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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 25, 2005 1:36:12 GMT -5
it can be hard to find the perfect adjustment for the arm of a strat-style vibrato unit. i've seen the spring solution offered in several books and on websites, and it works to a degree, but there is a much more precise way of doing things. in general, to correct a strat (or floyd/wilkinson/etc.) arm that goes floppy when not in use, many suggest dropping a spring into the shaft before screwing in the arm. well, this CAN work but you have to find a screw with the exact size, tension, etc. otherwise the arm goes throught the spring or it flies out and hits you in the eye when you remove the arm, or it just squishes down and has no effect, or it wears out after a while, bla, bla, bla, etc.
WELL... HERE'S MY SOLUTION:
HEADLESS SCREW!
find a machine-threaded screw w/out a head on it that fits the diameter of your trem arm shaft. screw it in. drop in arm. take off arm. adjust screw for proper height.
you'll probably have to replace the arm and adjust the screw a couple of times (geneally they are adjusted w/ an allen wrench.) but generally you'll only need to do this ONCE to find the appropriate height for your arm. and then you're good to go for a long, long time. another nice thing is that this works for shafts that go all the way through the block, as well, whereas a spring would just fall right through. quite frankly, i'm surprised that no-one else came up with this AND taht companies don't issue such a screw for their trem units. just thought you might like the tip. ;D
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Post by StratLover on Apr 25, 2005 16:28:14 GMT -5
Killer idea and it DOES work. My 72 was thrashed and your tip resolved the delimma. This is why I hope this site stays up. People like yourself whom share their ides are to be commended. Many thanks ! ! !
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Post by bam on Apr 25, 2005 22:13:58 GMT -5
just thought you might like the tip. ;D wha ? I [glow=orange,2,300] like[/glow] it ;D ;D ;D !!! (.. definitely is a board with cool features .. the
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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 27, 2005 2:42:33 GMT -5
well, i'm glad SOMEONE appreciates my genius! basically, i'd never had a strat-style trem till recently and quickly found out how finicky the arm's tension can be. i don't know how strat players have put up with this. without the set screw, it seems it has different tension everytime you put it on. and most of the time it just isn't right. well, i had to remedy that quickly. the headless screw idea came about thru a discussion w/ my uncle, who, btw, doesn't even play guitar. he suggested a spring, which i soon found out was a common remedy but one that's a bit touchy. thru more thinkin and talk i think we both pretty much simultaneously came up with the headless screw idea. and that, kiddies, is why god invented brainstorming. another nice thing is that you can take the arm on and off and it should take the exact same number of winds to put it back where it was. i know some of those fancy floyd rose trems have a tension screw on the side, but you probably have to uscrew it every time you take off the arm. and that, gentlemen, is just and that, kiddies, is why god invented brainstorming. silly. i'll say one thing for floyd. he LOVES allen wrenches.
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dtarrance
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Post by dtarrance on Apr 27, 2005 13:26:49 GMT -5
Okay, that idea sounds PERFECT for me! But, I'm having the hardest time trying to find some "headless screws". I've searched at Home Depot, Radio Shack, and did a search on StewMac, WD, and AllParts!!! Is there some other name they might be called, or can you direct me to where I could find some of these? Great tip man, and I hope you can help out some more!! ;D
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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 27, 2005 14:51:47 GMT -5
at home depot they're called "set screws" and have a couple of drawers devoted to them, incl. metric sizes. i just didn't call em "set screws" as it's a term used for different kinds of screws, not just headless ones. any hardware store will have em. just make sure they're machine threaded. places like home depot have a table full of bushings with various diameters at the screw department. so just take yr trem arm in and screw it in the bushing to find the right size.
