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Post subject: Help, tremolo bar spring stuck!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:34 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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You know that little spring that goes into the block before putting in the trem bar? I lost mine. I bought a few springs from the hardware store (none of my local guitar shops had them in stock) and now I have not one, but two springs stuck in the bottom! The sad part is they are not functioning like they should be. Trem arm goes from wobble wobble to tight in an instant.

I've tried fishing it out with a fish hook, small screw drivers and a drill bit to no avail. Any suggestions? I'm having better luck pulling out my hair than getting out these springs!

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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:45 pm
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Thanks Jazzy. I think I saw you post about that in another thread. Didn't work for me. The toothpick just breaks. The springs are not the correct size, so there's no telling what shape they're in. I think this might be my excuse to buy a Callaham block.

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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:05 pm
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Be gentle, but try a piece of wire with the end bent into a hook shape (maybe wrap it in tape) - you might be able to fish it out


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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:18 pm
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Yeah. It's like I need a dental tool or something. Something with a hook on the end. I tried fashioning a D string. It caught onto a spring. It just wasn't strong enough.

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'13 Standard Strat
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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:43 pm
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try a small screw with wide threads like a wood screw that will fit inside the spring that you have in there. Make sure its long enough that you can twist it down far enough to catch the spring and still have enough outside so you can grab the screw head with a pair of pliers and pull. (or any other tool that you have that will allow you to get under the screw head)

Once you get it out, don't worry about putting another one in there unless you absolutely feel you have to have one in there. The trem will work fine without it. You can buy replacement springs from Fender. They come in a bag of 4 or 6, because most of us lose ours even though we try to be careful.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:59 pm
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Good idea Chicago. I did try a wood deck screw that was too large. This mess started at the hardware store so maybe it'll end there.

I set my trem to float just right today. The springs are set just right so that I get the notes I want when lifting back. Its those Jeff Beck tones. I was so pleased with myself. In the process I lost the little spring. Went to two places and called a third. Nobody stocked the little suckers. I had plenty of patience setting up the trem. I guess I used it all up when it came to the spring. I feel like an idiot now.

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'13 Standard Strat
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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:41 pm
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I was taking photos of my latest project in the basement the other day. The trem still had the silver sticker that secured that little pesky spring into the trem screw hole. I needed to take a photo with the trem bar on and carefully pu the trem on with the screw in place. I normally take them out immediately and put it into a zip lock bag. I then advise the buyer where it is and so that they can lose it themselves. (instead of me).

Well after I finished shooting the photos, I got sidetracked a little, took off the trem, shot a photo in the case, then picked up the guitar to take it to the bench to take the chamois to the fingerprints I just put on there. Yup, you guessed it. Forgot to take the little fxxxxxr out and remembered when I went to put that little sticker back on the trem. So here I am, 1AM crawling on the basement carpet, looking for that thing, talking to myself and calling myself a dope. :roll: Fortunately my carpet was gray and aside from picking up three bugs and a bunch of black sock lint, I did finally find it. THEN, I put it in the zip lock bag.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:02 am
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That's funny! Made me laugh...

Well tomorrow's a new day. Off to the hardware store to buy some thin wood screws. Wish me luck. If it doesn't work, I have Bill Callaham's order form ready and waiting.

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'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
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Big Muff
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Carbon Copy Delay


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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:23 am
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I believe in another thread someone wrote of using Teflon tape on the threads of the bar to aquire the effect of the spring. Any com
ments?


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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:37 am
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This is a stupid question, but does 08 Am Dlx Strat have the spring there??

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:55 am
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My suggestion to pull out the spring is using a crochet needle. They come in different sizes and have a hook on one end - perfect for pulling an uncooperative spring.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:26 am
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This post might pop up as the biggest problem by far, as there is one every two weeks. I think Fender should look at this and try to come up with a better way.


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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:16 am
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MelodicMinor wrote:
This is a stupid question, but does 08 Am Dlx Strat have the spring there??


Nope. The Am Dlx Strats have a pop in trem arm.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:32 am
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straycat113 wrote:
This post might pop up as the biggest problem by far, as there is one every two weeks. I think Fender should look at this and try to come up with a better way.


Fender has been using the little spring since 1954. If they haven't changed things by now, then I doubt they every will unfortunately. At the very least Fender should add some info about how to use the spring in the owner's manual that comes with new Strats.

It could be user error. If used correctly the spring works great. Besides, the OP got springs from the hardware store, they could be very different from the spring Fender uses (different tension, different material thickness, different coils per inch, who knows).

Hey gldfshkpr - I've had success using a straightened out metal dental pick to fish out a non-Fender spring once that got caught in the threads. I had to bend a teeny hook at the end of it to grab a spring coil. I hope you figure something out. Good luck!

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:51 am
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This is what I do:
Step 1- Hold up the guitar so the strings are facing the ground.
Step 2 - Consistantly whack the back of the guitars body with the palm of your hand.
Step 3 - Very quickly drop the guitar as the spring falls out, and make sure that spring lands safely in your hands.

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