My dream guitar..

I don't know about your model (didn't read the whole thread)
But a loose vintage style screw in bar can be tightened up easily.
Get some of that teflon white plummers tape and wrap it atound the threads of the bar as needed.
It's specifically used in plumbing to seal up threads. Works like a charm.
:D

Yup, plumbers tape should do the job.
Isn't there meant to be a spring in there, though, before the trem arm goes in?
 
Could be a little close - depends on how you use it. I wouldn't mess with it if it's working for you though!

I was just jamming on it and it's working fine for me. Before I tightened it in, it hung down by the input jack and was hard to grab on the fly. Then when I let it go it dropped against the cord jack, making a loud clunk. Now it sits over the 5-way centered between the Vol & Tone.
 
...
Isn't there meant to be a spring in there, though, before the trem arm goes in?
There should be a spring but probably 90% (WAG) have lost theirs. (I’d guess a display model without the arm is probably certain to not have it.)

You can get a bag of replacements for under $10 or a fancy one with a ball bearing from Stew-Mac if it’s not working as is. Eventually it will get looser so can’t hurt.
 
Just checking I didn't make it up! :P
I think I remember some buyer's guide saying to make sure to ask for the spring because they often come without.
 
Yup, plumbers tape should do the job.
Isn't there meant to be a spring in there, though, before the trem arm goes in?

Thanks for the tip on the spring :D

Fender only seems to offer these springs in a new tremolo arm kit

Mine did not come with a spring and it's not causing any problems so far as I don't swing the arm much at all. I'll put it on my gotta get list.
 
Yup, plumbers tape should do the job.
Isn't there meant to be a spring in there, though, before the trem arm goes in?

In thirty-five years and having thousands of Strats on my bench I've never seen one.

I've installed them but never seen them come in like that. Definately not a feature on a vintage Strat.

I believe the 'spring in the bar hole' is a relatively new innovation started by luthiers and repairmen that trickled into the mainstream.

A lot of things come about that way. A repairman comes up with something and later the maufacturers pick it up.

A great example is the floyd rose nut.

In the early days they were always drilled through the neck. This severly weakens the headstock area and makes it prone to breakage.

Myself, and others started not drilling all the way through, and just screwing the nut down through the front.

Floyds now come standard with the option of just screwing it down through the front.

Eh, just some random luthier babble on a Saturday. :D
 
Could be right about the spring. I've had 2 (or 3, sort-of) Strats and the springs in those always came out of a ball-point pen. Of course, none were brand new, so I always assumed they were supposed to have a spring.
 
Just checking I didn't make it up! :P
I think I remember some buyer's guide saying to make sure to ask for the spring because they often come without.

Thats pretty cool...I recall reading why the brand new ones have the sticker over the hole to keep the spring in..but I didnt recall why the spring was there. Interesting tiny detail of the Fender tremlo bar design.
 
Thats pretty cool...I recall reading why the brand new ones have the sticker over the hole to keep the spring in..but I didnt recall why the spring was there. Interesting tiny detail of the Fender tremlo bar design.

Hey, that reminded me... now I do recall from a visit a few months back I saw several Strats or Strat-likes on the wall which had their holes taped over - not all, just a handful. I can't recall if they were Fenders, Ernie Balls or Squiers..

Mine had no tape.

I'll check that out next visit.
 
Thats pretty cool...I recall reading why the brand new ones have the sticker over the hole to keep the spring in..but I didnt recall why the spring was there. Interesting tiny detail of the Fender tremlo bar design.
FYI. I sent an email to Fender support about the 50's Classic model and whether it should have had a spring. Here's the [edited] reply.

Jul 6, 08:55 MST

Hi KA,
Yes that guitar should have came with trem arm springs. ...
 
FYI. I sent an email to Fender support about the 50's Classic model and whether it should have had a spring. Here's the [edited] reply.

Jul 6, 08:55 MST

Hi KA,
Yes that guitar should have came with trem arm springs. ...

Now, the way that response is phrased, I wonder if they're referring to the (long) bridge plate tension springs.. not the (small) tremolo arm tension spring. Just guessing since their word "springs" is plural.
 
Now, the way that response is phrased, I wonder if they're referring to the (long) bridge plate tension springs.. not the (small) tremolo arm tension spring. Just guessing since their word "springs" is plural.
Well, I was pretty clear in my email [to Fender] that the thread here was about "whether there should be a spring in the tremolo arm's threaded socket" (quote from my email), and so I think their reply was about that. If you get the big springs, try again :).
 
Well, I was pretty clear in my email [to Fender] that the thread here was about "whether there should be a spring in the tremolo arm's threaded socket" (quote from my email), and so I think their reply was about that. If you get the big springs, try again :).

That's good enough for me :D

If it ever stops raining here I'll take it back to GC and 'splain the situation - they're always cooperative. They'll probably throw in a new Fender Bass combo amp for my troubles..
or well.. maybe just the spring.
 
That's good enough for me :D

If it ever stops raining here I'll take it back to GC and 'splain the situation - they're always cooperative. They'll probably throw in a new Fender Bass combo amp for my troubles..
or well.. maybe just the spring.
Yeah, they'll take it out of the next customer's guitar is the problem.
 
Yeah, they'll take it out of the next customer's guitar is the problem.

I really wouldn't want that to happen. If they're just gonna rob the next guy I'll contact Fender for one.

They have this small counter in the corner where they do small repairs - they pulled my trem arm from under that counter.. maybe they keep the springs there too.
 
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