Trem Arm: Remove when in case?

[abstamaria]

I have always removed the trem arm when putting a Stratocaster in its case on the theory that continuous pressure on the arm can't be too good. Besides, the guitars were always shipped to me with the arms removed.

Naturally, I regularly lose the trem arm springs in the process. I have wondered whether removing the trem arm is necessary. What is your practice?

Andy

[RogerCook]

I leave mine in place and just position it so the pressure from the case lid is minimised. It's ok with a Strat but the Burns Is a different matter and removing the arm would require major engineering!

[abstamaria]

Many thanks, Roger. The arms on Gretsch and Mosrite guitars aren’t removable too. I’m not sure about Gibsons. I probably will continue to pack Fenders with the arms off. The only problem seems to be losing those tiny springs!

Best,

Andy

[Uncle Fiesta]

Based on the number of Strats I've bought in the past which arrived without one, it would seem many people are able to lose the arm as well!

(How do they manage that? I never have!)

[royb]

Just a little tip.
You can stick a bit of blue tac on the bottom of the spring and it holds in place pretty well.

[Teflon]

An interesting question I've often pondered over.

I've always taken the arm of my Strat when it's in the case (which is most of the time! ), but the "croc" cases for my Marvins have a neat cut out in the lid which acommodates the arm quite nicely. I do, however, have a Burns Legend which came in a Burns branded Hiscox case, which doesn't have the cut out. In this instance, as arm removal is a bit involved, I've taken to slackening one of the Allen bolts that holds the arm in position, so the arm flops down onto the body (I keep a cloth between arm and body to protect the paint). I've often wondered if this is really necessary, or just a waste of time?

It feels wrong to leave the arm being pressed down by the case lid, but it can't really do any harm, can it? I'd appreciate the collective thoughts of the forum, particularly those with Burns or Bigsby equipped guitars.

Cliff

[JimN]

I owned a 1965 Burns Marvin from 1972 to 2022 and never adjusted the tremolo arm when it was its case (the majority of its time. The case was not an original Burns case; ii was a Fender-style case which had been supplied with a Mosrite guitar I bought in 1970. I PXd the Mosrite for the Marvin in a London shop and kept the Mosrite case because there wasn't a case with the Burns. It fitted well (largely because of the reverse offset shape of both instruments).

There was never the slightest issue with the Marvin's tremolo arm in that case.

[neil2726]

Interesting post! Regarding Strats - I had to bend the arm of mine downwards so that I could hold it in my hand as I played. Im not sure if it would be wise to close the case with the original arm in place, they seem to a upward bend in them, but with mine in a playable condition its fine to do so as I unwind the arm 3/4 turn so that it sits over the jack socket!
Burns: I have 2 Marvins and the Shads Special all in Burns cases. All fit in the cases without any need to unscrew the arms. Just place the handle part of the arm over the pickups!
I had a 60s Baldwin Marvin which in those days didnt come with a case. I found it necessary to loosen the arm so that it folded flat to the body in order to close the case! I eventually part exchanged it at a local music shop! Some weeks later I called in at the shop to find the Marvin behind the counter with a large crack along the rear body. The shop owner said he had let a guy take the guitar to try out and he had closed the case with the trem arm in its normal position!

[JimN]

... I had a 60s Baldwin Marvin which in those days didnt come with a case. I found it necessary to loosen the arm so that it folded flat to the body in order to close the case! I eventually part exchanged it at a local music shop! Some weeks later I called in at the shop to find the Marvin behind the counter with a large crack along the rear body. The shop owner said he had let a guy take the guitar to try out and he had closed the case with the trem arm in its normal position!

That would not crack a solid body! You'd snap the arm (at the mounting contact) with less force than it would take to break a piece of timber 1½" thick...

Either something else had happened to the guitar or there was already a crack in the body which was given the final straw of just enough force to separate it.

[neil2726]

Only relaying what the shop owner told me! It was in good condition when I part exchanged it with no sign of a crack!