person 🤘🤘

I love seeing artists take us down their specifically expressive rabbit holes. Well played. I would note that making per-string nodal changes using bridge height/brake-angle alone can be a pretty big compromise, depending on how important string height/action is to making you feel comfortable with your instrument. You should be able to modally tune via string tension behind the bridge, as you propose, but in combination with string length and gauge as factors of tension, reducing the need to raise the bridge beyond what a player might consider comfortable string action. As an example, for some strings I thread them through one or more detached string ball-ends, as a spacer(s) of sorts, to extend the string length, thereby adjusting the modal positions on the string behind the bridge.

I encountered the technique a few years ago when seeing a couple The Dear Hunter live videos and saw them doing it. Whenever I came across a Jaguar I ended up trying to do a sort trap riff when utilizing the technique lol

Great stuff thanks for sharing your secrets!!!

Mike, we do not deserve your knowledge and enthusiasm. These vids are so cool and I always learn something. Sad to hear you're not with fellow robot anymore

Very cool! I remember a few years ago talking to Kithkin’s guitarist about his setup and that cool BTB lipstick pickup that you installed on his black AVRI jazzmaster, great look 👌🏽. A very internet instance where I knew his guitar from it being featured on your ig several times before ever meeting the guitarist in person.

You play so beautifully. I might have you set up my Jazzmaster.

Great video! Thank you

That jazz looks great!

Sick tone and riffs man! Would you be able to share some tabs from 1:10-1:20? I know it’s a lot to ask for but damn those are sweet chords.

Great info!

Ooh man nice playing💓🥺🥺

Wow. All of a sudden a lot of tones I’ve heard on recordings make sense now.

This is such an amazing insight. I was wondering how this was done as Nels Cline briefly mentioned this in his rig rundown. Thank you so much for demystifying this! I am off to the workbench. Subscribed!

Awesome Sigur Ros vibes.

Very nice playing

amazing ❤️ thanks mike

FINISH THE SONG IT’S ACTUALLY AMAZING!!

😮3PO is SICK!!!!❤️

Cool im getting a Squier jaguar tomorrow Can't wait to play things like this 0:57 on it

I NEED A 3P0 GUITAR HOLY CRAP DUDE!!!!

Will we get a in depth tone video on the Vader Baritone one day? 😏🤩

Wow. Excellent playing too! I guess "MORE is More." after all. Even if a little bit more.

After seeing this one I would like to see a video of you talking about the stop buzz on jazzmasters :)))

This works surprisingly well with my squier j mascis jazzmaster, even though the trem unit is closer to the bridge and it’s got a tune-o-matic (I think?). Throw a big muff and a shit ton of reverb on it and it sounds great! Also, instead of the G ringing out, it seems to be an F# ringing because the trem unit is closer.

Picking behind the bridge is amazing ever for me as I play ambient music so when I have my reverbs and delays on with some fuzz it sounds weird but I like it

That’s a sick ass riff my guy

Love it !

I think you would definitely review the Troy Van Leeuwen oxblood JM

Nice content. Subbed !

i got a jazzmaster blacktop HS, and love it! tho a blacktop series, but i like it

Sounds like Godspeed! You Black Emperor

Fascinating.

I was offset-less for several years and picked up a Squire CV Jaguar this Christmas. The second I strapped it up, I instantly went back into indie mode. Found your channel and LOVE it!

Robert Smith used this technique in some of his songs, probably most notably in Other Voices on the album Faith. I sometimes kinda fake the sounds he's making by strumming in front of the nut ;) (it's not possible to strum behind the bridge on my guitar).

You should totally do a review of that Vintera Jaguar from the Fender video.

Thanks for the video!! Just to clear up history here, Derek Bailey, Sonny Sharrock, and Fred Frith have, actually among others, used the BTBB picking and strumming…Glenn Branca (with whom Thurston and Lee played) built long stringed instruments with multiple pick ups allowing for vibrations on either side…I’m sure you’re not claiming that you invented the technique and that you otherwise discovered it on your own. Whether through the development of techniques developed by others or by one’s own natural process, the only thing that matters is what you do with it, and in this video, it sounds great.

