This is really cool Mark. If you run into any snags or need a second set of eyes hit me up. Ive had to spot level a few Warmoth necks. They are up front that they are not final leveled. They are close though. You know Ive done a few. Just built a neck and ready to build a body.

The new trem’ arm is here! The new trem’ arm is here!

The StayTrem arm arrive today, safe and sound from its travels. There’s nothing particularly unusual about the appearance of the arm, but the collet is different.

The biggest hassle was getting the old collet off the trem’. I doubt that this is a common problem, but for some reason, the collet on the AVRI trem’ I had bought for the Jaguar build, was really tight. I had to use a long breaker bar, a 1/2” drive deep socket, and a vise, to get it loose. Once that little drama was over, I threaded the new collet into place, snugged it reasonably, and popped the arm into place. That was the best part.

The arm stays put in position, and the effort required to swivel the arm feels just right, as far as I’m concerned. YMMV.

For anyone considering buying from StayTrem, I would say that they live up to their promises. Before ordering, you’ll have to know whether you need a collet in metric or British size, and you’ll get to choose a color for the tip. At the time I ordered, the wait was projected as 26 weeks, but it didn’t take quite that long. You place the order, give them your PayPal ID, and when the order is ready you will receive an email, and a PayPal invoice. Pay the invoice and John sends your order. If you cancel, he just sends an invoice to the next guy on the list, and no hard feelings.

I now have one StayTrem bridge and one StayTrem arm, in hand. I’m impressed by the quality. It’s not the only good solution, but it is a good solution. I can’t say enough about how perfect the swivel tension is.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Last edited: Jun 05, 2024 23:58:10

synchro wrote:

Any opinions on effectively grounding the strings? I know that the conventional solution is stranded wire trapped by one of the bridge thimbles, but I have also heard of using stranded wire trapped under the tailpiece. I’m open to suggestions.

Using the (treble) bridge thimble seems fine to me. It's a bigger piece of metal than the bridge studs or screws used to ground Gibsons. Grounding via the trem seems overkill, and also a much more difficult hole to drill.

Tqi wrote:

I? glad you're as happy with the Staytrem arm as I am!

It's definitely not the only good solution, but it doesn't require changing the trem, and it's safer and less drastic than hitting a thing with a hammer and hoping you don't overbend it.

It's just a shame they're keeping the bare metal option a secret!

I have one more on the way, and I asked for the bare metal option in the notes section, so time will tell. I’ve always liked that look, such as seen on Am Deluxe Strats. It’s just a great look. This a Jaguar build isn’t trying to capture any specific era, although the block inlays and bound fingerboard at least suggest later production, so the bare metal arm would be a nice touch.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Mark, all of mine are grounded at the tailpiece. For me easier to drill from the trem cavity to the main route. Never any noise issues.

Drilling holes like that can be a pain in the ass because you may need a really long bit and you have a tricky angle to deal with. But I would check with Warmoth to see if they pre-drill a hole and where (or wait and see when it shows up). Another option is to run a wire from near the bridge pickup to place it under the lip of one of the tremolo mounting cups. It would be hidden under the pickguard. Doesn't require any drilling, though you would probably want to cut a small channel to lay the wire down flush. But I suspect Warmoth already has you covered.

The body finally shipped, today. Now it’s getting real. I would venture that it will be here midweek. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish it quickly, once this last piece arrives.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I like the subtle dark burst. I have shims in almost all my necks. Most are about a degree. You wont know for sure what you need until your final setup. .05 is fine for basic build up. My Jag is the only one in the fleet that has a Pro setup. He did not shim the neck and the bridge height is ok but the bass strings still want to slip on the saddles when digging in.

CenturyBob wrote:

I like the subtle dark burst. I have shims in almost all my necks. Most are about a degree. You wont know for sure what you need until your final setup. .05 is fine for basic build up. My Jag is the only one in the fleet that has a Pro setup. He did not shim the neck and the bridge height is ok but the bass strings still want to slip on the saddles when digging in.

Thanks for the info, Bob. I’m expecting that I’ll have to have at least 0.5 degrees, if not more, of shim.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

That color looks really awesome!

The PU cavities look interesting.
Are the round holes for a threaded insert for PU height adjustment??