OGD - 1980 Strat

There had to be a catch :(
The guitar didn't come with a trem arm.
No problem I thought....
Wrong :mad:
Apparently the arm had broken off in the trem block
And since this is a one piece cast bridge & block.....:weary:
 
I'll look for a replacement trem while I look for a way to extract the broken off piece.
@Andy Eagle
Maybe you can suggest something?
Would the Gotoh 510T be a good option?
 
The Gotoh 510 is not a direct fit because the arm mech needs a tweak to the rout so that one is out. You could use the Gotoh vintage trem 101T/TS or a USA Fender vintage reissue but just take out the trem and take it to a small engineering shop stripped down as far as possible. It should be possible to drill a hole in the broken piece and use a bolt extractor on it. BE SURE to mention that the hole is drilled at quite an angle so they don't just drill it down vertically.
images.jpeg
If you haven't seen these this little pic shows how it works.
The block and plate on these is a branded pot metal called Mazak ( zinc mostly) and very easily damaged. This is why it happened in the first place. If you even slightly over tighten the bar on these it is gripped by the casting and can just sheer off.
Don't do anything that is not 100% reversible .
 
I thought about the extractor thing but also, in case that wouldn't work, using something like a helicoil insert.
 
Apparently the Fender vintage reissue trems have the same problem of the arm seizing when tightening a bit too much
 
Apparently the Fender vintage reissue trems have the same problem of the arm seizing when tightening a bit too much
The block is CRS on the newer ones ( and the actual vintage ones) so it's far harder to get them to stick but you should lube the thread anyway. You have to be unlucky or pretty ham fisted to break one off in the new version particularly if you make sure to use a decent quality arm. Never use one that you don't know to be from a quality manufacturer. I find the last USA Fender standard strat issue before it went to push in to be very durable and a nice fit in the thread without much slop.
 
I also noticed it comes with the spring inserts, so that should help too, not?
They are quite a bit more expensive than the Gotoh though.
I found one on reverb: €57,5 + €11,90 shipping
The Fender is €159 at Thomann
 
I also noticed it comes with the spring inserts, so that should help too, not?
They are quite a bit more expensive than the Gotoh though.
I found one on reverb: €57,5 + €11,90 shipping
The Fender is €159 at Thomann
That is fine if you want the zinc block. The one with a steel block is the TS. The spring is to push back a little and give some tension in the arm and it will help against getting the bar stuck. I do think that you should easily get yours back working without the need of a back up.
 
Thanks.
But suppose I want to upgrade it and keep the ability to return it to it's original state, what would be the best options?
 
It depends on what is important to you . If I were doing this for me I would want it to look stock as well. I would fit the vintage USA Fender or the Gotoh 101TS but both of these have the screw in bar. The Wilkinson VSV is also a good choice but the saddles can have issues .
 
And pickups?
I have some with Kinmans, which sound great but are not true single coils as you mentioned before.
For this one, I would prefer something more vintage sounding, late 60's perhaps.
 
It's ash maple, nothing is going to to sound 60's leave it stock if you want to get a 70's strat and mod it get a Mexican Classic. This is a vintage collector piece. Fix the bridge and that's it.
 
Great, thanks. 👍
I must say it sounds very early 70's Blackmore like...

You've been very helpful.
If you ever get to Ostend, I owe you a beer (or two, three,....)
 
I love reading stuff by people who clearly know what they're talking about, and everything I read from @Andy Eagle in different threads is extremely interesting.

Kudos to you sir for helping so many people out around here.
 
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