Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

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Cooperman
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Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Cooperman » Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:15 am

OK, I'm new to the Jazzmaster world having just scored a 60th Anniversary classic. I love this guitar. I have one question. I'm sure its been covered here before but my search did not provide the information I'm looking for. When I'm not playing my guitars, I always keep them in their cases. When I put my Jazzmaster in its case and close the lid, the top make no allowance for the tremolo bar and, therefore, places downward pressure on it when closed. There is no way to rotate the arm to prevent this. I really don't want to remove the bar every time I put my guitar in its case because I'm afraid this will eventually compromise the function of the bar and its ability to stay where I move it without swing down. When I push it in fully, it is a tight fit and it takes considerable effort to remove it. Please let me know how you work around this. Did I not get the proper case ?

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by aliendawg » Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:22 am

I'd really like to know as well.

Some people say there's a specific angle where it doesn't push/pull the bar but I never understood it completely

Eric Baecht (Worked as guitar tech for Sonic Youth) said this in an article: "Even in a hard case, just find the angle (sort of over the jack) that the arm will bend the least when it's in the case. Believe me, those SY guitars traveled millions of miles and it was never an issue."

source: https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... nance_Tips

I still haven't tried this, though... My Jag almost doesn't fit the hard case and the replacement tremolo bar I ordered didn't arrive yet.
"With the resurgence of offsets it seems like we're also seeing a resurgence of people who don't know what to do with them" - 601210

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by bluenote23 » Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:42 am

Well I have a couple of AVRI JMs and a Jag and I take the arm off when it's in the case.

If the arm gets loose and swings (like they seem to do on most JMs and Jags) you can use strands of nylon thread jammed in with the arm to keep it in place.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Fuzzbuzz » Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:54 am

I’ve had AVRI, Pro Jazzmasters and currently own and love an American Original. Always take my tremolo arm off when storing in the case for all models.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by PJazzmaster » Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:06 pm

I leave mine in. Always. Never experienced any tuning issues because of the trem arm (but quite often because of 'fixed' Mastery Bridge saddles during live shows ... :squint: but that's another story ::) )

fyi - old thread on the same subject: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... remolo+arm
Last edited by PJazzmaster on Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Trout » Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:08 pm

Leave it in. Have an SKB jazz/jag case and a JMJM. No issues.
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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by PJazzmaster » Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:12 pm

and to quote something from the old thread I mentioned before :freako: ...
Bloke on the water wrote:
Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:45 am
Leave it in.
1. Taking them in and out eventually leads to 'spreading' the collet so the fit gets sloppy or worse, breaking off one of the collet spllnes.
2. You'll eventually lose the arm.
3. The arms absolutely refuse to stay in the case pocket. One day you'll open the case after an hour in the car and find the arm has worked itself out of the case pocket and around to the front of your pristine Sonic Blue Jazzmaster. One hour of car jolting and cases rubbing later and the arm has carved a portrait of Rolf Harris on the front of your guitar.
4, I've seen a Jazzmaster fall about 2 metres onto a floor. it landed on the front with very little damage . I.m sure the arm acted like a shock absorber.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:24 pm

My Thinline jag (which is a bit thicker than the normal ones I guess) always travels in its Fender deluxe molded case with the arm still in it.
Never had any issue.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Fuzzbuzz » Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:39 pm

PJazzmaster wrote:
Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:12 pm
and to quote something from the old thread I mentioned before :freako: ...
Bloke on the water wrote:
Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:45 am
Leave it in.
1. Taking them in and out eventually leads to 'spreading' the collet so the fit gets sloppy or worse, breaking off one of the collet spllnes.
2. You'll eventually lose the arm.
3. The arms absolutely refuse to stay in the case pocket. One day you'll open the case after an hour in the car and find the arm has worked itself out of the case pocket and around to the front of your pristine Sonic Blue Jazzmaster. One hour of car jolting and cases rubbing later and the arm has carved a portrait of Rolf Harris on the front of your guitar.
4, I've seen a Jazzmaster fall about 2 metres onto a floor. it landed on the front with very little damage . I.m sure the arm acted like a shock absorber.
Sounds like a good argument to leave it in. Personally I never saw how any damage could be done by leaving it in. I always just removed it out of habit I guess.

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:59 pm

I replaced the collet with a StayTrem one so I just gently remove the bar when I'm not playin.. I remove it and insert it with care so I don't damage or prematurely wear out the polymer insert... I just can't bring myself to leave it in there for some reason..but after reading some of the above I'm starting to think my fear is irrational :D

I guess I was afraid that the tremolo spring staying compressed in the case will cause spring compression and fatigue and alter the tremolo funcion..but springs fatigue when they are repetitively loaded/unloaded, not when kept continuously compressed, although if cheap steel, I suppose they can compress and loose length I suppose. Can anyone address this issue?

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:01 am

Have had mine in cases with the arm in for many, many years.

No way the spring is going to fatigue or fail... They're incredibly strong with a high spring rate - they need to be to counteract the string tension after all.
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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Cooperman » Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:12 am

Thanks all for the good information. Looks like I'll be keeping my tremolo arm in place both in and out of the case !

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Sun Jul 22, 2018 5:28 pm

andy_tchp wrote:
Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:01 am
Have had mine in cases with the arm in for many, many years.

No way the spring is going to fatigue or fail... They're incredibly strong with a high spring rate - they need to be to counteract the string tension after all.
Thanks. It looks like I may just leave it in too :D

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by aliendawg » Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:21 pm

Does this count for cheap Squier Jags too? Just got my tremolo arm

A bit off topic, but is the floating tremolo that smooth? I guess I'm used to my strat whammy, which feels kind of rough (I set it up that way). Is it normal to be quite "sensitive"?
"With the resurgence of offsets it seems like we're also seeing a resurgence of people who don't know what to do with them" - 601210

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Re: Jazzmaster tremolo arm when in the case

Post by Fuzzbuzz » Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:46 pm

I’ll continue to pull mine out. Every.time.

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