Super informative video, and I don't even have an offset YET. Really inspiring, keep up the great work you're doing! By your experience, the same "tuning" can be executed either on the original bridge or the mustang one?

@4:57 the working man’s Sigur Ros texture. Very nice!

Love your videos...Any particular bridge and trem for the JM you recommend? I am looking at Mastery but they are pricey.

It reminds in the late 90s with my friends we said that the band Placebo stole too much from Sonic Youth. (Like I am doing since).

You are just brillant!!!!

Yo- that lipstick on 3PO is so sick!

Awesome

I love your Chanel. I have always been a rock and metal guy but for some reason I love and am fascinated with Fender Vibrato systems and don’t really favor a Floyd Rose.

It reminded me of Broken Social Scene's KC Accidental (nice!). What Jazzmaster do you recommend these days outside of the Squier Vibe? Is there anything as true to form, but better quality (without spending $1,500)? How would you compare the American Pro II to the Original '60s - in the American Pro II the rhythm circuit seems like it's not original function? Then are the American Performer (Strat bridge?) and American Pro (pickup selector on top) - each without rhythm circuits. Would you consider a maple fret board Jazzmaster or one without the rhythm circuit, or one where the rhythm circuit does not function like the original rhythm circuit?

The drive-in speaker idea needs to be mass produced and marketed!!! Like a pig nose, but WAY cooler, and with seriously way more character & attitude! 🤘🏻🤘🏻

0:57 are you using a specific tuning for this song? Also your technique its pretty cool!!!

Would this work with my stock fender player jag? I've been considering saving up for the mastery bridge also to get rid of the buzz but im wondering if i can do it now? Haha, love your vid btw

That riff reminded me of the Sea Scouts.

Finally someone playing Jazzmaster in the right way AND NOT MESS AROUND WITH BLUESY SHIT (i like blues, but you know what i mean if you watch demos)

Great vid, like being in the room with Kevin Shields, where'd you get a gold anodysed pickguard from?

Great video again, truly helpful because my jazzmaster sucks behind the bridge and now I can maybe tweak it! Any plans for a Patreon? :)

i have a schaller roller bridge on my jazzmaster, do you think it´s possible set up that to work behind the bridge?

Hey, I’m hoping that you can help me out... What height do you recommend setting your Jazzmaster vintage/vintage style pickups at?

You should check out New Complexity guitars for super cool behind the bridge stuff

20:00 is my go-to transition effect from here on in.

Okay this video is making me want to remove my buzz stop on my offsets lol

This is so interesting! I would love to do this, but how do you find a balance between being able to play behind the bridge and break angle?

I ,one day hope to own a Jazzmaster.

Mike, do you have a recommendation for a compressor pedal that works well for this purpose?

Do you know how this would work with the vintera modified jaguar? I know the vibrato is closer to the bridge than usual to help combat the break angle. Would this still be possible with such less string length behind the bridge?

You can also try E-BOW for these sounds.

This video sent me down a 10 mile rabbit hole! But a burning question: have you ever used an E-Bow behind the bridge? What's that like?

Mike ... Michael from Schecter guitar here. Was wondering how you decided to 'activate' the behind-the-bridge lipstick? is there an off/on and individual volume?

Oh goddammit as if my desire for a Jazzmaster wasn't strong enough!

Are these floating bridges and tune o matic bridges at the same angle? Jag style bridges look more square to the strings...

Love your content and your guitars!!! Isn’t the whole strings behind the bridge thing just how well the note behind the bridge fits in the harmonic scale (dunno if that is the correct English name) of the note fretted?

Just revisiting this video and realised the resonant notes on 3PO sound like the motif of Richard Ramirez Died Today Of Natural Causes by Sun Kil Moon!

Hey Mike! Hope you're having a great day! :) I have a question for you on the Fender Vintera 60's Jaguar: How was it "out of the box"? Did you do any modifications or setup on the Jag in the Fender video? Or you just played how you recieved it?

Hey Mike! Hope you're well! Do you have any tips on playing shoegaze/Glide on a strat type tremolo? Massive fan of DIIV who do a great job of it on a Cyclone+Strat. I'm using a squier stagemaster. Thanks!

Anyone have a link to that video of the song he plays at the beginning of this? I cant find that Jaguar video