Mustang Tremolo setup

[Rgand]

This is really a good design.

[601210]

Doesn't the arm just hit the bridge? I remember seeing possibly this very same guitar but with a different arm, which had to be bent out of the way of the bridge.

[chummybum]

Hi there! Just got a 2019 Squier CV Mustang (sonic blue) and I must say that overall it's a sweet little thing! However, it's got the same issues with the trem that are described in this thread and others on this forum. I did a bit of reading and ended up using a countersink bit to put a knife edge onto the trem post holes (as the holes were half-countersunk from the factory) but even after doing that the trem doesn't return to its neutral position. (I haven't tried putting white grease on the pivot points yet...)

One thing I noticed (that someone above alluded to) is, the metal used for the plate seems really soft. After countersinking the holes and putting everything back together, the thing wasn't returning to neutral so I pulled it apart again and the sharp edge I had put in had slightly flattened already. Also, if I dive the trem far enough, the posts actually move up and down on the knife edge since the pivot area on the posts are flat.

Do you guys have a recommendation for a better plate that might improve the trem action? I heard Allparts makes one for not too much money with the knife edge already there; is that one a good upgrade?

[Danley]

In all honesty - any more I’d be tempted to check out places like The Stratosphere for an American Performer vibrato and do whatever body routing to try and make it work on the Squier. People seem to have good experiences with those.

Other than that - I was impressed by the lack of pivot wear on my ‘64 vibrato (even compared to the ‘66 .) You’ll probably need to ‘clean up’/repair any vintage unit initially, but at least at the levels I use them they seem to stay in shape.

[Horsefeather]

The arm did hit the bridge so I got a real JM arm and bent it. Should have made the 90 degree bend closer to the collet to avoid placing the arm over the volume knob, though.

[chummybum]

In all honesty - any more I’d be tempted to check out places like The Stratosphere

Interesting suggestion, I'll check it out! I'd hate to not have the use of the thing since it makes a really cool sound.

[Rgand]

The arm did hit the bridge so I got a real JM arm and bent it. Should have made the 90 degree bend closer to the collet to avoid placing the arm over the volume knob, though.

I like the way you bent it. It is away from your picking hand and while you're not using the arm, it can swing down away from the volume, to about between the vol and tone. While you are using it, do you do volume swells? If not, this might be good positioning.

[Footbutt]

PLEASE OH PLEASE TELL US!
I need this mod for a Lefty Mustang.
The vibrato is terrible for my style of playing but I love the simplicity of the Mustang.

Any help on sourcing parts?

[Horsefeather]

Any Jazzmaster vibrato unit will work for you as a lefty. I used one of those cheap no name ones off ebay. You have to drill and tap a new hole in the rocking plate for the arm to sit farther back from the bridge so just put it on the left side.

[egor95]

Hi guys!
Could you please tell me on which of the rungs should i put the springs, middle or the lowest? I use .10s (10-52 Dean Markley strings) on my '65 Fender Mustang Reissue.

[HarlowTheFish]

Hi guys!
Could you please tell me on which of the rungs should i put the springs, middle or the lowest? I use .10s (10-52 Dean Markley strings) on my '65 Fender Mustang Reissue.

Honestly there's basically no reason to not have it on the lowest notch. If you're running pretty much anything heavier than 9s (and even with 9s in a lot of cases) the lowest notch gives you the best balance.

[aonghus]

Hello!
I have a MIJ 69 Mustang.
The issue I have with the tremolo is this:
If I bend up, it returns to one pitch fairly consistently, but if I bend down, it returns to a different pitch.
What could be the cause of this?
Should the cigar always stand perpendicular to the body?
I have the springs at max tension, I use 11 gauge strings.

[aonghus]

Just thought I'd post an update.

I'm fairly sure that the problem was due to worn-out post holes, I don't think any amount of setting up would have made a difference.

I managed to find an American Performer tremolo on Ebay. Installed it and it's much better than the old one. The hard steel fulcrum makes a difference.

I had to do some shallow routing to fit the fulcrum into my Japanese mustang's tremolo cavity. I didn't want to risk damaging the guitar, so I slowly etched out a route with a craft knife and some sandpaper. A bit rough to look at, but it's hidden under the tremolo plate so it doesn't matter.

It's a pity Fender doesn't sell these tremolos separately, as they are definitely better than the old ones. Took a few months for me to spot one for sale. But they are worth looking into for anyone that wants an improved system.

[pgk]

I cut a slot in mine and put Jazzmaster guts in it, as I found the Mustang vibrato design to be a horrid piece of shit. Look close and you can see where the posts chewed up and elongated the holes in the plate. Never again! Also absent is the giant cigar that prevents one from picking close to the bridge. I don't know what Fender was thinking when he came up with that crap. Especially since he already had these parts in the bin.

how on earth did you do that, is it custom made?