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Post subject: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 2:24 am
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is the tremolo arm on fender mustang supposed to go back and forth ??

I know the design suggest that it could be pushed down... but is it designed to be pulled back (away from the body of the guitar)

I have this question because the guitar never go out of tune when I "push" the tremolo bar down... but the "cigar tube" never return to the "original position" when I "pull" the bar ( hence it goes out of tune )

:( I never use a trem bar on other guitar before lol...

what should I do ?? should I give up trying to pull the bar ?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:23 pm
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It does indeed work both ways--so you can raise or lower the strings' pitch.

Perhaps if it goes out of tune one way you need to adjust it, it may have too little or too much tension on it.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:21 am
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The problem could be in the bridge,I had the same problem with my Mustang.sometimes the bridge will rock back and forth and needs to be stabilized or just a bit of graphite from a pencil lead applied to the bridge and nut slots may help keep the strings from binding.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:46 pm
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Sounds like your bridge is the source of the tuning problem. The Mustang trem design isn't the best tremolo design out there by any means, but it should stand light use just fine. Next time you restring, clean the saddle barrels so the tarnish or rust is all gone, then lube the string groove with some graphite from a mechanical pencil by drawing in the groove. ALSO, I noticed that my mustang bridge kind of "floats" meaning it wobbles back and forth when the strings were off. I fixed this by winding some masking tape around the studs, then inserted the bridge back into the bushings in the body. See if your bridge is wobbly, and if so, I bet that is a large part of your tuning woes! Why they made the bridge to where it could wobble is beyond me !?!?! Maybe mine is just missing parts lol.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:22 pm
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You can also use tubing that fits over the posts of the bridge so it stops moving. Or sometimes heatshrink will work too, depending on the amount of the slop.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:35 pm
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My impression is that the bridge moves along with the vibrato, so there's less chance of the string getting stuck--at least that was my impression.
It works fine for me.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:38 am
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The bridge (saddle area) should not move. A Bigsby doesn't move, or any other ones like that. The strings go over the slots and continue through the nut and to the tuners. When the bridge saddles move, they do not return to proper pitch. Think about it. When you intonate your guitar those saddles have to be in a specific spot. If you move an individual saddle forward, the pitch will be somewhat flat. Put a moving saddle into a mustang bridge equation and you have massive tuning instability. Because, everytime you trem, it moves slighty and does not come back to the exact spot. You need to stop the slop on the saddle mount, then lubricate the top of the saddle with nut lube or the equivalent. Think about why people put locking tuners on a guitar. So the strings will not stretch or move out of tune. Same concept. Think of a floyd rose. What makes that stay in tune? Strings clamped in the block, locked down in the nut, and proper string tension in the rear. You have to emulate that in the mustang bridge too. To get a mustang to trem and stay in tune requires a perfect setup. The nut must be free of burrs and be lubricated. The tuners must be good with no slop. The bridge saddles must be intonated to perfection with a strobe tuner. The trem part of the bridge must be setup correctly. Take the bridge tailpiece off the guitar and make sure that the springs are attached to the bottom most or 3rd notch there. (This is the notch farthest away from the top of the tailpiece) Lubricate things there with some thick lube. Put it back on the guitar. Now you'll have to experiment with moving the cigar tube part of the top. If you move the posts up, it decreases the tension and the tube leans backwards. Take the cigar tube part as far down as possible, but leave about 1mm gap between the string and the bridge plate. Tune it up, stretch the strings a few times by whaming it a few times, retune, and re-wham a few more times and you should be good. Good luck to you! (I've been a guitar tech for 30 years, and I LOVE mustangs.)


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:16 pm
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Mine move with the bar, and go back when I'm done--it's only a slight movement--and my Mustang has never given me tuning issues, except when the strings go dead--and that has nothing to do with the vibrato (And yes I keep saying Vibrato--because on the Mustang the metal plate actually calls it vibrato--which, technically it is, although we all know what it mans when we say tremolo)

but then I don't crazy on the vibrato--I normally just use the heel of my hand on the tailpiece for nice subtle vibrato

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:16 pm
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The bridge was designed to move with the trem. When you change pitch with the trem and the bridge is stationary, intonation is shot anyhow because you are no longer in standard tuning. The bridge and trem should both return to the original position.

Jaguar and Jazzmaster function the same way.

Art


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:31 pm
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The Mustang bridge MAY have been designed to move with the trem, but anything beyond maybe a quarter note bend's worth of movement and the bridge would hit the stud wall and the strings would begin to slip over the saddles if you continued to press or pull the arm further. Simply put, the Mustang tremolo is a terrible tremolo design. There I said it! :D Don't hate me for it! A wobbly bridge has NEVER been a great idea on ANY stringed instrument. It was only a cheaper tremolo design, offered on a cheaper student model guitar as a "feature" to sell more guitars ;) Still love the Mustang, I just don't use the tremolo....at all.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:44 pm
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Agreed that it is a bad design. Jag and Jazz trem is a bad design as well. But very easy to understand. I like the Mustang floating bridge better than the Jag/Jazz but that again, (on the Jag/Jazz) is due to very slight break angle (a result of the trem design.) Buzz stop helps that.

I use the trem very little on my Jags and fortunately, the Jag has the "trem-o-loc" which keeps broken strings from throwing everything else out of whack. (unless it breaks during that odd song that I do use it.)

Now, a mustang with a "locked" bridge and a Bigsby?

Art


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:18 pm
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Well, I'm going to continue to disagree--I find it smooth, and subtle, and haven't had tuning issues.

The Mustang vibrato won't do all the stuff a Floyd Rose will do, but that's okay--I got over divebombs years ago. But that's missing the point if you expect it to.

It suits me fine, if it doesn't suit you, that's fine too.

It does what it's designed to.
If that's not your thing, try a different one.

Not every guitar, or guitar part will work for everybody's style and tastes.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 3:24 pm
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I have a question. This is a topic near and dear to me since my only electric guitar is a Mustang. Mine has some issues with the floating bridge. In disassembling and cleaning up my bridge (and finding replacements for the two missing saddle screws) I seem to have lost track of which order the saddles are installed.
By the looks of the grooves that the strings are supposed to sit in, the fatter, widest diameter saddles go for the lowest two strings, and so on. Am I right? There look to be three diameters, two saddles per diameter.
I'm an experienced musician but a newbie guitarist, so I want to get this guy set up with a lower action than what I found it with. It also came with old, heavy gauge strings, which I am gathering are the desired string type.
I think the tremolo design is not bad, particularly if you are going for a more subtle old-school twang rather than a crazier post-Hendrix sound.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:03 pm
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If I am understanding the question correctly-

The smallest saddles go on the outside (The E Strings)
The largest ones go in the Middle (D&G strings)
this is so the string heights match the radius of the neck.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Mustang Tremolo Question
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 12:33 pm
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The Mustang bridge IS suppose to move. That is why the posts are pointed and smaller in diameter than the hole. This is so when you rock the trem, the bridge follows the strings. Is it the best trem out there? Not by a long shot, but it does the job for which it was designed... twangy little trems.

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