Kurtifying a Mustang trem

[othomas2]

I want to lock off the trem, it's just doesn't do it for me and I have the Jag for that.

Does anyone know what parts you need to do this ?

As I recall... washers / nuts etc are needed, but specific sizes may help.

When I converted my Jagstang back in the day I remember having to cut off the last notch of the trem bolts, due the the lack of cavity depth.

I'm assuming because there wasn't any washers between the lipstick and the plate, which was probably the suggested way.

I'm sure there's a link for this but I'm lazy. It's a Bank holiday after all !!

cheers
O

[Bacchus]

Think Stewart might have done this on the Mustang he sold Mike.

[HNB]

6mm bolts and washers did the trick for me. I have heard of people using the normal posts with the springs still attached, but I normally remove them and just use bolts.


DSC09159 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

[othomas2]

6mm bolts and washers did the trick for me. I have heard of people using the normal posts with the springs still attached, but I normally remove them and just use bolts.


DSC09159 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

Awesomeness !! That's a great solution. Are the x3 washers there because there was movement after the bolt was fully in without them ?

thanks
O

[HNB]

I havent figured out the perfect length. It was to allow the bar to screw in almost all the way and be snug. I also put two or three washers on the other side so the bar would be off the plate for strings to be able to go under as usual.

[Silenus]

^ or flip the bar around and insert them strings straight via the backside.
Works fine for me

[othomas2]

That's probably what I'll do.... I think kurdts was like that too if I'm not mistaken.

[paul_]

Yeah, Kurt's In Utero tour Japan stangs (and probably his Jag-Stang eventually) had the bar flipped and locked to act as a stop tail.

The March 1995 issue of "Guitar World" magazine mentions Kurt sent out 4 new, stock, Mustangs to be routed for humbuckers (32). Three were sonic blue and one fiesta red (41). The way Earnie modified these guitars is as follows:

First, the nut had to be cut for heavier strings, then the neck shimmed for a better bridge angle with the cardboard backings from hotel stationery pads, and a Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge was installed. Earnie also had to modify the tailpiece to block the vibrato, which Kurt hated. He would remove the two springs for the vibrato bar, add washers to the posts beneath the bridge plate, which locked it down to the plate. Lastly, Earnie would flip the tailpiece around allowing the strings to feed directly through the tailpiece, not under, and the ball ends of the strings would fit in the tailpiece's recesses (41).

[othomas2]

So I managed to lock off the trem bar. I did pick up some allen bolts from work but they were the wrong thread size.

I found that by using x2 smallish washers on each pole, underneath the plate was enough. I would then just lock it all together by tightening everything up. Those washers would just take out the gap

I think your solution would perhaps be more stable long term or the more desirable choice, but this seems to do the trick nicely. I can't imagine it ever coming loose, or pulling under pressure... but yours would win a strength test I reckon.

I found that the washers just needed to small enough width-ways to drop inside the cavity. The first ones I used didn't haha..

thanks again.
O

[stewart]

Think Stewart might have done this on the Mustang he sold Mike.

nah, it was my maple necked one, while i was waiting for new springs.

i found the easiest way to block a mustang trem was to just not use it. if the springs are tight it should be completely stable.

[taylornutt]

Think Stewart might have done this on the Mustang he sold Mike.

nah, it was my maple necked one, while i was waiting for new springs.

i found the easiest way to block a mustang trem was to just not use it. if the springs are tight it should be completely stable.

This