Does Your Trem Block house a Ball Bearing Too?

[bobframe]

My dilemma centers on the tremolo arm and the way it attaches to a Vintage style Fender Tremolo block.

And the infrequently discussed addition of a 4mm ball bearing to the trem block to assist with the smooth operation of the spring and threaded arm in the threaded passageway of the block.

So far my attempts to add this 4mm ball into the threaded passageway in the block have failed. There just doesn't seem to be enough space in the block for...

Arm + Spring + Ball Bearing.

With the Spring and BB in place, I can't even get the arm to begin threading into the block. FWIW, Stew Mac sells just spring and bearing for an obscene price with the promised benefit that it helps the arm retain its position while preventing the spring from hosing up the block's threads. So this appears to be a Thing.

My question is this:

Have you ever made this work, and if so, what am I missing?

 

[Fenderbaum]

Not all blocks are threaded or drilled equal.. Just sayin..

 

[Thrup'ny Bit]

FWIW, Stew Mac sells just spring and bearing for an obscene price

StewMac sells everything for obscene prices, then there's the shipping.

 

[rolandson]

I've a 64. It isn't vintage "styled," it's vintage. It doesn't have a spring or a ball bearing. It has a stick that threads into the hole.

The trick is to not thread "too much" lest one creates problems. But threaded "just enough," the stick stays put.

But normally I let it dangle. Grabbing it when desired isn't a problem.

Oh, and I stay as far from StewMac as I can. I can only imagine how many vacation homes in Aspen get funded by shipping fees alone.

 

[Fenderbaum]

$10.39 for a spring and a shot.. What in the actual......****

You can buy a 12 pack Fender for $10.00
Need the shots? Bicycle repair shops stocks them.. or https://www.ebay.com/itm/265641988822?var=565430298961
I bought 3.5 and 4.0mm for nothing.. 20 of each for $3.00 total..

 

[Bob the builder]

Cut the spring ?

 

[Slacker G]

A spring without a bearing works OK.
Besides that , it sometimes makes some really cool haunted or SiFi sounds through your amp when you move the vibrato arm.

 

[Intune]

Don’t you have 15 or so vintage reissues? So why is this tremolo giving you such a hard time? What are the others ones like? Did they come with a ball bearing?

From the previous “junk” thread you jammed the tremolo arm so tight it damaged the threads. You got lucky and fixed it, unless this is another one?

 

[bobframe]

Don’t you have 15 or so vintage reissues? So why is this tremolo giving you such a hard time? What are the others ones like? Did they come with a ball bearing?

From the previous “junk” thread you jammed the tremolo arm so tight it damaged the threads. You got lucky and fixed it, unless this is another one?

I do own multiple AV's and my question applies to each of them. I find that this trem is like all the rest of mine...the spring helps smoothly tighten the tension on the arm. But I was intrigued with the idea the BB in that I can see how that would enhance the functionality of the spring and arm and perhaps protect the threads in the block.

Regarding my "Junk" thread. I agree that the problem was 90% pilot error arising from a lack of knowledge of and experience with these vintage style tremolo systems. Lesson learned.

Once I realized the valuable role that this spring plays, I added it to all of my Strats (in fact, most of the springs were missing) and I'm enjoying a much smoother and controlled trem arm operation.

Opinions about Stew Mac pricing aside, I seriously doubt they'd bother packaging a spring and ball together if there wasn't some application for it. And I've seen several forum threads on various sites about this. Thought I'd ask if others had any experience with it. So far, it looks like the answer is "No".

 

[marksound]

I have a box full of Strat trem arms. Just sayin'.

 

[Willmunny]

I wrap a small amount of tape on trem arm threads
That way I can choose how tight or loose it is.
I prefer it to be tight enough to stay horizontal when I want it, but easy to nudge down when I want
Everything from my American series strat to that Aria pro 2 I just picked up
Ymmv
Peace

 

[Oldiemurphy]

Personally, I would never drop a BB into a trem block. It just seems like asking for trouble.

I have tried other homegrown remedies for wiggly arms, going back a very long time. These days I just save myself the hassle with Callaham blocks and their pop-in arms. It's not for everybody, but it works for me.

 

[bobframe]

Personally, I would never drop a BB into a trem block. It just seems like asking for trouble.

