Bending a tremolo arm.

[BarryH]

I'm in the process of swopping all the hardware on my CIJ strat to gold.

The trem arm on the gold does not sit as comfortably in my hand as the other chrome ones do. Does anyone have any advice or ideas about bending the arms.

I'm trying not to damage the gold plate if I can at all help it. It's been a sod getting the gold hardware as I'm left handed. Most of it came from the US and I'd hate to go through the customs again, they seem to take forever.

Cheers
Barry

[UK Brian]

Hi Barry, I have bents quite a few trem arms cos they never sit quite where we want them do they, I havn't flaked any of the plating on any of them but have no xp of gold ones tho' not a lot of help is it, our friend Barry in Oz is another who bends trem arms maybe he can add something, chances are he's in bed now , but he will respond

Brian

[kipper]

amanda had a good idea a while back, a hole in a door frame i think it was. a hole drilled in a solid lump of timber 4x 2 or simlar long as its chunky. i have used this method with good results peter

[UK Brian]

The method I use is to put it in a vice but using 2 pieces of hardwood as vice clamps so as not to scratch or mark the steel with the vice jaws.

once you do your "first bend" confidence grows and you just get on a roll ;D

cheers

Brian

[Deleted]

HI ,,BARRY H,,,,
BOTH above methods work well I use as brian soft jaw;s [aluminium -sheet x 2mm or similar 2 of bent 90deg about 1''x1'' to cover the jaw's & top of jaw's],also a piece of medium hard wood ,1'' thick x1'' or so wide & about 12'' long with a hole just slightly larger than the arm drilled near one end say about 1'' from one end ,this wooden tool is good as you can keep it inside near your playing area & tweak the arm to the exact requirement's[,so as you can remvove the[ tip knob]& slide the arm into the wood tool as to bend ,or shape the arm but leaving the theaded end alone,.

If Its only the height to adjust you will put the threaded end in your tool,but do not bend close to thread .have the arm well into the hole.

hope this helps barry, but i have never done a gold one & gold is soft ,so be carefull ,but gold is easily polished,,

cheers........................barry.. ,,,,,,,,,ps I like to angle the last 2.1/2'' or so [knob end] ''up'' to better fit the angle of my hand..