'71 Bronco in the house, couple of parts/restoring questions

[Chris Winsemius]

Hi all

1st of all let me introduce myself: I'm Chris Winsemius from the Netherlands, modding and building tube-amps is my dayjob and I'm also playing guitar/etc. whenever possible. I used to have a '68 Mustang Bass (unf. stolen from me) and a '64 MusicMaster II (sold).

I did purchase a '71 Bronco some time ago and I really like the looks, vibe, feel and the unique tremolo of that guitar. The original tremolo-arm is missing (so I'm looking for it) and the guitar needs some TLC...
Oops: one original knob will be send to me by the former owner so I'm also looking for such knob.

Here's a picture with some other single PU-axes (hope to post something about my 1st electric ever, an Aria 1832T asap):



How to adjust that tremolo?

[Ty]

Good luck finding a trem arm.
Nice Collection by the way.

[robert(original)]

the trem arm is so... damn hard to find.
but at any rate, the collection is rather nice.

[rodvonbon]

How to adjust that tremolo?

What do you need to adjust on it?
If it's the tension the larger philips head screw in the middle will tighten the spring.

[Pacafeliz]

welcome aboard! and... NICE collection!

Pat.

(what's the story on the esquire?)

[Chris Winsemius]

Thanks to all for your very kind words!

So the trem.-arm is a pita to find, I'll try using a stock (or modified) Strat-trem-arm.

Regarding the collection: this was just one pic, got more axes but those are mostly boring long scales...

About that "Esquire":
fake, a modified/reliced Squier Affinty Telecaster I bought from a populair ac/dc-style dutch band a couple of years ago.

bridge-PU: SD Jerry Donahue
selector, pots and cap: replaced with usa stuff
custom (own designed) switching:
1) Volume & tone on
2) only volume on
3) PU directly to output

Did put a new logo on it (don't know how the keyboard from this pc works but it's a T R ' E S Q U I RE (thingy is above the E) in Fender spag. style. I also wanna replace the bridge(-plate) in the future, maybe an old post '67 one I do have or a Callaham.

The Silvertone was bought on 9-11, while I was visting an amp-modding buddy, at Rumble Seat, Ithaca/NYS (1st visit to the usa for me) and it's a nice little axe for slide/etc. The Bronco also seems great for slide btw.

[william]

nice stuff! i have a telecaster and a 2 PU silvertone and a mustang (well, in the house, its the lady's)... kind of like 2 pickup versions of what you have.

that is a really really nice looking esquire. amazing that you made it from a squier tele, great project. im pretty sure robroe on these here boards made an "esquier" (see what i did there? actually, im pretty sure i stole that from him...) from a sherwood green squier tele a few years back, to good results.


i dont know anything about broncos, but i wanted to welcome you to the boards and comment on your cool stuff!

[More Cowbell]

YOu can take your bronco to a "hardware" store that will have a tool that will measure the "thread pitch" then find a trem arm that is proper thickness and have that hardware store cut threads into that arm that match your tremolo's thread.

[Chris Winsemius]

You're very kind!!!

It's just a small part of my collection, I think I have about 20 guitars/basses/acoustics right now, if it's ok (regarding rules/etc. over here) I can post some more pics from other guitars.

Regarding the tremolo: I did try a couple of Strat-arms and one seems to fit decently.

Regarding the Tr`esquire: some people tought it was a real old one but (imho!) it's just an noob-way-of-relicing. I really like used guitars and/or guitars "with a story". The Bronco does have some missing screws, two more stringretainer-holes, it was even used lefthanded afaik and there's a small hole in the pickguard for a mini-switch left to the volume-control. I surely wanna try a "P90 in Strat PU size" size from BG(?) because I like the stock PU more for neck position-duties but the routing is still stock so no two-PU-routing like a MM II.

The 1st time I did see a Bronco was in a Fender book from Bacon and Paul Day. Paul Day is helping me to find some missing parts from that (24 3/4" scale) Aria 1832T guitar.

I also hope to find a Bronco-amp-faceplate (repro or original) so I can build a "matching" amp into a VibroChamp-chassis/cabinet altough it won't be a 6 Watt amp, planning to use a 10 Watt circuit with tremolo.

Cool forum and very nice members!!!

[brambleperro]

The Bronco does have some missing screws, two more stringretainer-holes, it was even used lefthanded afaik and there's a small hole in the pickguard for a mini-switch left to the volume-control.

I just bought a Bronco, too, and it was also drilled to fit a string retainer! Apparently it's more common of a mod than I thought. Fortunately the holes are refilled on mine.

[Billy3000]

Welcome dude! I restored a bronco a couple years ago and I don't have a trem arm either. My theory is that there is a secret race of gnomes (a sub-species of the underpants gnome if you will) that has been sneaking around stealing everyone's bronco trem arms over the years and hoarding them underground somewhere.

[wanderingjew]

If the bronco arm is smaller than the strat arm, I'd suggest getting a strat arm and wrapping it with teflon tape. That'll work if the arms are *pretty* similar.

[Sublimedo]

It may seem a bit sacrilege, but I wanted my damn trem working. I pretty much drilled out the trem hole a wee bit to fit a strat trem bar on it. Works flawlessly. Definitely my favorite system second to the Jazzmaster trem.

[Chris Winsemius]

Again thanks for your suggestions! (great forum!!!)

I'll use a certain Strat-trem-arm (did try a couple) when this axe is finished (nut needs to be replaced and some adjustments are needed).
I'm gonna order a BG Strat-P90 PU for this guitar because I think/feel such PU would be a very nice match for this guitar, compared to such stock PU at the neck at the bridge I'm missing some output/fullness/etc.

Anyway: I'm very happy with this old short scale and lots of (amp-)clients do really like the look & vibe of this Fender.

[matocaster]

Loving that esquire