The ShadowMusic Web Community

If you have a look on Allparts, Axes'r'us or Stewmac Richie, I think you might find what you want there. Look at the tremolo arms for sale and they'll probably say 'for USA' guitars or 'for Japanese and other Asian guitars'. I think one of them at least will give thread sizes too.

Most Japanese blocks will have a M5 (metric thread). However I have one that has a 10-32 thread! Have you got a M5 screw that you could try in it? Be careful though as the metric screw will go into the imperial tapping although it will probably be quite tight.

Pretty sure it's 5mm - USA and MIM use imperial sizes.

Uncle Fiesta wrote:Pretty sure it's 5mm - USA and MIM use imperial sizes.

Thanks for clearing that up Steve. Is it correct to assume that Squier and the asian sizes are 6mm with metric thread ?

I believe so, but need more research before giving a definitive answer!

Mex Strats are 5mm (though I think some early ones may have been 10/32").

Squiers have been 5mm or 6mm depending on which factory was making at the time. Nowadays there seem to be far more 5mm. (An exeption is probably the original JV models which featured some US factory supplied hardware).

I'm saying this from workshop experience and what over the counter customers have needed.

Chas.

M5 and 10-32 threads are very similar. If you express the pitch and diameter in the same measurement units, M5 is 5mm diameter whereas 10-32 is 4.7625. Threads per inch, 10-32 is 32tpi and M5 is 31.75tpi. So both will "fit" the other but not perfectly because of the slight size differences and different thread forms.

So if there is a deficit in the fit, then won't one into the other will strip it out eventually?

Possibly Dave. I've heard of metric arms used to tighten a worn block thread!

Yes, in my experience a 5mm arm will go into a 10/32 block - for about a turn or so, then it locks up.

Screwing any harder will risk damage.







(That's funny, that's what she said to me last night ...)