Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
Post Reply
User avatar
j mascis
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 289
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:28 pm

Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by j mascis » Wed Sep 16, 2020 2:36 pm

Hey all.

Is there any way to adjust the angle on a JM trem bar, other than bending the bar? The natural angle has it where the bar is so far away from the body, at least for my taste. It would be nice if it were closer to the body (so I could reach it easily when strumming).

Do the Staytrem or Mastery systems address this issue?

Thanks.

User avatar
Bradley-Jazz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 794
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:00 pm
Location: Sheffield, UK

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:17 am

Changing the bridge won't affect the arm height, but the tension screw in the middle of the trem unit will, a bit at least. It's not really what it's for, certainly not if you have a trem lock on your unit (US or Japanese trem), but you can very easily adjust and set it back to where it was if it causes other problems.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... ars?page=4

It's not too hard to bend the bar if you have access to a vice and are careful, if it comes to that.
All the cheeses....

User avatar
adamrobertt
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2408
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:28 am
Contact:

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by adamrobertt » Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:07 am

Short answer is no, neither the Mastery or Staytrem arm will address this problem. I'm not sure if any on the market do. Probably because bending the arm is free and simple to do.. that's what I've always done to tweak arm height. Don't even need a vice, I just step on the short end and bend the arm where I need it.

User avatar
j mascis
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 289
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by j mascis » Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:36 am

adamrobertt wrote:
Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:07 am
Short answer is no, neither the Mastery or Staytrem arm will address this problem. I'm not sure if any on the market do. Probably because bending the arm is free and simple to do.. that's what I've always done to tweak arm height. Don't even need a vice, I just step on the short end and bend the arm where I need it.
Cool, thanks. I will just bend it.

User avatar
Mondaysoutar
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:02 pm

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by Mondaysoutar » Thu Sep 17, 2020 2:38 pm

If you adjust the tension screw, the arm will come closer. Try loosening(counterclockwise) it a wee touch too.

User avatar
Cornelius Plum
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 394
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:00 pm

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by Cornelius Plum » Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:10 pm

I used to wrap some scotch-tape around the part of the arm that goes into the collet, so that the arm wouldn't go all the way in. There's one inconvenient: the arm stays quite loose and it tends to easily fall off.

User avatar
andy_tchp
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8010
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:36 am
Location: Brisbane

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by andy_tchp » Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:47 pm

Cornelius Plum wrote:
Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:10 pm
I used to wrap some scotch-tape around the part of the arm that goes into the collet, so that the arm wouldn't go all the way in. There's one inconvenient: the arm stays quite loose and it tends to easily fall off.
And as a further inconvenience, the end of the arm would be even further away from the body, which is the problem the OP is trying to address. :mellow:
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

User avatar
Cornelius Plum
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 394
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:00 pm

Re: Jazzmaster Trem Arm Height

Post by Cornelius Plum » Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:06 pm

Oops, I didn't properly read the original post. I'm so used to seeing the arm too low that I immediately assumed that was the problem. :derp:

Post Reply