Broken Whammy Bar!

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Farno

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Hey,

I was unscrewing my whammy bar and it broke. There's a little piece still in the guitar. It got really hard when I was unscrewing it so I think it cross threaded and that's where the weak point will be. Any suggestions on getting it out? I know I'm going to have to drill it out so how do I do this safely without damaging the guitar. I have a extractor which would help.
 
Farno said:
Hey,

I was unscrewing my whammy bar and it broke. There's a little piece still in the guitar. It got really hard when I was unscrewing it so I think it cross threaded and that's where the weak point will be. Any suggestions on getting it out? I know I'm going to have to drill it out so how do I do this safely without damaging the guitar. I have a extractor which would help.
Click to expand...

My first Strat came to me in the exact same condition, I drilled it out very carefully, first with a very small drill bit and slowly worked up to a large enough bit that I could fit the extractor bit in. I believe I used a small pair of vise grips to hold the extractor tightly in place, worked with it very slowly and it all worked out well. I covered the body with a thick towel as I worked on it as well. Good luck!:)

By the way-if the Strat is an import or a made in Mexico-the bar will probably be a metric size when you replace the whammy bar..
 
It did you a favor

I say do nothing. I haven't used the whammy bar on my strat for twenty years. It only knocks you out of tune. The strat tailpiece however is an amazing accident of design that actually contributes to the tone, sustain and reverby sound of the strat. Don't modify the guitar in any way. I was tempted to get a Floyd Rose tailpiece in the 80's but didn't and I'm glad. My guitar has increased in value and is now worth more than twice what I paid for it in the 1980.
 
Farno said:
Hey,

I was unscrewing my whammy bar and it broke. There's a little piece still in the guitar. It got really hard when I was unscrewing it so I think it cross threaded and that's where the weak point will be. Any suggestions on getting it out? I know I'm going to have to drill it out so how do I do this safely without damaging the guitar. I have a extractor which would help.
Click to expand...

This happened to me in high school, actually - I was away on vacation for about a week once, and while I was gone my mom put my USA Strat back in its' (fitted) case without taking the bar out, since as a non-guitarist she didn't know any better.

I just replaced the trem block. For the $30 or so it cost me (this was in '99, maybe it's different now) it hardly seemed to be worth the effort to make the switch.

...of course, since you're going to have to do something anyway, if your guitar has a two point trem, let me take an opportunity to further pimp the Wilkinson WS100. I think it's like $89 through Carvin or Warmoth, and it's honestly my favorite bridge I've ever played. That's what my Strat is sporting these days...
 
Ok. I looked at the broken whammy bar that isn't in the guitar. It has a very small chunk of metal which would prove it was defective. I already have new whammy bar. I just need to get the piece. Would it be better for me to use a drill press or should I use a electric drill?
 
Use a prick punch to make a dent in it , so your drill bit won't wander off center; if there's enough room.
 
Bad news. I got it drilled through. Was using the extractor bit and it broke. So, right now, I have a piece of tempered steel and a piece of a whammy bar stuck in my guitar. I took my guitar apart to get the metal thing (where the strings go through) out.

This is turning into a disaster because now I need to re-adjust the saddles which I have 0 knowledge in. I need some serious help as you can see. I need some big time help in how to adjust these saddles. But, right now, I'm going out to use my drill press to get the tempered steel out. If I can get that out. I can use a re-threader and hopefully use the old whammy bar piece as a new threading spot.

Oh, and if that goes wrong (especially how it's been going) how much would it be to get the piece of metal that is in the guitar that the strings go through.

EDIT: Failure. No chance that the tempered steel is coming out. It went through the side of the aluminum piece. So, how much are those aluminum things. And, I'll need help to re-adjust my saddles. :(
 
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You mean the trem block? Those can be had fairly cheap, just make sure you get the right one to fit your guitar.

The intonation on a strat-style guitar is not hard to set, either. Google "strat intonation" and it'll pull up all kinds of stuff. The condensed version: first, put the saddles where you think you remember them being, and put the strings on. Now, on each string, compare the fretted note with the harmonic at the 12th fret. If the fretted note is sharp, move the saddle away from the neck. If the fretted note is flat, move the saddle towards the neck. When they're the same, it's in the right place.
 
I looked at some but I can't seem to find just a plain trem block. They have the whole bridge attached to them. Mine looks like the run on the LEFT in this picture: http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-50206111187217_2014_9527623

My guitar is an AXL and looks like this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313ArYRYqnL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

I might as well not do the intonation thing if I'm going to have to take my guitar apart again. Thanks for all the help and I'm sure I'll have more problems.
 
Dude, just replace the trem block, or if you're feeling adventuresome, the whole trem. Neither is really that hard.

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/Brand...ces/Wilkinson_Gotoh_VSVG_Vintage_Tremolo.html

I use the 2-point VS-100, but this looks like the right one for your guitar. It should be a pretty-much drop in replacement.

You can probably find it for around $90 or so if you dig around a little, the VS100 is about $97 on their site, and Warmoth sells it for $89.

It's definitely possible to just replace the block, but I suspect your guitar would benefit from a trem upgrade.
 
Farno said:
......I might as well not do the intonation thing if I'm going to have to take my guitar apart again......
Click to expand...

Intonation is adjusted with the entire guitar assembled, and preferrably with a new set of strings.

Likewise, intonation should be checked and adjusted as needed whenever strings are replaced, especially if switching to a different string type or size.

Intonation adjustment is easy, and moreover, is as fundamental to guitar use/ownership as tuning adjustment. You need to learn this basic skill.
 
My current whammy bar is not a solid color. It's got a worn brown look.

I just can't find the trem blocks. Is their a site with a whole selection of them?
 
Farno said:
My current whammy bar is not a solid color. It's got a worn brown look.

I just can't find the trem blocks. Is their a site with a whole selection of them?
Click to expand...

Try All Parts - think you'll find what you need there.
 
It's going to be tough to find the whole bridge. It's antiqued looking hardware. That's why it'd be easier to replace something you don't see. I just can't find any trem blocks.
 
Between Allparts and Guitarfetish, you ought to be able to find a block that works. The one at Guitarfetish looks different than yours, but it's meant to be a replacement. It's built heavier in an effort to make it sound better. The other thing you might do is contact AXL to and find out which of the available replacement parts you need, or if they're a nonstandard size or something.
 
ahhhhhh.....

how many times have i seen tha? the EZ-out (or whatever kind of extractor) that is so brittle that it breaks off. and you are right..... the hardened steel is just about undrillable with any normal bit. i like revers drill bits better than extractors, but it is too late for that....

but dig. why dont you try a normal drill bit, and go in from the back side? go reeeeeal slow, and put a fair amount of pressure into it. once the bit bites, it should make the broken part start turning--- i.e. screwing itself out from direction whence it came.

failing that, a new block isnt so expensive, and depending on what you have now, make improve the guitar to a noticeable degree.
 
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