Shorter trem arm available in gold? Apparently not !

I need a shorter trem arm (Fender USA) than I have, trouble is, mine is gold. Any suggestions as to where I might get one if indeed they even exist ?

The Callaham 64 trem bar is what you want.

Might have to special order a gold one but they will.

I emailed them with the question. The '64 looks to be exactly the size I need.
I should have just p.m'd you first :lol:

LOL the 64 is perfect straight doesnt go way up in the air like alot of them. Its the perfect size.

i was gonna say get a callaham, too. shorter and higher than a strat whammy - much more comfortable and useful. your knuckles don't hit the strings!

Bill just emailed me to say they don't do one in gold as it's just too expensive.
Oh well, that's what I get for having expensive tastes. :D

I have a hacksaw. It isn't gold, but I believe it could be used to shorten a gold vibrato arm.

dremmel or my favorite, a Sawzall.

I have a hacksaw. It isn't gold, but I believe it could be used to shorten a gold vibrato arm.
Remind me never to buy any guitar you may build. :lol:
If your hacksaw can shape, form and thread the arm, then Bill Callaham may want to hear from you.

I have a hacksaw. It isn't gold, but I believe it could be used to shorten a gold vibrato arm.
Remind me never to buy any guitar you may build. :lol:

If your hacksaw can shape, form and thread the arm, then Bill Callaham may want to hear from you.

John, I've actually seen a fellow take the plastic tip off a Strat vibrato bar, take a Sawzall (like pohorsky mentioned), and saw about about an inch from that end. He put the plastic tip back on with just the tiniest glob of J-B Weld Kwik and the bar was ready for business.

Necessity's the mither o invention, an need maks a man o craft, my guid freend. :wink:

Joel

Joel, I understand exactly what you have said and thanks for the suggestion. In general that would work fine however, I need mine to be approx 1" shorter but the bend on this particular arm is approx. 1" behind the base of the tip. If I cut 1" off, then the tip would not go back on, if I cut more off, I would cut off the upward bend leaving a very short straight arm.
I believe there is a company in England who manufactured the arms made for the MIM Hank Marvin Strat. so I am presently trying to track them down.

If I cut 1" off, then the tip would not go back on, if I cut more off, I would cut off the upward bend leaving a very short straight arm.

So, you're not looking for a David Gilmour-style stubby arm then? I was thinking maybe that's what you were aiming for. All apologies for my assumption. :wink:

Joel

That really is what I'm looking for. Dave's trem arm has the bend in the middle of the arm as opposed to near the end of my one. If only mine had the bend in that position, I would be able to cut it back an inch or so.

Straigthen it before you cut it?

Straigthen it before you cut it?
It's bent upwards and at an angle, so it's a job that is more than I'm capable of I'm afraid.

I have a hacksaw. It isn't gold, but I believe it could be used to shorten a gold vibrato arm.
Remind me never to buy any guitar you may build. :lol:


You're obviously aware of my reputation as a guitar builder! :oops:

On a serious note, are you aiming to reduce the height of the arm above the body? I thought you wanted the distance to the tip reduced.

Anyway, if it's the former, could you try using a die to cut the thread a little further along the arm, then cutting the same amount from end of the thread? That would allow the arm to sit lower.

Chickenpicker, I might just try that, thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I don't need it to go so far back as I think. I'll try it and see, if it doesn't work it's easy enough to replace it. Thanks again.

It's a pity that this problem wasn't brought to light before St Valentines Day, as you could have used the very same solution as my very good friend, Clarence Clue, retired member of quality 60's duo Norfolk & Clue.

He cut the trem arm down, and shaped the off-cut into a ring, which he then presented to his good lady as a Valentines gift.

Days later, her finger turned green.

In his quest for better tone, Leo had been experimenting with brass trem arms.....

quality 60's duo Norfolk & Clue.
....
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Yes, I supported them when I played with Novak & Goode :lol:

John, I hate to sound like some repetitious idiot, but are you actually wanting a shorter bar, or are you looking to bring your bar's tip end closer to the body of your Strat--or both?

I actually like my bars long and away from the body; consequently, I've done a lot of vibrato bar bending through the years, a la Jimi. If you're only wanting the tip closer to the body, bend that baby down. A good way to do it is to screw in the arm all the way (without stripping the threads, of course :P ), then turn the bar so that the tip points directly to the right. (You are a righty, right-right? Right right.) Then, bend that sucker down. Push it right down 'til you feel and see it give--it doesn't take much. Then, turn it back around in its regular playing position--the tip should be much closer to the body. Or, you can tell me to sod off. (No doubt you've taken this route already, eh?)

Oh, well. I'll keep my eyes peeled on this side of the pond for an adequate bar for your approval, John.

By the way, I still owe you that BOSS Book, don't I? I would surely forget my head if it weren't arc-welded to my platinum-iridium bionic underframe. :P

Cheers,
Joel

John, I hate to sound like some repetitious idiot, but are you actually wanting a shorter bar, or are you looking to bring your bar's tip end closer to the body of your Strat--or both?
Joel

Joel, the ideal bar for me would be both. Only one thing worse than a bar that's too long and that's a bar that is closed. :lol: