Problem With A Strat Trem

[nollock]

Hi, my cousin bought an SRV strat while on his hols in the US. Thing is he doesnt use the trem much, and has hardly played the guitar since his return. So he only found out 2 months later that the trem arm wont go in properly. Actually it wont screw in at all. It looks to me like the top plate doesn't line up properly on the block. Anyway heres some pics...

you can see the small grey lip that is stoping the arm going in straight.

Thats with the trem arm pushed in as far as it will go, theres no play in it, it is jammed (lightly) at an angle. Just wont go in straight.

I figured it would be worth taking the trem to bits and putting it back together, see if it lines up properly after that. Also I thought I could file a small amount off the top plate so the trem arm can get a clear run at the hole. He aint too keen on that option though, and I do understand why, at least I understand that he is worried about it keeping it's value.

I dont know if we should just contact Fender and get them to fix it, but if it means sending it over to America it'll probably be alot cheaper just to buy a new trem. (Its a left hand trem, at least its a right handed guitar with the trem at the top)

Any advice / comments would be most welcome.

cheers,

chris

Edited May 8, 2005 by nollock

[n8rofwyo]

What about buying a set of srew guages and matching one of the gauges to the threads of the bar and then purchasing a tap of the same guage. That way you should be able to SLOWLY tap past the bridge and into the block without dissassembly or altering the insrument in a discerable manner. Just go very ssssslllooowww and lubricate the tap and it shouldn't alter course too bad.

Of course doing this will leave you with an elliptical hole in the block, so you may want to fill the old section of the hole that is, hopefully, now vacated with a metalicized polymer like JB Weld to bring the hole back to being a secure fit for the arm. I would shoot a little JB in the hole and and then run the arm in to full depth AFTER COATING THE ARM WITH PARAFIN OR SILICONE SPRAY to keep from welding the arm in position.

On the other hand if the integrity of the instrument is paramount, sending it to fender is probably your best option.

hope this helps, Nate Robinson

[Mickguard]

Well, first thing I'd do is take the trem block off the guitar and take the top plate off the block and try reseating it....it's possible it just wasn't lined up properly when they screwed it down.

You'll want to verify that the trem arm screws into the BLOCK itself. If so, then there's no big deal, just open out the hole on the bridge plate enough so the arm will get into the block. That's what holds it anyway.

If the arm doesn't fit the trem block, then there's something fishy there. Maybe the guy in the store heard your cousin's accent and dumped him with one of their reject guitars. Yeah, it happens.