Guitar tremolo

[neil2726]

If your Burns has the strat style tremolo a Gator case should be ok - not too expensive and fits my Strat

[Paul Childs]

There is no way the tremelo arm on my 1989 USA Standard can be left on the guitar while in it's original case no matter where it is pointing. It has been awkward having to remove it every time especially as during that period it was designed with a spring down in the hole that could easily drop out and get lost, especially at gigs and although replacements are available now, back at the time they were impossible to get hold of and dealers didn't want to know.

[davec]

That spring is vital to the correct operation any Strat arm. Without it there is no end-force being applied to the arm and, except for a short "honeymoon" period, you will never keep the correct friction to stop the arm flopping around.

If you are worried about the spring falling out when you remove the arm for transportation then try putting a small blob of BluTack down the hole first so that the spring beds into it.

Regards
DaveC

[alanbakewell]

Not any Strat arm Dave. As I've mention previously, I fitted a Callaham block
and stainless steel tremolo arm to my CS Strat some eight years ago.
It stays exactly where I put it. It's never gone floppy and, conversely, it's not stiff.

The guitar goes in it's tweed case with the tremolo arm in the position
mentioned previously with no worries.

I've never had the desire to own a Burns so can't comment on the tremolo arm.

Cheers, Alan.

p.s. there's no spring in the Callaham set up, you don't need it.

[JimN]

Just to add to and support what Alan Bakewell says, I have two Fender USA 1962 Vintage Reissue Strats (made in the 1980s). They are equipped with original design solid steel trem blocks and the arm/thread fit is perfect: no sloppiness, no play, no rattles, no clunks through the pickups and a perfect smooth feel to the operation.

The Callaham blocks, to my knowledge, are just as good, if not better.

It is cheaper, cast alloy, blocks, including some of those used by Fender USA in the 70s and very early 1980s, which cause the problems. The metal is miles more susceptible to wear and really isn't suitable for threads which have to bear stress.

I don't know how much difference there is between steel and alloy blocks in sound (somewhat less, I suspect, than the makers of boutique replacement steel blocks claim), but in terms of the mechanical coupling between the bridge and the arm, alloy threaded blocks are a non-starter for longevity. They may be a bit better than useless with a pop-in interface, but even then, the material cannot provide a secure thread for the little grub screw which is necessary for tensioning the arm fit.

Alloy: get rid.
Steel: just the thing.

[Paul Childs]

TELECASTER! problem solved.

[alanbakewell]

TELECASTER! problem solved.

You've been talking to James Burton.

[Paul Childs]

TELECASTER! problem solved.

You've been talking to James Burton.

Telecasters are not so tempermental as Strats and also stay in tune better.

[neil2726]

Another thought is the height of the trem arm to start with! I've always found the standard arms were much too high and needed to be bent downwards in order to be comfortably held in the hand while playing Hank style.

[Garystrat]

I fitted a Callaham Block to my Mex Strat and this has proved to be a cost effect long term solution, the arm has been taken in and out over a period of time and I get no problems whatsoever. It not only makes the overall playability much better, there is a slight but noticeable improvement to sustain. I purchased it through Charlie Chandler Guitars who provided a matching shorter arm, from memory this was below £10.00.

One does have to be careful about getting the right block design for the guitar, I took a scanned copy of the underside of the old block and Emailed it to them to be sure.

Gary