Adjusting trem arm

John61254 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:50 pm **Posts:** 18

I just got a trem arm for the MIM strat I bought last weekend.
It came without a trem arm, so I went to my local repair shop and found one the fit.
However, I notice when using it that it seems really "high": that is, far away from the body.
Other trems I've used, on other guitars I have, are much closer to the body and easier for me to keep in my palm while picking.
The Fender trem is so far away that it feels awkward to hang onto while picking.
I'm not used to playing a Fender with a trem (music stores never have them installed on displays), so maybe this is normal.
But what I am wondering is if it is possible to adjust the angle of the trem arm?
Can the arm just be bent? Or is there actually a way to adjust the angle? Or are there different arms with different angles?

Smokin' Frets · **Joined:** Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am **Posts:** 1247

Yes, there's different arms with different angles. Some of them feel awkwardly far from the body, which I don't like either.

In fact, I'm not sure whether Fender produces different arm angles or if I just got original Fender Strats with third party trem arms. Fact is, after selling a few (I hardly use my trems on my strats) I still have 3 Arms laying around which have 2 slightly different angles (2 of the same, 1 different). The arms I sold were the ones with the most uncomfortable angles.

Additionally the angle at which your trem itself is adjusted to plays a role, too. If you set up your trem with a backward angle, it will raise the angle of the arm upwards. If you set it up with the trem baseplate parallel to the body surface, it will slightly lower the angle of the arm.

Generally I would say that Fender trem arms ALL feel way higher than i.e. Floyd Rose arms. If you just switched from Floyd Rose (or similar) to Fender trem systems, it might just FEEL much higher because you're not used to it yet.

If I play my Ibanez JEM for a while and then switch to a Fender Strat with floating standard tremolo, it initially feels very high and it takes a couple of minutes to adapt to the different angle again.

Other than adjusting the angle of the whole trem system there's no way to adjust the angle of the trem arm only.
I have carefully bent two arms in the past (non-Fender) and they didn't break but I wouldn't recommend that unless you either have a spare or you just don't care about the arm (which I don't expect in your case since you bought it extra).

Second option: take the new arm back to the store WITH YOUR GUITAR and try different arms, if there are any different ones available.

John61254 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:50 pm **Posts:** 18

Smokin'

That was a smokin' answer!
You definitely covered all the bases.
Thanks!
Based on what you said, I will look for additional arms.
If I can't find any that feel the way I want, I may stick one in a vice and do a "custom bend".
If I wreck it, I'm only out 9 bucks
But until I have a spare, I will continue to use as is.
Who knows: maybe I'll get used to it (but I doubt it!).
You are right though: I have an Ibanez with floating bridge (Floyd Rose knock off)) as well as a Bigsby on my Gretsch.
Both of those are much closer to the body, and easier to cradle while picking.
The problem with it being too high, is that it becomes too easy to inadvertently depress the arm while playing. Having the arm closer allows me to keep it in my palm but not depress it.
The Bigsby is by far the easiest to do this with: it is much stiffer.
The Floyd Rose style is much more sensitive, but I got use to it.
Of course you have to hang onto the Floyd Rose style while playing, because it is loose and will just drop down otherwise.
Both the Bigsby and the Fender arms will stay where you put them, so you can keep them closer and ready to use even if not palming them.
It's funny: for years I played my Gretsch (with the Bigsby) and never touched the trem.
Then, all of a sudden, I started using it and it became totally natural.
Now I feel lost without one (though I am getting used to the Fender without using it).
I do love to play this strat, with or without a trem.
Only problem is, now I want another!
(Strat, that is!)

Gorgon · **Posted:** Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:30 am

If you have your bridge decked to the body of the guitar you could try floating the bridge, that automatically lowers the action as regards the angle of the bar. My EC strat is adjusted like that and the bar sits perfectly for picking.

Smokin' Frets · **Joined:** Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am **Posts:** 1247

OK, John, if you should decide to do a custom bend it might help, if you heat up the arm at the bending point. That'll make the metal a little softer so it won't break.

