Could someone please tell me why there is a tremolo spring in the hole where the tremolo arm is inserted on a strat? Is it to lessen the pressure when tightening the arm into the hole?

Ken, Toronto

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Ken

It is to keep tension on the bar so you don't have to tighten it all the way down if you don't want it a-swingin and can hold a position you wish to keep it at.

Teflon tape or locktite can secure it as well but then it won't ever swing if you want it to. If you never want it to swing, then the tape or loc-tite will suffice. Me, I just remove the bars. Lord knows how many strat trem bars I have somewhere..guess they fell into the void with the missing socks. But they must be somewhere i do not recall throwing them away.

BTW if you lose or break the spring, you can use a ball point pen spring, it is about the same really from what I figure.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

I'll bet I played Strats for 35 years before I ever knew there was supposed to be a spring in there...really!

That is one of the selling points for a Callaham block, no spring needed.

http://www.callahamguitars.com/

Do the Deluxe models with pop in arm have a spring? I didn't notice any, just wondering if it fell off like the others in the past...

Put the spring back in your Strat!

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=420519

No affiliation to that company.

Thanks, ebaysux. I suspected that might be the reason for the spring. I've beem playing Telecasters the last few years and own a Tele Custom Classic. I decided to purchase a new 62 Vintage Reissue Strat last December, similar to the one I used to have years before, and realized there was a spring in the trem hole. I prompltly lost it 2 weeks later and ordered a dozen of them from Fender through Long & Mcquade where I bought the strat in Oshawa, Ontario. As Rebelsoul said about not knowing about the spring-I bought one in 1959, used, for $275.00 Canadian (worth $395.00 new in1959) and didn't know there should have been a spring. I played it for four or five years then traded in on a Tele. If I had kept that strat it would be worth thousands to-day. Who knew?

Ken, Toronto

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Ken

No problem Ken. If what you are talking about is a Strat you bought used in 59...if you still had it and it was all original..it can bring close to a 6 digit price when the market is right..yes..so "thousands" is an understatement.

As far as the srping to stay on topic, I have probably owned at least 2 dozen Strats in my life, and very few (maybe one or two) had the spring still in the hole. Ironically, the best sounding and most favorite Strat I ever owned, was an early 70's with a hardtail bridge, no trem at all.

I loved the sound of that guitar and never have been able to find another that comes close to it. Funny thing was I always thought it was because of the hard tail. But since I learn something new about Strats almost every day it seems...I am thinking the reason i liked the sound so much might have been more due to the body material. It was an all natural clear finish..so i am assuming it was an ash body. So perhaps the reason this Strat sounded so sweet was because I like the tone of the ash...or..was it due to the hardtail?....or...was it due to the early 70's pickups?..or was it due to the maple fretboard??? I may never have the chance to get another Strat that will sound like that one...but I have a feeling the reason I loved it so much was the combination of everything I listed and not just one feature. I was a kid when I had that ax and didn't really know how to play...but it seems if the guitar sound is killer on it's own, a simple chord strummed by a beginner actually sounds amazing.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

@ ebaysux: yeah, it was an original, 3 colour sunburst with a rosewood fingereboard and a tweed case with orange interior just like I have now. (Maybe it was 1960). As I said, a new Strat was going for $395.00 and a new Tele was going for $280.00 new. A lot of money when your only making $35.00 a week. I remember when the Jazzmaster came out it was retailing at $495.00. In those days a Strat was a Strat and a Tele was a Tele. There wasn't a choice of all the p/u's Fender has now plus there was no one making copies as they do to-day. I thought I had the most beautiful guitar. I remember going to a bar to see Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. I remember his original guitarist was Jimmy-Ray Paulman, who played a Gibson hollowbody from my album covers. I expected to see that guitar but didn't know that he and Will "Pop" Jones, Ronnie's original pianist, had gone back to Arkansas. In those days you had to be 21 to get in a bar in T.O. I was nineteen but looked older and didn't act stupid like some my age. On the stage I saw a beat-up beige Tele and a bassman amp plus a Hammond B-3 organ (Garth Hutchins), as well as drums (Levon Helm who stayed with Ronnie), bass, piano, and a sax. I didn't know Ronnie had acquired a new group and it turned out to be Robbie Robertson playing that Tele and they later became known as The Band after they left Ronnie and did a stint with Bob Dylan. In those days Robbie used a flat pick and a finger-pick on his second finger just like James Burton. When I heard him play I wanted to throw away my Strat and get a Tele which I eventually did, and have been playing ever since. But of course, I didn't sound like Robbie and coudn't string-bend as I wasn't aware of thin guage strings in those days as I was using medium. When they left Toronto and went to live in New York State, Robbie changed his style to what became known as "Music From Big Pink" with The Band. So, now I have to choose between the Tele, Strat, and Martin D-28 Marquis when I want to play. I put an order in for the new Pro Sonic 22 blonde Fender amp. It's 22 watts. Have you heard them on the Fender site? My 65 Twin Reverb Custom 15 is too loud for the house and back yard as I don't play out as much anymore. I'm going to trade it in or sell it on consignment. Not on ebay, though. Ha Ha.

Ken, Toronto

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Ken

I have a thing for teles too Ken, a project is on the list but I have a bunch of strats to finish, and hopefully will in my lifetime in my quest for the lost perfect "tone". haha

I imagine since i don't think I will ever be able to afford a genuine vintage original again, (can't get them for 500 or 600 bucks anymore like when I was a kid) that I will keep on experimenting with various bodies, necks and parts until I am close enough. Then I will do the same with a tele. Already have a few ideas on what parts to use for the Tele but don't have a time frame. I will post the build when and if i ever get to it.

I play bass as well and have owned an original early 90's Musicman Stingray which was my man bass for years. Then I got rid of that and have owned several Fender Jazz basses but ended up becoming a P-Bass fanatic. I don't know what it is but it just has a great round tone, growl and a depth that I love, and all done with one pup, a volume and a tone. Sometimes less is more.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

Hey customclassic,that's a cool story!..thanks for posting.
I started playing guitar in the mid 60s after watching my uncle and his buddies practice with their bands in the late 50s early 60s...the exact time period you're talking about.
Being 10 years younger I thought they were so cool,and their girlfriends always paid attention to me because I was a kid
I heard them playing blues and early R&R,and stuff by Ray Charles,you know,pre surf era R&B.
It's what made me want to play.Who knew those guitars and amps would be worth what they are today?

Right on, Rebelsoul, I hear ya'.

@ ebaysux: As you probably know, a Tele is great for chicken pickin' and overall hybrid picking. You can do the same on a Strat but after getting re-acquainted with it I sometimes find the middle p/u gets in the way of my picking nails when doing banjo rolls and hybrid picking. I have no problem just using a flat pick. I'm trying to change the position of my picking hand when playing the Strat so as not to hit or scrape the middle p/u.

Ken, Toronto

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Ken