OffsetGuitars.com

OK folks. I know this has been trod a gazillion times on here, but I'm getting a little lost in threads/videos/blogs and am hoping for some guidance with my particular issue.

I have a MIM Jazzmaster with screw in tremolo arm and locking button. Pictures can be found in this thread here, along with some great info from many of you: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=117974

The issue I'm having is that the tremolo bar, when I tighten it, unscrews the whole tremolo system from the bridge plate. And it's not like I'm cranking it really tight - the instant the bar gets tight enough to stop wobbling, I have no margin of error and turning it a millimeter more makes that nut on the bottom pop loose. And the set screw on the bottom, I've played around with that but it still has to be out far enough to let me screw the arm in until it's tight, It's just so easy to break - Obviously quite frustrating.

What am I missing? Is there some way to lock the collet on to the bridge plate? Is plumbers tape or something to make the bar screw tight SOONER the best answer?



Postulation: the collet screws in to the bridge counter clockwise. The trem arm screws in clockwise. The trem arm then is tightening in the same direction that loosens the collet.

You can use threadlock. Normally that is cranked so tight it is really hard to remove.

HNB wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:23 am

You can use threadlock. Normally that is cranked so tight it is really hard to remove.

Threadlock on the threads under the bridge plate? Or on the tremolo arm?

The collet that holds the arm. (Under the plate.)

It's the same system as a Strat trem, you can go the threadlocker route or you can toss a spring in the hole before tightening the arm -- this'll give you a bit more resistance and stay-in-place-ness without pulling the entire thing apart. The spring from a clicky pen works in a pinch, but there's also springs specifically for Strat trems. Just make sure that it's staying in the hole and not falling out the other end, sometimes the holes aren't closed off properly at the bottom. On the JM trem AFAIK there should be a tiny grub screw to hold the spring in place and set the arm height on the bottom of the collet.

That's definitely not supposed to happen. The collect is usually screwed into the plate so tight that it takes a lot of torque to remove it from the plate. Your JM wasn't new when bought right ? So maybe someone messed with the collet.

You could try taking the grub screw out of the bottom of the collet (was not in the original Classic Player trems ?). However if you still find that screwing in the arm to its end point loosens the whole collet from the plate, then you need to get the collet much tighter to the plate, as it normally is. Threadlocker (Loctite blue) would help keep it there. A lock washer may also help ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washer_(hardware)

timtam wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:06 pm

That's definitely not supposed to happen. The collect is usually screwed into the plate so tight that it takes a lot of torque to remove it from the plate. Your JM wasn't new when bought right ? So maybe someone messed with the collet.

You could try taking the grub screw out of the bottom of the collet (was not in the original Classic Player trems ?). However if you still find that screwing in the arm to its end point loosens the whole collet from the plate, then you need to get the collet much tighter to the plate, as it normally is. Threadlocker (Loctite blue) would help keep it there. A lock washer may also help ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washer_(hardware)

Yes, the guitar was previously used and there is a grub screw on the bottom. I picked up some loctite blue last night. Thanks for the tips!