Broken tremolo bar....

[mustang_steve]

Well, I did it....trying to get some nice harmonic squeals (dimebag style) on my squier, I managed to snap my Tremolo arm off.

I have nothing to clamp onto, since the piece is well inside of the hole....what methods have you folks used to fix something like this, or is it time to just go out and use this as an excuse to get an upgraded bridge :-P ?

Thanks!

[stringbender]

Originally Posted by mustang_steve

Well, I did it....trying to get some nice harmonic squeals (dimebag style) on my squier, I managed to snap my Tremolo arm off.

I have nothing to clamp onto, since the piece is well inside of the hole....what methods have you folks used to fix something like this, or is it time to just go out and use this as an excuse to get an upgraded bridge :-P ?

Thanks!

Bummer..if your handy with tools you can use a small punch and try tapping it out..but it will probally mess the threads up..however you can rethread the hole with a tap and dye set. If that doesn't work maybe a new bridge is in order .. I always wrap some plummers tape or thin electrial tape around the threads of the talent stick (whammy bar)...before putting it in the bridge it helps keep the bar from wobbling around in the bridge.:D

[mustang_steve]

Thanks for the tip...I grabbed an import tremolo from Guitarfetish.

Once I saw the price, I figured it was cheaper and faster than trying to use a extractor tool or anything of the sort (if extractor tools are made long enough to do this).

[FoxRodder]

I might have suggest a left handed drill bit since it shouldnt be tight in there. I placed an order from GuitarFetish the other day for a loaded pickguard. Its awful hard to beat their prices and they have alot of good reviews on ebay. I'm hoping my pickguard is going to be nice. Its an HSS setup and it was basically 40 bucks shipped.

[mustang_steve]

Well, I had to frankenstein the guitar to get the new bridge to fit.

Cliff's version: Target-strats have oddball parts and bad drillwork...I dremeled the hell out of the bridge and trem spring cavity and all is well.

Long version: I got the bridge, installed it...cussing about the loose bridge screws. Then realized my springs don't fit...the bridge block is too short. I measured it and compared online....my guitar seems to have a really oddball trem block size. So....DREMEL TIME! Sanding drums for the win....half an hour and it fit.

Except one thing....the *#&$ bridge screws kept pulling out so what to do? Hmm....claw screws on holes 1/6 and no screws in the rest! Didn't fit, so....DREMEL TIME! I took some fine tipped grinding bits and from the back of the trem plate I ground the holes large enough to get 45 degrees of play exactly on the crlaw screws. Then I made sure that the crooked 1 screw was put in dead straight.

This fixed things in a major way....I just wish I didn't have to get so extreme with it. Heh, this week's flavor is making shims to fit a pre-slotted Tusq nut on it...silly nut is an oddball depth as well.

[bobthecanadian]

mustang-steve,

i think you are quickly becoming my new hero. that is definitely one way to git er dunn!

You Rawk!!!

Bob

[mustang_steve]

I finally got the nut shim done...needed a 0.08" shim to get the nut at the right height (Sacrificed a cheap feeler gague set for this).

Sadly, I wanted to sell this guitar to someone wanting to learn to play, but now I can't part with it, I'm just too emtionally attached to the old POS (:-P)...well, I guess I'll have two strats after the rest of the parts for the new one arrive.