Squier CV Jaguar trem bar mod

spev11

Recently bought a used CV Jaguar, I like it a lot but the trem was terrible so I replaced it with the Hosco one from Northwest Guitars (about £46 or so), its much better but I did still have the problem with the trem bar being a bit wobbly. didnt want to spend out on one of the other options. I had a Wilkinson style strat trem like this

took the collett  (circled out and fitted it in place of the jag collet (in blue below)


It works, I can tighten the little grub screw to stop the bar flapping, i've not got the jag bar to try in there but it works with the strat bar perfectly well.
 I know I'll probably get burning pitchforks at my door for using a strat bar on an offset but hey ho, what works innit.
Dunno if the wilkinson style collar is available as a spare though

Funkfingers

What is the diameter of the hole through the tailpiece baseplate? A push-in Floyd Rose collet might fit.

The only downside to the Wilkinson arm is that it fails to reach to where habitual Jazzmaster and Jaguar users expect it to be. (Like having a Gilmour-ised arm on a Stratocaster or a palm pedal on a Kahler Pro.)


EDIT

There is always the Mike "Puisheen" Adams hammer trick. Put a slight kink into the stock arm. This stops it waggling in the collet and making peculiar noises.

OTOH, it's a Jaguar. Peculiar noises are their specialism.

spev11

i gave the arm a clout but it still kinda annoyed me that I had to do it. I'm always on the lookout and trying stuff to see if it can work. As a bike mechanic I've got a workshop full of tools and end the working day a little bit of time for fiddling/experimenting. 
I'l measure the hole when I get a chance later on.
I'm gonna give the original arm a go when I get home, if it doesnt fit then I'll buy some bar and make a longer one because , as you say its a little short for my normal playing position on the jag.

lustycourtier

Staytrem does a collet and bar thatll fit for about £30. 

spev11

They do, but they are out of stock and I had the spares here to try it, and it works well enough for me not to need one so far.

spev11

Just measured the hole, its 10mm on the unthreaded plate and 8.8mm on the threaded section

impmann

Why not just get some round stainless bar in the right diameter and just bend it up using a blow lamp and a vice? Use the original Trem arm as a pattern…

FWIW, I’ve done the “whack it with a hammer” trick on my Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster - it works well but it’s not as good as the Staytrem arm. I have one on order… but I’m not holding my breath as to when they will come back to me.

spev11

I’ve tried it for a week or two and it’s not as successful as it first seemed so I’m back with the original. Will save my pennies and order the stay trem arm

Corvus

The Staytrem kit is good, in the meantime could try crushing in the collet arms, or putting a small jubilee or similar type of clip over it might help cut out some slop.

spev11

Corvus said:

The Staytrem kit is good, in the meantime could try crushing in the collet arms, or putting a small jubilee or similar type of clip over it might help cut out some slop.

I’ve given the bar a tap and it’s not bad, it’ll last till I order a staytrem

Funkfingers

Corvus said:

could try crushing in the collet arms

Be very careful doing that. They can snap off. Far wiser to "thicken" the arm bar with masking tape or PTFE tape.

Strumit

I got fed up with PTFE tape on my strat copy, so have ordered the Wilkinson 52.5mm trem bridge with the push in bar.  This has a grub screw to adjust the bar "floppiness".  It's in transit from PRC, so will report back when I get it fitted.  Have read good reports on the net about "fit and forget" so we shall see!  One report said to clean up all the rough edges on the drillings before fitting (Eeek!) but at twenty odd quid, to be expected I suppose.  Another UK name on a PRC product!