A new Strat and a common mistake

[KK1736]

Hi,

If like me you arrive home with your new Strat and all you want to do is plug in and play, don't do what I did.

You open the case....you admire this beautiful instrument lying there being caressed and cushioned by the luxurious lining.......you then open the compartment containing the case candy....yes everything seems to be there, great....you notice this silver circle sticker covering the trem arm hole....let's get rid of that or I won't get the trem arm in.....you pick up your new love and admire it from all angles.....a quick twiddle and a strum then it's time to try out Wonderful Land to hear the magical tones that are bound to come from the speakers, especially as you took out a second mortgage to buy this six stringed seductress.....ok, screw the trem arm in and away we go.

Those of you who are worldly-wise will have noticed the big mistake, and yes I made it but took ages to find out what it was.

I was at my wits end with my trem arm and the fact that not only did it have a bit of play/wobble but it dropped vertically every time and to tighten it anymore (just one more turn) in my mind, would mean I would strip the thread or something just as nasty. I thought the only fix was to get a new block......wrong.......what you need is a trem arm spring, I read somewhere. So I did, well a pack of twelve, I put one in, screwed in the trem arm and as if by magic it was perfect. No wobble (not much anyway) and it would stay in any position I desired.

Yes when I threw away the silver sticker and proceeded to admire my purchase from all angles, the spring had fallen out.

I apologise for 'teaching my granny to suck eggs' but there might just be someone out there like me that is suffering the same pain and anguish I've been through, that might benefit from my little story.

Regards

Kevin

[kipper]

i have never seen a trem spring, i know what you are saying and it must have happened so many times. peter

[meladdison]

Feb 20, 2014 22:11:19 GMT kipper said:

i have never seen a trem spring, i know what you are saying and it must have happened so many times. peter

Hi Peter, yes and they are only a couple of pounds for 5 or 10 springs, genuine Fender from the well known auction site

should you have a problem getting them (although I am sure you won't) I have a couple of spares that you are welcome too.

Regards, Mel

[kipper]

thanks for the offer mel, not a problem for me at the moment. peter

[allclaphands]

Hi Kevin
Yes what a difference that small spring makes to the trem arm.You at least realized if only
later what the silvers sticker was there for and managed to rectify losing the spring by
purchasing some more.I have a spring in all my strats.The one thing is when they break in
getting the old spring out can be a bit fiddly as the spring tends to spread when compressed.
You need a cocktail stick or something similar to ease it out.

Keep Smiling
Pete

[shadowkarl]

Hello All,

I never had to use a small spring to fix the trem arm, because I never bought a brand new Strat.Even not with the old traditional Fender setup on my used ones. When i installed a Callaham Block it comes with a trem arm, and that one was working right from the beginning, and also when I screwed the VML Term arm in, it worked without any additional device. Must have been lucky so far.

Regards
shadowkarl

[martyn]

Be wary of supposed 'Fender' springs because the one that comes with a new strat should always be a loose fit in the socket and easily drop in or out.
Some of those sold online are of a slightly coarser gauge and whilst they may go in OK, they can be a devil to encourage out again, as I've discovered in the past. The problem is that being slightly larger, they can become wedged in the socket and with the arm pushing down on it as it's tightened, the spring compresses and spreads so that it may snag and grind itself into the thread of the socket and then with the arm grinding itself into the spring as well upon screwing in, it can similarly jam itself in the socket too. Such stresses have even been known to snap off the lower section of the arm as the owner tries to screw/unscrew this stuck arm.

You may be lucky and find the spring never gives you any grief but just be aware of the potential problem.

Regards,
Martyn

[grip]

Hi Martyn,

The best way to avoid the possibility of it jamming in the threaded hole is to source a spring which is wound "counter-clockwise" (if yo consider the thread "clockwise"

Kind regards,


Chris

[KK1736]

Hi,

Some nice additional tips to think about. I bought my springs from a Fender dealership selling genuine Fender parts, so I hope they will be ok, but will take everything else into consideration. I hope it didn't sound like I was 'trying to teach my.......etc' because I know everyone's not as thick as me It was for the benefit of people like me who weren't fully aware of the intricacies of the Fender tremelo system, ok it's not that intricate but you know what I mean. I must repeat though, what a difference it's made, even though I've since read that the springs aren't that effective. I beg to differ. Thanks to all for the very interesting feedback.

Regards

Kevin

[rosemary]

Hi Kevin
I bought my new USA Strat at a guitar show a few years ago and it was several months later that I learnt about the spring (which was missing) and couldn't find anywhere that sold them. A shop put one in my secondhand Mexican Strat but it wasn't the right size and dropped out. Does it make a big difference? I haven't thought about it for a long time but might follow up again as the shop I used to go to now sells Fender gear.
Best wishes
Rosemary

[exprog]

Hi all
I have a MIM Fender Classic Series 50s Strat. There was no spring with this. Should there be one, or is it only certain strats.

