Steinberger Spirit vibrato - softer-feeling spring?

Keefy

Having previously written off my Steinberger Spirit’s vibrato system as incapable of staying in tune (other than when locked off), I’ve just discovered that’s happily not the case. However it has a very stiff feel to it, despite quite a long bar.

So far Google has not turned up a Steinberger equivalent of the Reverend Soft Spring. Anyone know of a product out there that might fit the bill?

TheMarlin

Mine is absolutely fine. Stays perfectly in tune, feels about right for a trem. 

It’s up and down the motorway with me all the time, in hot/cold cars and air conditioned rooms  - rarely needs any tweak to tuning. 

Winny_Pooh

Mine has a retaining nut that's quite specifically sized, which fits into the tension adjuster so you might need to measure and find a spring outside of guitardom. 

blobb

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/3795981/#Comment_3795981

Keefy

Winny_Pooh said:

Mine has a retaining nut that's quite specifically sized, which fits into the tension adjuster so you might need to measure and find a spring outside of guitardom. 

Yes I did wonder if I might need to look further afield.

blobb said:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/3795981/#Comment_3795981

Thanks, I’ll check the vendor’s website.

TheMarlin said:

Mine is absolutely fine. Stays perfectly in tune, feels about right for a trem. 

It’s up and down the motorway with me all the time, in hot/cold cars and air conditioned rooms  - rarely needs any tweak to tuning. 

Maybe I’m just a whammy-bar wuss!

Funkfingers

There was a German guy who supplied replacement/upgrade parts for the Höhner Steinberger "T" models. (I recall this being harder-wearing pivot posts and, possibly, one other part.) He also showed how to install the parts.

Keefy

Funkfingers said:

There was a German guy who supplied replacement/upgrade parts for the Höhner Steinberger "T" models. (I recall this being harder-wearing pivot posts and, possibly, one other part.) He also showed how to install the parts.

I think I may have watched one or more of his YT videos.

TheMarlin

who replacem reengineered trem. 
https://headlessusa.com/jcustom-r-trem

trem parts
https://www.headless-europe.eu/Bernds_Guitar_Pages/R-Trem_Upgrade.html

Keefy

TheMarlin said:

who replacem reengineered trem. 
https://headlessusa.com/jcustom-r-trem

trem parts
https://www.headless-europe.eu/Bernds_Guitar_Pages/R-Trem_Upgrade.html

Thank you!

EDIT: That’s sent me off to a lot of online resources I somehow missed - possibly from not knowing it’s called the R-Trem.

TheMarlin

Any valuable resources you find (upgrade trem parts etc, post links here so we can all see). 

My trem is great,  it it clear that I can expect problems over time. So I might see what I can upgrade sooner to prevent issues later.  

With these Oil City pickups, this really is a fabulous little ‘go anywhere’ guitar.  Sounds ace too! So will hang into this on. 

Keefy

After a number of dead ends, I'd say the best info is to be found at Steinberger World. From the menu, choose Parts & Repair, click the link for detailed parts sources, then the one for TransTrem and S-Trem springs. This page gives the specs for the types of die spring to fit the S-Trem, but at the bottom of the page it also tells you about the R-Trem spring.

Cutting to the chase, the R-Trem die spring has an uncompressed length of 2in, max. outside ('hole') diameter 0.625in (5/8in), and internal ('shaft') diameter 0.344in. The standard part is medium duty and fwiw manufacturer codes include Raymond M75-200-RAY and Dayton MaxLife M75-200. There are diagrams on the page illustrating how the dimensions work but it doesn't seem to allow direct linking to either the page or the illustrations.

I'm off to eBay to look at die springs.

vasselmeyer

It might also be worth looking at this thread from @carlos which talks about some additional washers which make a major difference to tuning capability.

Keefy

vasselmeyer said:

It might also be worth looking at this thread from @carlos which talks about some additional washers which make a major difference to tuning capability.

Yes, saw that at the time and did the mod a while back - well worthwhile.

Kittyfrisk

No associations... https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Die-Springs-2428-c

Keefy

Kittyfrisk said:

No associations... https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Die-Springs-2428-c

Thanks, appreciated!