I've owned a few strats, and have always took issue with the tremolo arm jiggling in the socket. I've seen the YouTube fixes using the, 'spring in the hole' idea. Thought I might ask you all, any creative mods, replacements, fixes you'd like to share with the rest of us? I would like to keep it as classic as possible...I mean, let's not replace it with a Flloyd Rose floater, okay??? Thanks in advance!
The "spring in the hole" idea is how the guitars ship from the factory. You can even buy genuine Fender replacement tremelo arm tension springs. If you look at a new telecaster hanging on the wall at a music store, there is usually a piece of bright colored adhesive paper over the hole for the tremelo arm to keep the spring from falling out. (Mine didn't and thus I didn't get a tremelo arm tension spring).
Edit: I meant to say Stratocaster not Telecaster, lol.
Last edited by Michael Smith; 01-20-2022 at 12:06 PM.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
Thanks Michael. I am going to try the spring out anyway. Just wondered if there were other mods out there to try as well. Appreciate the input.Originally Posted by Michael Smith
+1 on the spring.
Me, I don’t use the trem arm at all. Never did. All my vibrato is done with my fingers. But my strat did come with the spring in the hole. Kept it with the trem arm in the case.
Welcome to the forum. Pics of your strats are mandatory!
I've tried little springs I have around the house, like from a ball point pen, but have never found one to fit properly. Guitar Center sells them, but I think you have to buy a pack of 12.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
They have to be strong enough to keep the arm in place.
The spring in the hole works well. You need a very firm spring like the ones that Fender sells.
One thing to be aware of- if the block on your tremolo is die cast (not steel), the pressure on the threads caused by the spring force on the arm can cause the threads to wear out and strip. I had this happen on a guitar of mine many years ago.
My favorite "classic" solution is Callaham's virtual pop-in tremolo arm, but that's gotten expensive.
That's good to know Don. My tremolo block appears to be made of some type of plastic. 1996 American Standard Strat. I guess I'll just leave the tremolo arm flopping around.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
Been so long since I've cared about the the whammy that I'd forgotten about the spring. I still have a couple of whammy bars stuck in my supplies. I would have hard-tail Strats if Fender had offered them to lefties.
If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison
Maybe just fill your tremolo cavity with "Bondo", lol.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
My first car, a Super Beetle, was more bondo than metal. I couldn’t do that to a guitar….wellMaybe just fill your tremolo cavity with "Bondo", lol.
If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison
If I recall, Amercan Standards from that era came with a spring and they worked fine (I had a few from that era). I believe the block is either painted steel or die cast material. Check it with a magnet, with a knife if it's not magnetic.
LOL. Back when I had my '74 Dodge Dart, NH had biyearly inspections. Every six months, I'd take some screen, some newspaper, a can of Bondo and patch up the quarter panels. After a while I stopped even bothering with a spatula and just used my fingers, drove to the inspection station and probably half the time the blob of plastic or whatever it was would fall out before I got home.
"Live and learn and flip the burns"
I can't stand a sloppy trem arm so I figured out a way to eliminate the rattle: If you take a small hammer & lightly peen the threads on the arm, it will snug it up when you screw it into the block. Be careful not to hit the end of the arm where the threads begin.
Lately I've been using the spring, too. But before that I used the method I'm describing & it works great
Well it turns out the tremolo block is magnetic, so perhaps it's painted die cast metal as you suggested. I just put new strings on the guitar, so I didn't want to take it apart for a full inspection.
I did discover a useful tip to keep the tremolo arm stable even with a missing spring. Wrap the threads of the tremolo arm with 3 or 4 turns of teflon tape (the type used in plumbing). I don't know how long it will stay stable before having to re-wrap it, but for now it stays perfectly stable in any position.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
Mandatory....I did not know that! Thanks for the heads up. I will figure that out asap. Hmmm.....how the heck...
You just need to choose a hosting site (I use postimages.org). Upload the pictures and paste the links here using this button:
I use the hosting site Imgur. You can organize your photos/screenshots by album. To upload a photo to the site, you just open up your file explorer on your computer and find the photo, then just drag it into the album on Imgur where you want to store it. Then click on the photo in Imgur and click on the button I have circled in red. Then return to this forum and hit "Ctrl and V" to paste the item into your reply.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
Pasting an image didn't work....inserting an image requires a URL. Hmmm...I will figure this out...maybe.: )
Okay..now I see your helpful responses. Thank you guys...a real newbie here.
oops. not yet
"Live and learn and flip the burns"
Okay..."Direct Link" worked!!! I am learning!! And that's my Number 1. 2008 Deluxe Player (MIM) THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Classy!!
I see it now!. Did you see my tip above about wrapping the threads of the whammy bar with teflon plumber's tape.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
Ya know...I wouldn't mind it hanging, loosely...I can grab it when I want it, and it falls out of the way when I don't...however, when it's that loose, it clacks against the trem body, the exact thing I'm trying to get rid of. I may have to put my Frankenstein hat on and create something myself.
Did, thanks. I saw that in the videos too. Wanted to get some feedback, like yours, before I picked a solution. I will definitely try the tape and the springs out. Someone mentioned Guitar Center having them...have one the other side of town. So, new strings, spring, and tape this weekend. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Wow...the Callaham Trem Arm looks like a very interesting possibility. Seems obvious. And only $20. It answers a question I had when I first put my mind to the 'why's' and 'wherefores' of this problem. Make the hole the same diameter as the arm! Why would they make a tremolo arm that did that for more than a year, let alone till this very day??
I might get some push back....purists out there? : ) So, I heard Wilkinson is a great Trem...what about a classic replacement Trem by Wilkinson? $30!
ha ha ha. You and I have a bunch of similarities of experiences, I've noticed.
I've always loved Dave Gilmour's use. of the whammy.
RockKross, beautiful guitar. I say use any brand of a part if it works best for you.
If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison
Thanks Willie. They looks just like the original, but with a 'pop in' trem bar...no more spring, tape mod.
If you used the Fender-stamped bridge saddles nobody will ever know the difference.
"When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."
Since I never use trem arms, I never cared about what my 2010s American Standard strat’s block is made of. Any hints?
The trem block is an adjunct to the guitar's sustain, whether you use the tremolo or not. Leo chose steel for it's superior density and resonance.
"When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."
Yes, indeed. That’s making me think about replacing it if it’s not steel…
Yet this guitar sounds so good all stock that I can’t help but think of the old saying: “if it ain’t broken…”
Then don't "fix" it. The choice is yours.
"When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."
This is part of Leo Fender's visionary genius: These guitars are modular. Many modifications are immediately reversable, so you can throw a block in there made of just about any material you can think of, & if you don't like it, you can be back to square one in the time it takes to tear it down & put it back.
This guy's got a great little product right here. I don't know the seller & have no affiliation, but I have bought a couple of them
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254045097509
That does look like a nice product, and reasonably priced. The magnet is a great idea.
"When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top
I like that they include a ball bearing. I used one when I used a spring. It prevents the annoying squeak of the spring on the tip of the arm!
Yes, the ball bearing is a nice touch, but the magnet is what really sold me. More than once someone has borrowed a guitar of mine & lost the spring because they didn't know it was in there when they removed the trem arm for whatever reason
You know, these parts aren't expensive. It's just very convenient that this guy has put them all into one nice package
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