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dtarrance
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Post by dtarrance on Apr 27, 2005 15:42:30 GMT -5
Coo, thanks man! I'll check out Home Depot again today! Hope I can find the right size for my non-standardized import Strat-clone! ;D
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Post by StratLover on Apr 27, 2005 16:44:09 GMT -5
At LOWES the same screws are available in the same catagory......all the drawers in the SCREW AISLE that my wife hates so much ! There are even ALLEN head set screws that are easier to use.....I say easier only because I have the wrenches to do so. I have semi-fine-tuned the idea even further to make sure you CAN replace the trem arm in.....so-many turns or match to your specific arm height. Use two set screws backed up against each other which has seemed to work just great. The idea is to plug the arm insert so the same amount of turns is there for you each time you insert the trem arm. I want to thank GuyaGuy again for advancing TECHNOLOGY and making things work better and with more ease and confidince. This whole idea is why we need to stick togather and "RULE THE WORLD." Huh
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Post by bam on Apr 27, 2005 23:28:11 GMT -5
I'll propose the idea of "DIY Headless Screws" (requirements : a metal saw and a screw)
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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 28, 2005 0:02:42 GMT -5
re: bam's post "I'll propose the idea of 'DIY Headless Screws' (requirements : a metal saw and a screw) " ANDStratLover's post "There are even ALLEN head set screws that are easier to use" the entire point of dropping in the screw is that it has the slot for the allen wrench and yet it's headless and so can be screwed down the shaft. the kind i'm talking about is headless seen form the side but when looked at from above you can see the slot for an allen wrench. the allen slot is actually necessary to 1) get the screw in and out and 2) to fine-tune the stiffness. i'm hoping the DIY idea was a joke; that's basically just a way of getting a screw stuck in yr trem. unit. i guess if you can't afford the $0.45 for the screws you could file off the head, carefully leaving the slot intact! StratLover, i'm not sure i understand what you mean by the back-to-back screws. basically, there are 2 back to back already: the set screw and the trem arm's threaded tip. the single set screw already regulates the number of turns, at least in my expreience. or did i misunderstand? (btw, that's the 1st time i've EVER been praised for advancing technology. and it might well be the last!
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Post by RandomHero on Apr 28, 2005 13:28:45 GMT -5
This thread has inspired me. ;D
I have a Floyd, the trem arm to which doesn't directly screw into the block. There is a small knurled cap on the end of it, which threads -over- the trem arm fixture. I'm sure anyone familiar with a real Floyd knows what I'm talking about. (I hope.)
Anyway, the dumb thing had this habit of not being tight when screwed in to it's fullest extent, and there doesn't seem to be any adjustment for the depth of the opening!
I slipped a chunk of rubber down there. It lets me adjust the amount of "tension" my arm's got, and holds the thing solid so I don't get "wobbly-bridge-parts" noise through my amp when I'm tremming.
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Post by RandomHero on Apr 28, 2005 13:41:29 GMT -5
Guya, I think the homemade headless screw idea included using the hacksaw to make an "flathead" notch in one end of the screw.
And while the screw agaisnt the trem arm would provide a level of stability, two screws lodged inside the threads and turned tightly against one another at the level desired would provide the ultimate in stability.
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Post by StratLover on Apr 28, 2005 17:58:09 GMT -5
This was my exact idea and it does work OHH-SO-WELL. I dropped one in the top and stuck one in through the bottom and used 2 allen wrenches to tighten them togather. This gives you the ability to get the trem into a position that is comfortable and accessable. Looks like a PATENT PENDING and a TM are possible here! Take a BOW GUY This little thread that got started is exactly what I mean when I say that "I am so glad that JOHN started GN1." It's all about the INFORMATION BABY! ! ! ;D
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Post by bam on Apr 29, 2005 3:50:23 GMT -5
yeah, Guya, my DIY headless screw idea included making a notch on top of it. :lol: And I think I've forgot the bow .. Thanks for Stratlover for reminding .
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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 29, 2005 3:51:51 GMT -5
john+ random hero: oh, i think i getcha guys now. the trem units that i have are not the "bottomless" kind. i guess you guys have the "bottomless" kind where the shaft that recieves the arm goes all the way through the block. mine are blocked off at the bottom like the old 50s strat trems, so 2 screws would be possible but i can't do adjustments from the bottom. so i'd have to adjust a lot more back and forth to get things right. actually i wish i had that kind cuz it seems like adjusting would be both easier and more precise! as for the patent/TM, i will indeed take a bow and any and all royalty checks! ;D
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Post by GuyaGuy on Apr 29, 2005 3:55:40 GMT -5
p.s. now if someone would just help ME out and find an easy way to mount strings to the bigsby roller bar so it wouldn't take me an hour and a half to change strings!!!