I have tried other homegrown remedies for wiggly arms, going back a very long time. These days I just save myself the hassle with Callaham blocks and their pop-in arms. It's not for everybody, but it works for me.

Dropping a ball bearing into the trem cavity does seem like a risky bet. But the 4mm bearings I bought drop in and drop out easily. Problem is- when you add the spring there doesn't seem to be enough space for the arm to begin threading. This is the reason for my post..

Agree 100% about the Callaham design, the materials its made from and the quality of construction. Its just better than the OEM Fender vintage style tremolo. But having said that, the Fender tremolo system can be made to work well enough and I'm not going to replace them all if I don't have to.

 

[El Gobernador]

No. No ball bearings or springs either.

 

[alainvey]

I wrapped my AV trem arm with PTFE tape, and popped the spring in there for good measure. This has removed all play in the arm, and satisfied my concerns with the thing.

 

[Afishman9]

You have the wrong size. Order cheap from Amazon: 9/64” = 3.57 mm. They work great. Put the spring in first.

 

[ReedRainey]

My dilemma centers on the tremolo arm and the way it attaches to a Vintage style Fender Tremolo block.

And the infrequently discussed addition of a 4mm ball bearing to the trem block to assist with the smooth operation of the spring and threaded arm in the threaded passageway of the block.

So far my attempts to add this 4mm ball into the threaded passageway in the block have failed. There just doesn't seem to be enough space in the block for...

Arm + Spring + Ball Bearing.

With the Spring and BB in place, I can't even get the arm to begin threading into the block. FWIW, Stew Mac sells just spring and bearing for an obscene price with the promised benefit that it helps the arm retain its position while preventing the spring from hosing up the block's threads. So this appears to be a Thing.

My question is this:

Have you ever made this work, and if so, what am I missing?

Hi,
Just saw your post this morning. I have a 1996 U.S Ultra Strat from the Custom Shop that I added that Fender “official” ball bearing and spring kit to. It works as intended. To keep a wobbly arm tight so it doesn’t wander and flop, I added some Teflon pipe tape from Lowe’s and am very happy with it. I think my Pop-in tremolo is a Wilkinson and the Fender kit fits that model. If your threaded hole us too shallow, you may need to search fir a different spring that’s shorter to make it work for you. It’s either that or trade-out your tremolo after calling Fender to guarantee a fit. Personally, I think I’d measure the length of spring you would need and go hardware store shopping. For the tiny detailed hardware stuff, try an Ace Hardware store, first. They seem to have a greater variety than Home Depot or Lowe’s. Is it worth it? Hell, yes. My trem arm doesn’t drift or rattle and the movement through the arc of travel is as smooth as glass. When the arm starts moving wo your touching it, re-wrap the threaded area with tape, again. It would take a lot of money to replace your block with something that works better than this combo.

 

[Delphic]

Before I learned that the springs could/should be used with a ball bearing, I modified my springs by adding a small blob of epoxy putty to the end. Not elegant, but it works for me.

*** waits for someone to say it affects the tone ***

 

[Eddy Current]

My dilemma centers on the tremolo arm and the way it attaches to a Vintage style Fender Tremolo block.

And the infrequently discussed addition of a 4mm ball bearing to the trem block to assist with the smooth operation of the spring and threaded arm in the threaded passageway of the block.

So far my attempts to add this 4mm ball into the threaded passageway in the block have failed. There just doesn't seem to be enough space in the block for...

Arm + Spring + Ball Bearing.

With the Spring and BB in place, I can't even get the arm to begin threading into the block. FWIW, Stew Mac sells just spring and bearing for an obscene price with the promised benefit that it helps the arm retain its position while preventing the spring from hosing up the block's threads. So this appears to be a Thing.

My question is this:

Have you ever made this work, and if so, what am I missing?

Just take the spring out and stick some 4mm silicon rubber cord down the hole. This acts as a buffer and takes up the backlash in the thread. Also, wrap the thread in PTFE tape to cushion it and make it a bit more stable.

 

[dasherf17]

StewMac sells everything for obscene prices, then there's the shipping.

...unless you want to pay $40 for StewMax membership with >FREE< shipping! Oh...wait...it's $55, now!
Love 'em, dearly, but jeez...