Regards

Chris

[somebodyelseuk]

Everyone's done it, even the sales kids in guitar shops!
Anytime I've replaced one, I've used an intonation spring, but can't remember what from... I just remember they were tapered, so I threw one in wide end first - probably cut down a little so the diameter matched. Because it was tapered, the wide end 'grips' the internal diameter of the thread, when it gets down there and the narrower end just compresses inside the wider coils without hurting the thread.
Cheers,Julian

[garystrat]

Hi Rosemary

The spring probably was the right size, they will drop out easily if the arm is not in place, when you remove the arm just put a twist of cardboard in the hole to hold it until the arm is re-fitted and all should be fine.

When screwing the arm down onto the spring it should just bite and not be over compressed, the idea is for the spring to lightly push the arm up against the threads without force, it's not a total cure but will also help with a loose arm.

As others have said a Callaham block is an ideal solution:

www.callahamguitars.com/blocks.htm

Regards

Gary

[shawbridge]

Hi Folks,
wow! In over 40 years of guitar playing, I have never heard of a Trem spring nor have I seen one, the only springs I have seen are the 3 or 5 springs in the back to adjust trem tension, I have a USA 79 Fender Strat and a replica Signature Marvin strat ( Fender Parts ) can't see a trem spring :-).
cheers
Peter

[allclaphands]

Tremolo arm springs
www.fender.com/guitar-bass-parts/bridge-assemblies-components/american-series-stratocaster-tremolo-arm-tension-springs-12/


You can source and get them cheaper on line.Just posted this as why Fender have the spring in the tremolo arm.

Pete

[meladdison]

Feb 22, 2014 10:07:56 GMT shawbridge said:

Hi Folks,
wow! In over 40 years of guitar playing, I have never heard of a Trem spring nor have I seen one, the only springs I have seen are the 3 or 5 springs in the back to adjust trem tension, I have a USA 79 Fender Strat and a replica Signature Marvin strat ( Fender Parts ) can't see a trem spring :-).
cheers
Peter

Hi Peter,

The trem springs are so tiny, they sit on the end of the trem that fits into the guitar, sometimes they remain in the guitar and (more often) other times they are pulled out and lost because of there size.

Both my trem are push in types and therefore the spring is easily pulled out without even knowing about it, what I have done is place a little Vaseline on the tremolo end and either push it back in or screw it in, you should then have no more problems and the trem will stay in place where you want it.

If your trem is the push in type, the spring will remain in the housing held by the Vaseline after pulling the trem free.

Regards Mel - PS. if you cant get hold of a spring let me know as I have a few spares.

[garystrat]

Hi Mel

I wasn't aware that the push in arms used springs, they normally have a tensioning grub screw at under the back of the bridge?

Gary

[meladdison]

Feb 22, 2014 18:34:44 GMT garystrat said:

Hi Mel

I wasn't aware that the push in arms used springs, they normally have a tensioning grub screw at under the back of the bridge?

Gary

Hi Gary,
 
 You may well be right, however this method was given to me by my local Fender shop some years ago, in my innocence I thought I had broken something inside the arm housing through using it to heavily, so since then I have always used this method and never (touch wood) had another problem, the arm always stays exactly where you want it to and the spring is held in place by the tiny amount of Vaseline. 

I have just had a look at my Strat and I can't see a tension screw unless it is found when taking the back plate off?

Kind regards, Mel

 

[mojolomjl]

Hi Mel,

The allen screw is located by pressing the trem arm down as far as you can, then look at the
trem block from the back of the guitar where you will see the allen screw in line with the
trem arm. To adjust you need to push the trem arm in so as it does not reach where the screw
is located then push the arm down and tighten up the screw a bit at a time until you get the
right tension. Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Maurice.

[meladdison]

Feb 22, 2014 20:01:38 GMT mojolomjl said:

Hi Mel,

The allen screw is located by pressing the trem arm down as far as you can, then look at the
trem block from the back of the guitar where you will see the allen screw in line with the
trem arm. To adjust you need to push the trem arm in so as it does not reach where the screw
is located then push the arm down and tighten up the screw a bit at a time until you get the
right tension. Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Maurice.

 
Thanks Maurice, that's very kind of you, I will remember that.

Do you know I am spending more time chatting on here than I am practicing, but isn't it surprising what you learn,
I think I enjoy the chatting as much as the playing?

Thanks again my friend, Mel -  PS. Now you mention the Allen Key I have just remembered there was one in my kit when I purchased the guitar. 

[garystrat]

Hi Mel

The tension screw is usually on the block just under the rear of the bridge plate, if it is there you don't need to take anything apart.

(I just noticed Maurice's reply)

Gary

[noelford]

Never had any springs. Never had a problem with the trems.

[fender7]

I admit also, i never knew of a trem spring.Perhaps it explains why im using thread tape on every show to take out the free play.....steve

ps..and ive never over tightened it from day one(with or without the thread tape)

[specky]

:
So that's what that little tiny spring thing was
I remember years ago finding a little spring on the kitchen floor -wondered what it was from-
couple of days later I was out in the back garden down on my hands and knees rooting through The rubbish bin
found it tho' -hahahahaaa
bit of tape does the job just as well -maybe a bit messy at times

Regards all

Tommy