wang bar snapped off

Hi folks. I've got a strat with a japanese squier neck and the body and guts from an sx. I really like the guitar but the wang bar bar is snapped off where it screws in the bridge. I've been wanting to experiment with vibrato use but I cant figure out how to get it out. I went so far as to try carve a slot in the nub to unscrew it but metal seems really soft and cheap and it ended up totally unconstructive. Any bright ideas? P.S. It was like that when I got it so I have no idea how it happened.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the easiest solution is to block the trem and use it trem-less. That's usually how I set up cheaper import copies with soft metal bridge parts. At least that way you get a playable guitar that stays in tune.

If you're really wanting to fix it, you might be able to replace the sustain block (http://store.guitarfetish.com/sosttrblfima.html), and in the process, replace the part that has the piece of broken tremolo arm stuck in it.

On the principal that "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right", if you replace the trem block, you might as well replace the whole tremolo. Not sure if a GFS replacement tremolo (http://store.guitarfetish.com/minmeimstupt.html) would fit, but a metric ruler should let you know.

Keep in mind, even if you replace the entire tremolo, most tuning problems associated with non-locking tremolos happen at the nut, so you might need to replace that too.

Or you could just block it, and wait for a better quality tremolo guitar to come along... Good luck!

If you can get at it enough to cut a slot in the arm, then you probably can drill the center and back the thing out with an Easy-out or screw extactor(not the cheap things at Sears that mangle a worn screw head). Screw extractors look a little like the bow of the Nautilus in Ten Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, or a tiny little Carvel ice cream cone. You drill the proper sized hole (usually a numbered machinist's bit - should come with the extractor) and then this tool screws itself in counterclockwise in the hole and grabs the screw. Usually you put the tool in a holder for a tap, it's not necessary to chuck it in a drill because you're turning it slowly.

Before bothering with all that, remove the back spring cover and look at the trem block - the hole for the trem arm might go all the way through on some imports, and you can work from the back with a drill bit going clockwise to try to force the screw down and out the top. Then you'll want to figure out what the thread pitch of the arm was, and chase the threads with a tap to clean out the bits left behind from the broken arm. Then, knowing the proper thread, you can replace the trem arm (big mystery here, it could turn out that with all this work you can't find the right size arm to fit anyway since the imports are seldom the 10-32 Imperial pitch thread found on readily available replacement arms). If you have any gearhead friends with these tools it's not difficult, but otherwise it's kind of a mess and your time might be better spent if you just replace the bridge assembly.

So I hope this encourages rather than confuses you. Didn't mean to make it sound complicated, the tool kind of explains itself once you see it.

Well I don't know if it's worth my while invest in tools since the bridge itself is kind of cheap and it might not be much more just to get a new bridge. The drill idea might be a possibility though. So provided I have access from behind I would just drive the drill in the armhole from behind? I'll chech if I have drill bit that fits and give it a shot. Thanks for the help guys.

either drill throught the broken peice and rethread the hole and get a new bar or replace the whole dang thing

Looks like replacing at least the block is the way to go at this point. You got any bigger pictures of that guitar in your avatar Nick? Looks interesting.

Looks like replacing at least the block is the way to go at this point. You got any bigger pictures of that guitar in your avatar Nick? Looks interesting.

how do i upload larger pics (sorry im new at this) but its a old strat body with a kramer neck on it and i got of hold of a wood burner and my brother wood burnt a cross on it and i burnt other random tribal lookin stuff on it

Take your time , it should come out fairly easy , its not screwed down hard
Any of you guys know a place that sell arms that are stronger than normal ?
My son has broken a few ( 6 mm thread ) , maybe a stainless arm would be better ?

I've done that before. From then one, that strat was a hard tail!

either drill throught the broken peice and rethread the hole and get a new bar

seems like a waste of time to me. I have had a few blocks from the 90s crumble as they were unscrewed from the plate, so putting pressure on it from drilling into it could crack it or damage it in some way, and tapping could also crack the block as he said himself it was soft.

replace the whole dang thing

exactly what I would do; buy a new bridge, or at least a new block. You will save yourself a lot of fiddling around and the end result will probably be better than if its been drilled out and tapped.

The metal in your block is junk, and is even softer than the trem arm. Said arm CAN be removed successfully from the block a) if it's not too tight b) if it's not corroded due to dissimilar metals c)if you're good or d) if you're lucky. In my line of work I am continually removing and retapping studs and screws from many metals, and I have wonderful tools to do it with. I'd just punt...
I really like the Callaham unit I have on one of my strats; the tonal and dynamic changes in that particular guitar were nothing short of amazing, but they are a bit pricey. Money well spent in my book, but to each his own.The GFS block is being raved about by some here...I'd trust their judgement, and it's CHEAP. I always keep old parts after an upgrade...if I decide to lose that guitar, I just refit the old parts and use them on another, so I don't worry about putting expensive parts on an inexpensive guitar.
PS: Putting a harder arm(ie: stainless) in a soft block will keep the arm from breaking off in the block, but if it seizes it will just pull the threads out of the block instead. Either way you lose. Good block +good arm=:grin:, and a little light machine oil or vaseline on the threads doesn't hurt either.

I ended up yanking the block off my ibanez talman and using that. The fit was pretty close. I just had to adjust a few holes in the bridge to get everything to line up okay. Now for the hard part: learning to use a vibrato.

12 post and not a single "broken wang" joke?

come on people!

Well for some of us it's more a matter of a dangling rather than breaking.

Droopy Wang ... wasn't that Soupy Sales brother?

Looks like replacing at least the block is the way to go at this point. You got any bigger pictures of that guitar in your avatar Nick? Looks interesting.
i finally found out how to post larger pics
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I like the straplocks. Very creative.

My trem arm has also snapped off. I wondered if it'd be possible to maybe solder it back on and try and wind it out, or am I being stupid! Maybe i'll give it a go....

I kinda doubt it'll work. Solder I think reilies on mechanical retention for a strong bond. It'll probably just snap again trying to get it out. But I could be wrong.

get a 1/8 left handed drill, center punch the broken piece, and carefully get the left-hannded drill started,(drillgun running in reverse), it should walk right out. lookat McMasterr Carr for the bit.