RaistMagus
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 388
Copenhagen
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 05:18 AM
Does anyone use shorter-than-stock tremolo arms in their strats? I'll be replacing mine because I broke it, and I'm considering going for a really short one, Gilmour style (as seem here, scroll down a bit).
I find that the stock arm is too long for holding it while picking, it lets me pick only over the neck p/up or the last frets. On the other hand I'm worried that a shorter arm will need more strength due to less leverage and that it may be less accurate. I have o floating bridge with .011s
Has anyone here tried it? How did it work for you?
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 07:15 AM
I have one of those short stainless tremolo arms. I liked it from the moment i started using it. I don't think you need to worry about leverage although you may notice it a little at first. For tremolo demanding songs the shorter arm fits comfortably under my palm and i have no need to keep reaching for it. I have never been able to master the tremolo arm resting on the little finger technique so this works well for me, also the extra leverage (if any) helps stop haphazardly detuning while picking and holding the arm simultaneously. I use .011 strings.
Last edited: Jan 20, 2013 07:21:59
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 07:49 AM
I have a Strat with a Callaham trem block, 11 flats and 4 springs. Plays beautifully, far beyond my ability. The 6" standard arm gives me plenty of leverage to overcome the extra spring and still have the control to flail away with it or make slow subtle dips. I've learned to slide my hand down the arm and use the tip and a sort of stop to keep me from losing the arm while playing down toward the bridge.
(I define flailing as wagging the guitar by the whammy bar.)
(EDIT: I had to fix this because I was wrong about how short my shorter whammy bar is. No jokes, please!  ) I happen to have a shorter arm than standard that fits a Callaham trem block. For me, it is very slightly harder to flail the shorter arm with control, especially due to the extra spring, but for most of my playing I don't do that anyway. What I notice is that the tip is "in the wrong place" but if I play with it a while I get used to it.
I'm considering ordering a 7" extra-long arm from Callaham just to see what that's like. But on the other hand, while I don't normally use the shorter arm with my Strat, if it was all I had I wouldn't really notice one way or he other. So give it a try. You may like the 4" arm just like crumble does.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Jan 20, 2013 09:01:57
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casey
Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 521
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 08:05 AM
I have several Callaham trem arms, short and regular. All are well made and plenty sturdy. I tried the short one but ended up preferring the regular length, can't really say why.
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psychonaut
Joined: Dec 08, 2007
Posts: 1304
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 08:46 AM
Keep in mind there are two standard strat trem arm sizes; There is the regular common length and then there's the 50's style shorter length arm (though not as short as the Gilmour style).
I never tried these, but they make custom lengths:
http://www.stratcat.biz/ez-trem.shtml
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Jan 20 2013 08:52 AM
psychonaut wrote:
Keep in mind there are two standard strat trem arm sizes; There is the regular common length and then there's the 50's style shorter length arm (though not as short as the Gilmour style).
I never tried these, but they make custom lengths:
http://www.stratcat.biz/ez-trem.shtml
Yep!. Aren't they 6" (Fender standard), 5" (Fender short) and 4" (Gilmore)? I just checked and have the 6" and 5", not the 4" Gilmore. Sorry, but the odd thing is it feels shorter than it is. But maybe it also explains why it's not a bother to use.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Jan 20, 2013 08:57:46
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ras1500
Joined: Nov 17, 2011
Posts: 21
Queen Creek, AZ
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Posted on Jan 24 2013 01:55 PM
I cut my original trem arm to about 4-5 inches. Initially, I liked it because it didn't get in the way of playing. However, after installing flatwound 11's and 5 springs, it really didn't provide the leverage to raise a note a full tone. I've since re-installed a standard 6 inch Fender Strat arm.
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nedorama
Joined: Oct 10, 2009
Posts: 228
South Bay, CA
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Posted on Jan 24 2013 05:52 PM
While there may be 2 standard Strat trem sizes, Callaham makes 3: 6", 5 1/4", and 4 1/8"
http://www.callahamguitars.com/partsstr.htm
—
'65 Fender Tremolux, '74 Princeton; 77 Vibrolux Reverb; '81 Princeton Reverb
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alphaking
Joined: Jan 02, 2013
Posts: 214
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Posted on Jan 24 2013 06:02 PM
Quick question... Are you holding it the whole time you're playing? I tried that for a while and read an old interview which mentioned stuffing cotton in the hole (just a very small piece at a time until it sits perfect). I did this with mine and it no longer swings, but sits wherever I place it. I can hit it with my non-picking fingers whenever I want to throw it in and it's ready to go without grabbing it from hanging at the bridge. Sits in place like a Gretsch now ready at any time. Mine is an American Std which screws in, but I imagine it would work with the pop in trem arms as well. If it's just the length that bothors you... sorry for the lengthy post!!
Chris
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casey
Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 521
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Posted on Jan 24 2013 10:46 PM
Strat screw in arms are supposed to have a spring that goes in first - when it's there the arm is screwed in just enough so that it begins to compress the spring, and then you can move it easily but it will stay in place.
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alphaking
Joined: Jan 02, 2013
Posts: 214
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Posted on Jan 25 2013 05:36 AM
casey wrote:
Strat screw in arms are supposed to have a spring that goes in first - when it's there the arm is screwed in just enough so that it begins to compress the spring, and then you can move it easily but it will stay in place.
Casey- That's actually the first time I've ever heard of that, but I just found a pack of 12 I'll be ordering here in a minute. Sounds a whole lot simpler than what I'm using hah. Thanks for the heads up!
OP- Sorry for taking your thread off topic.
Chris
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Ben
Joined: Feb 11, 2007
Posts: 591
Encinitas, Ca
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Posted on Jan 25 2013 12:43 PM
I've never seen those. The shorter arms look interesting I would like to try one.
Those springs can fall out easily when you remove the arm. New Strats usually come with a little round piece of tape on there to keep the spring in place. I have the spring and then a small (Q-tip size) piece of cotton stuffed in there to hold the spring in. It works great...you just screw the arm in enough until it has the amount of tension that you like.
Last edited: Jan 25, 2013 12:46:02
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thomasd
Joined: Aug 17, 2012
Posts: 94
Eugene, Oregon
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Posted on Jan 25 2013 01:31 PM
I use a short Strat Callaham trem arm, the other guitar player in the band
also has the short strat arm. We like them just fine.
I replaced the tone block in my MIM strat with the Callaham. The stock trem arm won't work with the Callaham, so I ordered the short arm.
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