Mustang Vibrato Help

For help with setups and other technical issues.
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scottydanger
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Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by scottydanger » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:09 am

Howdy! So I've had my Thinline Mustang for a few months now, and I'm at my wit's end with the vibrato system. I have a Staytrem bridge on there, and I have followed every setup guide over and over and I can't get the damn thing to stay in tune no matter what I do. I have .10s on there right now and I really don't want to go to .11s (my Jag has those and I like some variety).

So what do I try next?

Ideas:
1. Buy a vintage unit (seeing them for roughly $80, I can stomach that)
2. Sell the staytrem and buy a mastery (everything I've read has said it's overkill though)
3. Suck it up and use .11s (blah)
4. Rout this fucker out for a JM vibrato a la Belinda Butcher (wish I could afford this plan haha)

Anything else I should try? Thanks in advance!

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misowaki
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by misowaki » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:13 am

Is it just going out with regular play or trem usage?

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scottydanger
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by scottydanger » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:25 am

misowaki wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:13 am
Is it just going out with regular play or trem usage?
Only trem usage, it holds perfect tune otherwise.

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misowaki
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by misowaki » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:55 am

You done the usual lubing/pencil trick on the nut? Are the tuners steady? Is it new or used? I can't imagine it's the staytrem as it's worked wonders on my Jazzmaster. You moved the spring position in the tube?

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scottydanger
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by scottydanger » Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:31 pm

misowaki wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:55 am
You done the usual lubing/pencil trick on the nut? Are the tuners steady? Is it new or used? I can't imagine it's the staytrem as it's worked wonders on my Jazzmaster. You moved the spring position in the tube?
Soaked it in Big Bends Nut sauce! It’s a used MIJ Mustang (imported direct). The tuners are solid, same as my MIJ Jag that has no issues.

Dropped the springs down as well, all that did was put the arm at a nearly impossible to use angle, and still didn’t affect tuning stability. Not dive bombing, just flutters and a few half step single note bends.

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Horsefeather
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by Horsefeather » Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:13 pm

Image

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MechaBulletBill
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by MechaBulletBill » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:06 pm

scottydanger wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:31 pm
misowaki wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:55 am
You done the usual lubing/pencil trick on the nut? Are the tuners steady? Is it new or used? I can't imagine it's the staytrem as it's worked wonders on my Jazzmaster. You moved the spring position in the tube?
Soaked it in Big Bends Nut sauce! It’s a used MIJ Mustang (imported direct). The tuners are solid, same as my MIJ Jag that has no issues.

Dropped the springs down as well, all that did was put the arm at a nearly impossible to use angle, and still didn’t affect tuning stability. Not dive bombing, just flutters and a few half step single note bends.
Have you tried screwing the tailpiece down so that you only gete divebomb/downward movement? That's about as stable as an mij mustang vibrato can get ime

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timtam
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by timtam » Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:11 pm

Horsefeather wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:13 pm
Image
What bridge saddles are those ?
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Horsefeather
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by Horsefeather » Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:40 pm

I should have included this link describing the project. They're Kahler Flyer saddles. Not exactly easy to get but you could also use a roller tune-o-matic, I suppose.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 8&t=102824

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supersonicjazzmaster
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by supersonicjazzmaster » Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:59 am

Buy a vintage unit. This will solve the problem.

I have a CIJ 71 reissue Mustang, where I had the same problem. I tried everything... nothing helped...
Then I filed the area on the plate, where the two springs will have contact to the plate. I filed them round.
Now it stays n tune. BUT the trem only works when I push it down, not in the other way.
The problem are the cheap japanese plates in my opinion.
For A Jagstang (same system) I bought an old trem plate and that solved every problem. This trem works up and down in the same way,
I really can abuse it and it stays in tune.
My experiences.

...if you buy an old Mustang trem plate, be sure that the little side screw (for fixing the trem arm) is in the "cigar"!!!
It starts... when it begins.
Ralf Kilauea

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scottydanger
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Re: Mustang Vibrato Help

Post by scottydanger » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:17 am

Horsefeather wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:40 pm
I should have included this link describing the project. They're Kahler Flyer saddles. Not exactly easy to get but you could also use a roller tune-o-matic, I suppose.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 8&t=102824
Just Googled them and they'd cost as much as (or more than) a mastery. Yikes. Thanks for the tip, though!

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