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Post by StratLover on Apr 30, 2005 0:27:29 GMT -5
Figured you would I would too ! ! ! It is a LOT easier trust me. Can you find out how deep your trem hole goes into the block? Measure with a grade a toothpick a string clipping...anything really. Get that depth and remove the measuring device and hold it next to the trem arm hole. How much? 1/4"-5/16" difference to the bottom of the block? Get a 1/16" drill bit and simply drill a pilot hole through the remaining material in the block then measure the allen wrench or screwdriver and replicate that size to fit the bottom of your block. You probablly don't need threads all the wat to the bottom of the hole, just put it in upside down........and screw it in reverse........... .............Man my wife told me that yesterday. give that a try if you are willing
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Post by lunaalta on Apr 30, 2005 13:06:22 GMT -5
Yeah, Guyaguy, good idea! Had the same problem since I bought my strat (in 73)! So 30 something years later I have a cure, neat...... Up to now I have been winding 'Teflon' tape around the shaft to bind it a little. Have to replace it every week or so.... Oh, those screws are also known as 'grub screws', in the UK at least. Keep on keeping on!
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Post by GuyaGuy on May 1, 2005 4:13:55 GMT -5
........and screw it in reverse........... .............Man my wife told me that yesterday. give that a try if you are willing know what i mean, know what i mean, eh? eh? nudge nudge, wink wink. yeah, i'll have to try it. my original idea was to drill a hole put a longer screw thru the bottom anyhow--until i remembered thatt they make headless/grub/set screws. my trem is an inexpensive replacement part so drilling it wouldn't hurt. "the main thing is to not walk around with a floppy wang bar." i think abraham lincoln said that.
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blackout
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Post by blackout on May 4, 2005 19:20:27 GMT -5
thank you so much my ghetto strat had it ducktaped where I wanted it now i can reay set it. you rock!
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Post by GuyaGuy on May 5, 2005 2:30:26 GMT -5
glad i can be of assistance, blackout. now tell yr friends so that one day all strats shall be free of tape! that goes for you, too, lunaalta! ;D
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Classclown
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Post by Classclown on May 14, 2005 8:21:07 GMT -5
Hi,
Can't find a headless - a.k.a. set screw - screw? Make your own with your trusty dremmel!Put the screw in a vice, head facing out, horizontally. Using the cutting disk, carfully cut off the screw's head, then smooth the screw flat. Turn the screw vertically in the vise and cut a slot in the center top of the screw. Don't cut too deep or the sides will bed out when you put tension on them with your screwdriver. INSTANT SET SCREW! It works great, I've used them for fixing anything that uses set screws, especially bathroom towel racks and the like. It should work great for the trem application. - Rock On!
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Post by jdtogo on Jun 5, 2005 10:05:46 GMT -5
I did the set screw thing on my guitar friday ..... hey it works thanks
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stratovani
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Post by stratovani on Jun 22, 2005 18:33:44 GMT -5
Teflon pipe tape around the trem arm threads works for me.
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Post by bam on Jun 22, 2005 23:53:12 GMT -5
if you hadn't noticed, stratovani, this thread were talking about "one day Strats should be free of Teflon tape". Or something like that. :lol:
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damian
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Post by damian on Jun 23, 2005 17:20:39 GMT -5
I must say that this idea sounded great so I rushed out to the hardware store got the "set" screw and put it in. It did absolutely nada nathan nothin. Well thats a little harsh it did let me determine the depth the whammy bar was inserted but nothing for the wobblyness. Sorry Damian.
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Post by bam on Jun 27, 2005 0:16:32 GMT -5
.. think you've got the wrong size .. And in my Strat, it needs a bit of trimming.
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Post by GuyaGuy on Jun 27, 2005 1:47:36 GMT -5
yeah, i had that same problem with a screw for a new trem. they didn't have screws that were short enough so i'll have to cut it to size. you might try the same thing, damian.
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damian
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Post by damian on Jul 10, 2005 21:43:36 GMT -5
no thats not my problem it just lets you dial in the height mine is wobbly in the actuall threads it has nothing to do with how far in it needs to be screwed before it tightens. Im gonne try some copper tape on the whammy bar threads Ill report back.
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Post by Runewalker on Jul 16, 2005 15:49:54 GMT -5
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