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SurfGuitar101 Forums » The Shallow End »

Permalink What can you do about a limp whammy arm on mij Jazzmasters?

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I've got a first reissue mij Jazzmaster I bought in '86 and the whammy arm is limp. I always have to reach for it.I've tried double stick tape which just gummed everything up! I even switched it out with an arm from an Eastwood but after while, it went limp too! Do they make viagra for whammy bars?

Try dropping a Fender whammy bar spring into the hole where the WB goes. Guitar Center has the little springs. Hope this helps.

Happy Sunsets!

Last edited: Feb 17, 2017 08:57:48

Gently kink the end a little by clamping it in a vise or hitting it lightly with a hammer.

I had that problem with my '04 MIJ Jazzmaster. Solved it with a Staytrem arm from the UK. It was less than $20; $13 and some change, I believe.

The arm itself isn't that much different than the one the guitar comes with, but it has a nylon collet that fits snugly in the hole and keeps the arm in place, wherever you leave it. Works great. I also put one in my '04 MIJ Jaguar. The company is great to deal with, as well.

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

Thanks for the tips. I use the springs on my start so I'm familiar with them. I like the nylon doodad idea. I'll give it a try. Look for a new Rondo Hatton CD this spring! Thanks again. Bruce

tahitijack wrote:

Try dropping a Fender whammy bar spring into the hole where the WB goes. Guitar Center has the little springs. Hope this helps.

This won't work, Jazzmasters/Jags have a completely hollow slot where the arm goes. A spring would fall through.

Staytrem is the most effective method. Kinking the arm is the second most effective method and almost as effective as the Staytrem. Kinking is as effective on AVRI/Vintage arms but MIJ arms don't fit as well to begin with.

"Do not use tape." - Somebody who has used tape. Tape isn't solid, is too sticky, takes time to wrap perfectly, and will come off.

+1 for the Staytrem solution.

i recently acquired a TVL JM and couldn't believe how poorly the trem arm fit/functioned. It was loose, clunky, and luckily squeaked like crazy. Why lucky? It was way easier to justify spending another $30 to fix the problem (on a new guitar) when my wife asked "is there anything you can do to get rid of that squeaking?". Smile

-murph

http://www.reverbnation.com/elmiragesurf
http://www.reverbnation.com/aminorconspiracy

"I knew I was in trouble when the Coco-Loco tasted like water!" -- morphball

I'm going to have to cast a dissenting vote against the revered Staytrem. I bought mine two and a half years ago, and it's flopping already. Naturally, I've tried pushing on it to make sure it's still seated fully, but that's not the problem; it's clear that the nylon bushing is just wearing out.

The best solution I've ever found for JED (Jazzmaster erectile dysfunction) is to cut a sliver of plastic and slip it into the collet where the the arm is inserted. That clear plastic commonly used on blister packs works great. Cut a piece about as long as the part of the arm that goes into the guitar. Hold onto it with tweezers (it's going to be a really slender piece) and slide it into the collet together with the arm. I've been using this on my Jag for years, and it's apparently about as durable as a Staytrem -- and when it does wear out, it costs nothing to replace.

I haven't tried this but Polymorph plastic might work. There's a few demos on YouTube if anyone is interested. I couldn't live without Polymorph now.

It's a bag of graduals which gel together in hot water, pliable when warm and as hard as nylon when cool, can be re-used over and over again and isn't sticky.

Push some in and around the trem-arm and it'll form a made to measure plastic bush.

For the past six years this very easy and fast method has continued to work perfectly. It works so well I haven't thought about it in five years. I use a small length (about 1") of rubber tubing where the vibrato arm enters the receptacle. The rubber tubing is entirely outside the receptacle and it is over both the outside of the receptacle and the vibrato arm. Underneath the rubber tubing I wound cloth friction tape, for more friction with the rubber tubing. You can use cloth medical adhesive tape instead of friction tape.

These are common inexpensive materials easily obtained. It sure has been durable.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Wow! I didn't think I'd be the only guy with a soggy whammy. Thanks loads for your help. Mine will be back in action tomorrow. Rondo Hatton out!!

Hey Squid...I tried your plastic trick on the soggy Jazzmaster whammy...worked great...thanks for the tip. Bruce w/Rondo Hatton.

Rondo1 wrote:

Hey Squid...I tried your plastic trick on the soggy Jazzmaster whammy...worked great...thanks for the tip. Bruce w/Rondo Hatton.

Hey Rondo, you are so welcome, and I'm delighted it helped.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

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