Easy mute tremelo query

[Mikey]

My MIM HM Signature has an Easy Mute tremelo which is great except that after the arm has been fully screwed in it finishes up at an angle like a standard arm and not parellel with the top E string as most others I've seen.
Has anyone else had the same thing or is it just me?

[Graylion]

Fully screwed in? Unscrew it a notch to suit your playing style. They aren't designed to be screwed in or they wouldn't be able to be moved away when not needed. I guess I must be misunderstanding you? The arm should be a free fit, but not loose enough to fall away when released - for Shad's stuff anyway. Close enough for your pinky to grab quickly! Cheers, Lionel

[keithmantle]

make sure you have the little spring in tho hole which creates tension on the arm when screwed in. (they cost about £4 for a pack of twelve) they are only about 3/8"x1/8"dia so don't drop one you'll never find it !! .regards Keith

[David Martin]

If you want the arm parallel, you'll have to bend it in a vice!! (Don't do this with the gold plated ones!)

I've never had one - easy mute or otherwise - which sits parallel ... including the arms with the CRS'59

[John]

I made my own .

[Mikey]

Fully screwed in?

Thanks as ever for all the advice guys.
Yes, the Easy-mute arm has a screw thread as does the conventional trem arm that came with the guitar - it has to be screwed into the tremelo block. The only arm I've had that was push fit was the the Classic Point one on my Burns Marquee.
Anyway, I digress. Here are a couple of pics I took - in one I've positioned the arm as I've seen it on other guitars, i.e. more or less parallel with the top E string and the other showing how it drops down at an angle when you let it go, making it no different to a convential tremelo arm. I was under the impression it should stay in that first position but maybe I'm wrong

Easy-mute1.jpg

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Easy-mute2.jpg

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[MeBHank]

Fully screwed in?

Thanks as ever for all the advice guys.
Yes, the Easy-mute arm has a screw thread as does the conventional trem arm that came with the guitar - it has to be screwed into the tremelo block. The only arm I've had that was push fit was the the Classic Point one on my Burns Marquee.
Anyway, I digress. Here are a couple of pics I took - in one I've positioned the arm as I've seen it on other guitars, i.e. more or less parallel with the top E string and the other showing how it drops down at an angle when you let it go, making it no different to a convential tremelo arm. I was under the impression it should stay in that first position but maybe I'm wrong

Mikey, the Easy-Mute tremolo arm is an arm with a standard thread. The only thing that sets is aside from other tremolo arms is that it is made with an extra kink in it. I think the effect you were expecting the arm to provide is that of the tension modification, a service provided by VML. For that you need to send your tremolo block and plate, along with the arm, to VML. The arm is not altered in the modification: this is something that concerns the block only. The block is drilled out and a new, hardened thread inserted that matches that the trem arm perfectly. The tension is then provided by two ball bearings and spring being inserted into the thread cavity, along with a liberal dose of oil for lubrication. The spring presses onto the ball bearings (which I believe are stacked one on the other), the ball bearings in turn press onto the bottom of the arm therefore pushing it up against the thread of the block and creating the tension that stops it from flopping. The service is not cheap but works well. If you are not prepared to pay the price asked by VML you can wrap PTFE tape around the thread of the arm which works just as well, but the tape obviously needs to be renewed every so often.

HTH...

J

[AlanMcKillop]

Just add some 'plumbers' tape to the thread, problem solved.

[keithmantle]

On all usa new strats you will find a peice of sticky plastic over the trem hole, this is to keep the trem tension spring from falling out and its this spring that stops the arm from flopping about when trem is screwed in .

[Amanda]

Forget the springs,

PTFE tape is the way to go! My strat has had the same tape on for 12 months!

On the marquee I have there is a grub screw at the back of the block which
screws in against the trem arm and adds resistance to moving!

Fender do not recommend using springs in die cast blocks!

Amanda