burns marquee

[neil2726]

Had to bed the arm on my mexican strat - did it in door jam!

[MikeAB]

Thanks Chris - my 'bend' is nowhere near 90 degrees, nearer 120, so I reckon that is the issue.

What size thread do you think it is? I reckon 5mm and my Strat is 3/16 which is why it is loose.

So the options are - bend it- or purchase a 5mm gold Strat bar.

All help much appreciated

Mike

[chris mcbain]

Hi Mike,
I think there are a few different thread sizes some thing like 3/4/5 mm and 3/16th for Fenders depends on where the guitar was made, but no idea about a Burns
no doubt some one will advise on this site .

If you decide to bend the arm let me know how it goes just in case i decide to alter mine a little.

Chris

[MikeAB]

Decent video on how to do it. If I do it will report back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6AyowI3gtM

[MikeAB]

I managed to bend the arm without any damage - pretty much using the Youtube'd hole in a block of wood technique. In fact I overdid it a bit and had to bend it back again a jot. Bend angle now about 100 deg I would think (protractor left at school 55 yrs ago).

Now though it's too long and I clout the top fret with the pick, so will have to shorten it - gulp!

[JimN]

The tremolo arms supplied with Stratocasters (and copies) have been problematic for the last forty years.

The 1982 Fender catalogue showed the (American) 1962 Vintage Reissue with the period-correct almost-straight arm, but as it turns out, it was a 50:50 chance whether you got the correct shape or the one from the 1950s with that upward crook in it. That was just the American product; the the Japanese 1962 VRs all had the "wrong" (50s-style) arm.

The Wilkinson bridge I installed on my Vista Series Jagmaster (a fantastic guitar except for the crumbly bridge block and the nondescript humbuckers) had the same upward-hooked pop-in arm. The problem was that the business end was at about the right height, but further back, the arm was rising out of the bridge block at an impossibly-low angle, meaning that it fouled the volume control when moved. I got hold of a (long) Jazzmaster arm made from rod of the same diameter and cut off the right angled bit. I measured the depth inside the socket and added nearly an inch to that as the correct length for the vertical part of the arm. The bending was done in a vice with wooden cushions to prevent damage to the chrome. I bent it to an angle of about 100 degrees. The arm now rises out of the block high enough to stand clear of every other part of the guitar throughout its 360 degree "sweep" and is only slightly higher at the handle end than it is at the block end. It is perfect.

[neil2726]

Probably the arms were nor originally meant to be hand held whilst playing but just to grab when required. Bent mine by trial and error - bent a bit - tried it - bent a bit more - perfect!

[MikeAB]

Great stuff.

I've cut an inch off successfully but still need another half inch I think - was a bit nervous to go that far on the first cut.

Then I think it will be perfect.

Guitar sounds and looks great.

Thanks to all for the usual expertise

Mike

[MikeAB]

I notice the red Marquees available have dropped from 7 to just 1. I wonder if Chris and this site should be due a cut!!?

[chris mcbain]

Hello shads Fans,
First off Looks like Andertons Music are selling plenty of these old stock items doesn't seem to be many left now, and in answer to Mike not had a big cheque drop on the mat yet, in fact not even a small one from Andertons Music but as long as someone benefited from the first post about the price and it helped other Shads people that's all
that matters.

Quick update on my Burns Marquee really happy with it plays very nice and to my ears the tones seem to be more deeper more richer more fuller sort of a baritone sound
but not bass sound difficult to explain but not as high pitched as my Fenders could just be my ears i suppose but it's a sound that i like. What do others that have bought
a Marquee think about the sounds and playing ??.

Chris.