heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

[rotting casket]

I just picked up a Fender Yngwie sig and I love it...but I did make some mods. I replaced the brass nut with an Earvana and the stock tuners with some locking Sperzels. I also installed some Graphtech saddles. this puppy stays in tune incredibly well, even with my Slayeresque whammy abuse (I'm used to Floyds and Kahler flatmounts)

anyway, I keep breaking that puny little trem bar. I've gone through 3 in the past 2 weeks. on my last trip to the local guitar shop, I went ahead and bought 3 more :smack:

what I'd really like is a heavy duty bar like on a Floyd or Kahler that's compatible with a vintage trem. does any parts company make such a thing?

 

[rotting casket]

Re: heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

I just found a great video on youtube from 1974 of the Scorpions playing "Speedy's Coming". Uli Roth is playing a Strat that has a bigass tremolo bar on it; really heavy duty looking and long! I'm assuming he had this custom made? damn it's just what I'm looking for.

here's a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7_B76oALYQ

 

[aleclee]

Re: heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

Go to a machine shop and get one made, preferably out of stainless steel.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

You mean like this one? It was made for Uli by Francis Bucholz (Scorps Bassist)

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

Actually, go to www.callahamguitars.com , and order one of his strat trem arms. He uses really strong cold rolled steel, and his design is a little shorter than average trems, and I like mine a lot. I don't abuse mine like you do yours, but I can assure you his will be very strong, and it won't cost as much as having one machine made.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: heavy duty bar for vintage trems?

Here's the blub from their site about the arm.

Callaham Stainless Steel "64" Traditional Tremolo Arm with tip. This arm is made from a "64" that I really liked. It is about an inch shorter and sits closer to the face of the guitar. The stainless steel looks great and is much stronger than the carbon steel arms. It has standard 10-32 UNF threads. It can be used with any factory block having 10-32 UNF threads or with any of our blocks. Please see our Block Details page for more info.


Note on Tremolo Arms: The #1 breaker of tremolo arms is the spring Fender puts inside their blocks. Do NOT use this spring. If your arm has too much play, wrap it with teflon tape. The spring will cause the threads to gall and lock up. The 2nd reason for broken arms is trying to thread the arm in too far. Our arms fit our blocks with little or no play. Fender arms do not. If you keep trying to thread any arm past thread length, the block will try to cut additional threads. This will create a tremendous stress raiser and cause the arm to fail at the top thread cut by the block. The arm should be positioned 1 turn from bottoming out. Again use teflon tape to take out play, do not keep threading the arm down. Our blocks and arms should get a drop of oil every so often because of the closeness of the fit.