Tightening that Dynamic Vibrato tremolo arm
A common question of new owners of guitars with a Dynamic Vibrato is how to keep the tremolo arm in the tailpiece bar. The tremolo/bridge unit of the Fender jag-stang and most mustangs is a Dynamic Vibrato, so this article applies to both the jag-stang and mustang.
The first thing to know is that the tremolo bar itself does not “snap” or screw into place like the tremolo bar of a stratocaster. The tremolo bar is held in place by pressure from a small allen screw in the tailpiece bar.
The photo below points to the location of this allen screw. Note the location indicated by the blue arrow pointing into the end of the tailpiece bar.
So to hold your tremolo bar in place get the bar in a position you are comfortable with and then snug the screw in the end of the tailpiece using a 4mm (or 5/32″) allen wrench. Don’t over tighten this screw. (see below)
So another very common problem is that the screw in the end of the tailpiece bar will be missing. They fall out very easily.
There are not a lot of options for finding a replacement screw. You may have to buy an entire dynamic vibrato tailpiece that includes the screw. Or another option would be to pull the tailpiece bar off the guitar and take it into your local hardware store looking for a screw that will fit.
[If anyone has found an exact replacement for this screw please let us know the details and we'll add it to this article.]
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:48 am
As an owner of a Mustang that had that screw fall out, I would welcome information on it.
I haven’t found anything myself yet.
Thanks.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Be warned that there are two major differences between the old vintage Mustang tailpieces and those on the reissue Mustangs and Jag-Stangs. The old tailpieces are made with SAE (American) measurements and threads, and the new ones are metric. You can’t use the set screw from a new tailpiece on and old one, and vice versa, without stripping the threads.
Also, the old tailpiece had a plastic insert in the set screw hole to keep the screw from marring the tremolo bar, and the new ones do not, and this is really bad. When I bought my Jag-Stang, I installed the tremolo bar and tightened the set screw so the bar would stay in one position. Not thinking anything of it, I moved the bar around just like I would on a Strat. When I removed the bar I found that the set screw had cut deep grooves into the bar, essentially ruining it. Leave it to Fender to take a bad tremolo and make it worse.
The solution is to make a piece of plastic like what was used on the old tailpiece. You’ll need to cut a small pill-like cylinder of plastic that will fit in the set screw hole but large enough where it will fit without falling out. That way the bar will be held in by pressure on the set screw but will be cushioned by the plastic insert.
Incidentally, I found a great way for left-handers to block off Mustang/Jag-Stang tremolo. You need to find a right-handed Mustang tailpiece and remove the pivot bar. Find two short bolts with the same thread as the pivot bolts. Flip the righty bar around and bolt it into your lefty tailpiece plate with the short bolts and mount to your guitar. The end result is a tailpiece pivot bar mounted rigidly to the tailpiece plate with proper holes in the back for mounting the strings. The strings follow through to the front and will go over the bridge at a lower angle, thus holding the strings tighter on the bridge, helping your intonation. The best part is that this is a completely reversible modification.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Mine’s a 77 made in USA Mustang.
But it never had the plastic piece you speak of–the bar has a flat spot cut into it where the screw goes–and it worked great.
The screw came out when I took the handle off and put the screw back in -it worked itself loose at some point after that and I don’t know where or when.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
i have a fiesta red jagstang, one thing i did for my screw on the bottom of my vibrato is bought a jar of anti seize and put some on the set screw. it makes the set screw keep from vibrating out as well. i also filed a groove into my bar so that it hangs loose(that works for me)
July 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I have a 65 mustang and I too am looking for that screw…no one knows what size will fit yet?