Damn and blast - bust someone else's trem!!!!

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axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
My boss at work has a cheap and rather poor Charvel in an unplayable state - damaged fret, intonation all level with eachother(!), trem all over the place etc. As I like doing up guitars I said I'd get it sorted over the weekend. I noticed from the back that the trem block had crumbled away a bit and pointed it out to him. Anyway, stripped it down, fixed the fret and polished them all, checked the electrics and then started to reassemble. DISASTER!!!! I put the springs back on the trem block, merely lifted it up from the guitar body, pivoting to get it level - and it crumbled and broke off the base plate!! Unbelievably cheap crap, but now I need to try and do something to fix it???? A bit of research and it is a Jackson JT280 (WB2). A Floyd Rose license apparently made by Wilkinson. 

I don't think I'm gonna get a replacement block from anywhere - anyone got any ideas on that??? I guess I'll have to try and find a replacement trem from somewhere :(

This is the type of trem, useless cheap bastard that it is ....

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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    edited December 2013 tFB Trader
    Oooooo I havn't seen one of those in years ... had em on Encores and loads of cheap and nasty 'widdly' Strats back in the early 90s. Absolute junk ... lord knows what you'd do for spares .... Perhaps a Wilkinson 2 point strat would fit.

    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Not your fault. Those bridges are total and utter shite.

    If it has a locking nut the Wilkinson 2-point won't really do the job even if it fits - no fine tuners. There is an old model of Kahler which might fit - what's the post spacing? That might be a bit of a long-term Ebay search anyway though.

    The only suggestion I can come up with if you can't find anything that fits the posts is, if there's enough left of the old block to get measurements, see if Andy at Wudtone could make a replacement steel block. Won't be cheap though...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12646
    Those were shite, made by a company that traded under the name KKT back in the day. The black version was on the Marlin Sidewinder...

    Tbh, I'd look into what could be fitted in its place rather than repairing it as anything would be an upgrade.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • dchwhitedchwhite Frets: 182
    If you do decide to replace the block, there's the chap on eBay who makes various ones - someone mentions him in this thread:

    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/6572/mim-strat-bridge-trem-upgrade-suggestions
    Stonevibe: 'The best things in life aren't things'.

    Trading feedback: Previous (+18) and Current

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Unfortunately the block is pretty complicated as it needs all the fine tuner gubbins, so I don't think machining a new one is practical. This is a real bummer, I honestly can't think of a gameplan to get useable. The annoying thing is that there must be a shedload of these lying in a box or three somewhere on the planet.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    axisus said:
    The annoying thing is that there must be a shedload of these lying in a box or three somewhere on the planet.
    Probably all with crumbled bridge blocks...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    There's only one thing an honourable man can do really, and that is throw the guitar in a skip on your way to the job centre tomorrow. :)
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  • Don't forget that even if you bought a better replacement trem, it's crucial that the posts are as good as the trem that rests on them. I'd image that the posts on that guitar are naff too and would prevent the new trem from functioning properly, so in that case you have to make sure that either the thread of the inserts matches the new posts perfectly, or that the size of the inserts from the new trem are an exact match for the old ones.

    To me that route sounds like a ballache though. What I would do is try picking up a cheap floyd rose knockoff and then block the trem. Just make sure you get the measurements right :) Here's a link for a cheapo set up: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHROME-FLOYD-ROSE-DOUBLE-LOCKING-TREMOLO-BRIDGE-/190964003344?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2c76577210


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  • Sorry I should be clearer there, what I meant was that you could then put the new trem on the old posts if you were blocking it off and weren't worried about using it as a full-floater. You never know though, you might get lucky with that set above and the posts might be a perfect match :)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited December 2013
    You might be able to find a cheap Floyd knock-off with closer than normal post spacing like the one kos5150 posted. Maybe this -


    Which looks even more basic and says it's 74mm. Even if that's bigger than the post spacing on the guitar (from the pic it looks like about 70mm but that's just from holding a ruler up to the screen!) the bridge baseplate will probably be soft enough that you could file the knife edge cut-outs 'oval' until it fits. It might not work perfectly but at least it would work and be an improvement over a broken piece of crap...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    Shame I donated (to a good cause) the spare Floyd I had.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Bodged it with fixed trem for now. The most crappy trem I have ever come across .....
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  • I always thought Charvel did quality stuff?! 


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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader

    I always thought Charvel did quality stuff?! 


    Not at one point ... some we had in stock about 1990 were absolutely shite.
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    mike_l said:
    Shame I donated (to a good cause) the spare Floyd I had.

    Wisdom awarded sir. But @axisus, I don't mind donating it on to you, if Mike doesn't want it back, I never used it in the end bcoz I had my steinberger repaired.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I'd be more than happy to have it if it fits! 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    Hi - on 2nd thoughts, it won't I'm pretty sure - it needs a big old rout.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    If it's a standard Floyd-type bridge it will fit as long as the post spacing is OK - you don't need a back rout. You may need to shim the neck, but that's all.

    The critical point is the posts - from memory and the pic axisus posted I'm pretty sure the crap bridge has narrower than standard Floyd spacing.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    viz said:
    Hi - on 2nd thoughts, it won't I'm pretty sure - it needs a big old rout.

    You sure? Sammie doesn't have a bigger rout than my Strat....

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • ESchapESchap Frets: 1428
    @axisus Such a useful resource the FB forum .... At least you can show him this thread and hopefully keep your job!
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