I just got the idea of another option, if you can live with the arm angle but want it stiffer:

You said you easily depress the arm when picking without intending to do so.
There's several tools that might help and need to be screwed into the trem cavity.
There's the Hipshot Tremsetter, the Rockinger Blackbox, the Tremol-no and others.
They're of great help regarding trem stability, tuning stability, returning of the trem into "zero position" after upbends or divebombs and IT MAKES THE TREM STIFFER and might help NOT to depress it unintended. Unfortunately they're more expensive than replacing a broken arm after an unsuccessful attempt to bend it manually.

You might wanna google those tools for more information. I personally have used the Rockinger Blackbox (from Germany). It looks like this when installed:

MrMajstyk · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:37 am

John,

I know exactly what you mean. I have been playing my 64 Gretsch Tenny for YEARS. The Bigsby is like butter! (Or is it that I'm just so used to it after 30+ years?)

So when I picked up my Strat, the arm felt alien! But I let the trem float a little more by slightly backing off the screws in the claw and that brought the arm down to a more reasonable level. (The prev owner of the strat had the bridge sitting on the body...not floating at all...which had the arm sitting pretty high)

Also, I noticed that with the Bigsy I push DOWN on the arm, where as with the Fender I'm pushing slightly forward, using that odd bend in the arm. I'm comfortble with it now, but it took some getting used to.

I'm having fun with it!

arena man · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 4:48 am

I purchased my strat a couple of years ago and when I installed the term arm I also thought it was very high. It felt unnatural. Took it back to the shop and confirmed that they were all like that. The American Stand anyway. I'm not a big fan of it and could not bend the angle as if I did I couldn't thread it in as the current swing when installing just clears the body.
Adjusted the bridge a little and it helped but not great. would be nice if I could leave it on when in the case as well.

cullenszoo · **Joined:** Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:01 pm **Posts:** 159

If you are careful and use a vice you should be able to customize the bend without too much effort. It shouldn't be tempered so you shouldn't have to heat it. If It seems like the bar doesn't screw in far enough you could always cut part of the threads off and see if that lowers it. My MIM trem bar rubs against the bridge one turn before it stays in place.

12Rant · **Joined:** Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:51 pm **Posts:** 15

All metals bend easier with heat, but if you over heat it, the chrome will blue. Just don't let heat to cherry red. You'll be surprised how little force you'll need to bend it without stressing the metal as on a cold bend. Good luck.

John61254 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:50 pm **Posts:** 18

My bridge is not laying flat: already slightly elevated in the back (floated?), about an 1/8".
That's how the guitar was set up when I got it. It plays really well as is, so I hesitate to mess with it.
I noticed that when I screwed in the trem arm it was closer to the guitar at the bottom of the body than when in the forward position, but it still clears it by at about 1/2" (at the bottom), so I suppose I do have room for a slight bend.
At this point though, since it's still new to me, I'm inclined to leave it alone and use it as is.
I may get used to it.
But I doubt it.
It really seems too far forward to comfortably hold while picking.
It forces me to pick almost right on top of the neck pickup, whereas normally I naturally tend to pick between the center and neck pickup.
I'll keep playing with it.

John61254 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:50 pm **Posts:** 18

Just found a company that makes custom-sized arms for MIM and other strats.
Sounds like they know what they are doing.
They give actual thread size for different models, etc.
They have all sorts of options for lengths, shapes, tip color, etc.
I think I may check one out.
They make a 4 1/4" arm that seems like it may be what I'm looking for.
Costs $15, but if it works like I want it'll be worth it.
Here's the site:

http://www.stratcat.biz/4027.shtml

Smokin' Frets · **Joined:** Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am **Posts:** 1247

John61254 wrote:

My bridge is not laying flat: already slightly elevated in the back (floated?), about an 1/8".
(....)
I noticed that when I screwed in the trem arm it was closer to the guitar at the bottom of the body than when in the forward position, but it still clears it by at about 1/2" (at the bottom), so I suppose I do have room for a slight bend.

Sounds good to me! The "parallel" I mentioned was just to explain the influence of the trem adjustment on the arm height.
Strat trems, when floating, are generally slightly tilted forward, that's fine.

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