Tremelo question

[Fenderman]

I've noticed over the last few weeks the tremelo arm on my strat has started to squeak as i use it and it's annoying, i thought it needed a little oil so i put just a tiny drop into the hole and reconnected it and it was still squeaking!
Does anyone know how this can be fixed as it's so annoying when i use it? Is it perhaps overuse?

[JimN]

Is the arm loose in its socket? So loose that there is play between the arm and the block?

If so, you will either need to get a new block or undertake a little modification in order to reduce the slackness between them.

[dyker124]

Hi Roy,

If it's not the arm that's loose as Jim mentioned, it could be the tremolo springs underneath the cover on the back of the guitar. I have heard a squeak come from those before. Take the back cover off and have a look. When the tremolo claw is set up to be in balance, the spring coils should be slightly parted whilst under tension. If they are closed, they can squeak when they move. This can happen if there are too many springs fitted to balance out the tension of the strings fitted, or the springs that are fitted are too strong.

It was just a thought. Take off the cover and have a look. It wont cost you anything.

Kind regards

[Goingdownslow]

are you sure that it is the Trem system that is causing the noise....sometimes it can be a string 'binding' in the nut slot...
Rubbing a pencil on the wire wound strings on the underside of where they cross the nut usually clears it up if that is the case...

[Fenderman]

The trem is a little slack but not that bad, i'm not too keen about taking my guitar apart as i'm not exactly handy with a screwdriver. I once destroyed an entire door trying to change the handle!

[JimN]

The trem is a little slack but not that bad

Any slack is bad.

All movement of the tremolo arm should be translated into noise-free movement of the bridge-block and saddles, with no play of any sort. Play causes clunks and squeaks which reproduce through the amplifier.

It's an age-old problem with the Fender design. Original designs by Bigsby and Burns have never suffered from it (when properly adjusted). Unfortunately, there is no adjustment possible with the Fender. You'd have to remove the slack by either replacing the block or by somehow "filling" the thread. There are several ways to do that. You could try wrapping cotton thread around the thread of the tremolo arm before re-inserting it (sorry about the dual meaning of "thread"). Or perhaps PTFE plumbers' tape in the same way.

A semi-permanent repair without replacing the block is to fill the socket as far as possible with Araldite, let it go off (harden), then drill the socket with a 4mm drill and then tap the hole to suit the thread of your tremolo arm (take the arm to a hardware shop, size up the thread and buy a tap of that size).

It works very well. I did it to a Strat in 1985 and it's still wearing well. Clearly, Araldite (a 2-pack epoxy resin which will have compatible competitors using other trade names) is better for the job than low-grade steel or alloy.

[dave robinson]

I have successfully used PTFE tape on my ''63 Fender Strat for the last thirty years and as I never remove the arm, each application lasts for years. I just apply five or six winds of the tape to the end of the thread and re-screw it until it bites, about nine or ten turns. My trem arm is swung back to fit in the case and it stays tight for years with no play whatsoever.
You buy the white PTFE tape from plumbers merchants, I use it on all my Strats and it's been the best solution by far, I gig at least twice a week but when I'm fully fit that would be five times a week. What I'm saying is no matter how much hammer it gets, the slack never returns.

[drakula63]

Obviously I know very little about guitars - tremolo arms included.

However...

Watch this video at the 27 minute mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UParB8i ... e=youtu.be

You may find it interesting or amusing!

[Tab]

Jim - I think you're over complicating the problem. In my experience, the squeak, usually, is from the springs as mentioned above.

In the short term, removing the back plate and applying a little WD40 may help but a proper set up by someone who knows what they are doing would be in order. Without seeing the guitar it is not possible to tell if the tensions are in equilibrium.

A loose trem arm is more likely to cause a 'knock' rather than a squeak and, as Dave says, PTFE tape is a cheap quick and effective solution.

[alanbakewell]

Obviously I know very little about guitars - tremolo arms included.

However...

Watch this video at the 27 minute mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UParB8i ... e=youtu.be

You may find it interesting or amusing!

CUT!!