Trem arm tension spring

  • Thread starter Thread starter Little Pigbacon
  • Start date Start date
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Never tried this, but it seems like an awesome idea. I need to try one!
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

I've generally been a hard-tail guy... even have my one Floyd-style trem blocked cuz it made me crazy. I have a tendency to rest the heel of my palm on the bridge and it would ever-so-slightly give my playing a "waver" that I just don't like. On my recent Strat build, though, I went with a traditional-style trem and I don't mind it, but in order for the arm to be tight enough that it doesn't "clunk" when I grab it, it's in the way of the controls. This looks like exactly what I need!

Thanks LPB! :D
 
Last edited:
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Somebody in the know (Callaham, maybe?) claims the spring causes too much pressure on the threaded weaker portion of the bar and leads to them breaking off. I put a piece of clear fuel hose around mine right above the threads so it fits fairly tight without much wiggle.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Over-engeering IMO. Been solving the same problem for years by cannibalising springs from ball-point pens. Works a charm.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

My 1990 American Standard Strat came with the spring. But not the ball bearing. That's a nifty idea.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

I recently got three springs from ebay for next to nothing. They were a bit long for the trem on my Strat so I cut one in half, ground the end flat, dropped it in and screwed the arm back in. No ball bearings came with them. I suppose I could drill the trem hole a bit deeper to allow a full spring but it works fine as it is.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

JB_From_Hell said:
Somebody in the know (Callaham, maybe?) claims the spring causes too much pressure on the threaded weaker portion of the bar and leads to them breaking off. I put a piece of clear fuel hose around mine right above the threads so it fits fairly tight without much wiggle.
Click to expand...

Callaham claims the spring puts too much pressure on the threads, causing them to seize up and leave the arm stuck in the block. At that point, the only way to "remove" the arm is to break it off. I imagine all that happens past the point of the arm no longer turning easily, which I have no intention of doing.

I do like Callaham's way of doing it, though. Delrin is your friend.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Coma said:
Over-engeering IMO. Been solving the same problem for years by cannibalising springs from ball-point pens. Works a charm.
Click to expand...

Over-engineering is a way of life for me. "Obvious overkill" is my mantra.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

I played strats exclusively for years, and just accepted the slight wobble.

One day at a music store, I asked a salesman why Fender always put an orange sticker over the trem hole. He said "to keep the tension spring in there during shipping."

I was dumbfounded that I'd never knew about those springs! 15 years of owning strats, and that tidbit of info eluded me.
I immediately bought a bag of them, and they fixed what I hated about Fender trems.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

People have used ball-point pen springs for years.

I like my G&Ls' Dual Fulcrum Vibratos. The arm drops straight in and is easily removable. A set screw with a nylon bushing sets the tension.

Bill
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Boogie Bill said:
People have used ball-point pen springs for years.

I like my G&Ls' Dual Fulcrum Vibratos. The arm drops straight in and is easily removable. A set screw with a nylon bushing sets the tension.

Bill
Click to expand...

This is how my Music Mans (Men?) work. You'd think, as it is a better system, Fender would have switched over, but tradition is hard to get away from.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Little Pigbacon said:
Anyone else use this, or something along these lines? I just put one in my Roadhouse Strat, and it's fantastic.

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and...ar/Tremolo_Parts/Trem_Arm_Tension_Spring.html
Click to expand...

The little backlash comp springs are always falling out of my client's guitars. I use two ad hoc fixes. One is ptfe tape wrapped around the thread to cushion it, the other is a piece of silicon tubing inserted into the bottom of the trem arm hole. Basically all you need to do is take up the clearance (backlash) between the male and female threads. Springs will keep needing to be replaced...
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

octavedoctor said:
The little backlash comp springs are always falling out of my client's guitars. I use two ad hoc fixes. One is ptfe tape wrapped around the thread to cushion it, the other is a piece of silicon tubing inserted into the bottom of the trem arm hole. Basically all you need to do is take up the clearance (backlash) between the male and female threads. Springs will keep needing to be replaced...
Click to expand...

How long of a piece of tubing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

Great idea for the tubing. I intend to go get some and try it. Thanks for the tip.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

I'm going to use springs until I die.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

JB_From_Hell said:
I put a piece of clear fuel hose around mine right above the threads so it fits fairly tight without much wiggle.
Click to expand...

I used one of the rubber height adjustment screws from a Duncan single coil. It squeezes the bar and saddle just enough to get rid of the wobble. Its ugly but its cheap and it works.
 
Re: Trem arm tension spring

I got some on Amazon 10 for $3 or so
Put a sliver of packing foam in the spring to keep it from falling out
 
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