Wammy Bar

When I decided to learn to play properly (finally!) about six years ago - after umpteen years of messing around with half-a-dozen chords - I decided to get a decent guitar to learn on. Did a bit of research, checked the budget, went for a Squier Strat. Nice guitars, IMHO - but, like you, I didn't like the whammy bar. So I took it off.

As long as your guitar's tuned properly, and you don't press down too hard on the bridge (for example, when palm-muting) you shouldn't have any problems.

:D :D :D

Vic

When I decided to learn to play properly (finally!) about six years ago - after umpteen years of messing around with half-a-dozen chords - I decided to get a decent guitar to learn on. Did a bit of research, checked the budget, went for a Squier Strat. Nice guitars, IMHO - but, like you, I didn't like the whammy bar. So I took it off.

As long as your guitar's tuned properly, and you don't press down too hard on the bridge (for example, when palm-muting) you shouldn't have any problems.

:D :D :D

Vic

+1 on that. But I'd add that some Strats (I have no idea which specific models off the top of my head, sorry) have a little spring (or somesuch) in the hole the whammy sits in. You don't want to lose this, and it can fall out. I'd remove the whammy and then cover the hole with a small piece of tape so it doesn't fall out if there's one on your guitar, or remove the whammy while the guitar rests on a cleared work surface and then tip the guitar to see if such a thing does fall out (then keep it in a little plastic baggy with your whammy bar). Were it me, I'd probably go for option 1.

Thanks for all the info guys, I put a bit of tape over the hole and then put the wammy bar in a clear bag and this lives in the storage box at home, but it is labelled if I ever need it!!!!! This one didnt come with a spring but someone mentioned on a forum on the net that you can buy a 4mm spring from fender if needed.

The tape prolly looks cool X_X but damn I use the tremolo bar alot. Maybe I can put some tape on my Squier :D

I blocked off the trem on my Squire. I cut out a piece of plywood, and tapped it between the block (the piece of metal that you thread the strings through) and the body. I also sanded off the paint in that area so that the piece of wood would connect the block and the body, so I get a tad bit more sustain, and I think a bit more of a full sound..

But it still doesn't look as cool as tape ^_^.

I should put tape on my Squier, its all stickered up anyways O_O, I even sleep with it in my bed, for whenever I wake up during the night to grab it and play, its in its case though just in case ^_^.

But yeah If you want more sustain and permanent (? well maybe not permanent but hard to undo) no whammy bar ^_^

Hmm, I have a Yamaha Pacifica 112J (strat clone), and I just unscrewed the whammy bar without any of these other adjustments (tape, plywood, etc.) mentioned in this thread. I haven't noticed any problems. Should I be making any other adjustments, or am I probably fine?

Oliver, as our friends have said, you'll be okay choosing what to do about the wammy bar, with or without. The spring may or may not fit within the sustain block, they're designed & sold for the smaller holes on MIA Strats - the off-shore units are actually thicker with larger threads, maybe so that we don't break them right away? :shock:

The little spring stiffens up the bar just a bit, doesn't really hold it in place, but it makes a difference for sure. Most dealers just throw them away - you know you've got one inside when the dealer puts that tape or a little stick-em dot over the trem hole on the bridge base plate to contain the spring. So, they can usually leave the bar itself in an envelope or bag. :)

Hanging Chord, you too are fine with your Yamaha, no further adjustments or precautions are necessary unless you want to put the tremolo out of action completely, drop the tail or 'hardtail' it - see other thread on that topic.

For those who are worried about breaking the trem arm, SRV's guitar tech used to pack his trem block hole with oiled cotton, to help extract the stub - Stevie broke the arm often, probably because it was left-handed. :lol:

But it still doesn't look as cool as tape ^_^.
But yeah If you want more sustain and permanent (? well maybe not permanent but hard to undo) no whammy bar ^_^
yeah, I probably should have added that if you want to use the whammy bar again, dont block it off.

I blocked off the trem on my Squire. I cut out a piece of plywood, and tapped it between the block (the piece of metal that you thread the strings through) and the body. I also sanded off the paint in that area so that the piece of wood would connect the block and the body, so I get a tad bit more sustain, and I think a bit more of a full sound..
This needn't be done as a permanent option - http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45243

This needn't be done as a permanent option - http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45243

That was a good thread Scrybe, and phenominal download work - I read all of your pages about the install of the wood block. Very comprehensive - that book talked about the different kinds of sustain blocks from vintage Fender to smaller Squier block, and presumably clones, I think it covered them all. :D

I blocked off the trem on my Squire. I cut out a piece of plywood, and tapped it between the block (the piece of metal that you thread the strings through) and the body. I also sanded off the paint in that area so that the piece of wood would connect the block and the body, so I get a tad bit more sustain, and I think a bit more of a full sound..
This needn't be done as a permanent option - http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45243
yes... thats a great book by the way the "Haynes Fender Stratocaster Manual" by Paul Balmer.

The only thing that I could think of to add to that, is be sure to not strip out the screws. A buddy of mine did that, and now we're having to do an overhaul on it.

Not really relevant, but I remember one of my most emabarrassing guitar moments came about when I got my Squier Strat - the Mrs asked me what the tremolo arm was. "Tremolo Arm," says I - "helps with bending notes, but instead of just bending one note at a time, you can change the pitch of ALL the strings. But I'll be damned if I can get the thing in...."

"Have you tried screwing it in clockwise?" she asked.....

:oops: :oops: :oops:

Vic

"Have you tried screwing it in clockwise?" she asked.....

:oops: :oops: :oops:

Vic

So you were doing it anti all the time ?

Hope that sorted out all the whammy about the bar. :lol: