American Performer Mustang (tremolo setup)

[Zoltan]

Hi there,

I bought the American Performer Mustang a few years ago. It was secondhand and the seller said he'd only played it for a few hours. The tremolo was supposedly locked and as i didn't have the tremolo arm i just didn't think about it that much...

Up until now as i started to want some trem action going on! I had already noticed that the cigar moves a bit if i used some elbow grease, but it was so tight that i really did think it was locked.

Yesterday i opened it up and didn't see anything that could be locking it down. The springs were at their highest position. I moved them to the lowest position and could use the tremolo (unassemabled) slightly better with a lot of force. Making me wonder if there are some supertight strings available for "locking"...?

Anyway i cleaned it up and put it back together. I'm currently looking out for the trem arm. The thing that i'm wondering is that is the cigar height supposed to be adjustable?

From the looks of it, if it is supposed to be adjustable... Then i might have bought a lemon! I mean the holes are there, but the way the screw ends look is total garbage. They're more like broken down piles of metal than anything close to a screw ends. In fact they kinda look like they'd been intentionally locked down. If someone had mistakenly broken the screw ends i would imagine they'd look a bit different...

The guitar is playable and actually feels fine. The tremolo is still tight as hell (?) and i'm not the weakest.

[Zoltan]

I'm replying to my own... But after investigating further and noticing that my cigar is tilting forward and finding that the way to fix it could be lowering the cigar. Which i can't do. And I already went from 12s to 10s and the tilt is still there.

I guess i'm up the shit creek? The previous owner has probably done away with the screw ends as they don't really look like anything anymore.

Perhaps i could raise the bridge, but then i would probably need to shim the neck? I like the action the way it currently is.

Edit: I tried dropping the strings almost slack and it STILL tilts forward.

Btw sorry for posting into wrong forum. Just noticed that there's a dedicated setup forum for these.


best image hosting

[GilmourD]

I assume that the pic you posted the link to is how yours is currently set up.

It seems you have the spring where the red arrow is. Have you tried putting it up where the green arrow is?

[Zoltan]

The springs were originally at the top. I took that pic after i had lowered the springs. I tried to lessen the springs tension. The original strings were 12s and the cigar was already tilted backwards. After changing the strings to 10s and putting the springs lower i expected the tremolo to move more freely, but no such luck.

If i understood correctly how it works... If i'd put the springs higher the bridge would tilt even more forward?

Bear in mind that i know nothing about setting up these things. I just watched a video and went to work. The idea of the tremolo being locked somehow also threw me off. As far as i can tell there wasn't anything that was locked.

Thanks for the comments!

[GilmourD]

The springs were originally at the top. I took that before after i had lowered the springs. I tried to lessen the springs tension. The original strings were 12s and the cigar was already tilted backwards. After changing the strings to 10s and putting the springs lower i expected the tremolo to move more freely, but no such luck.

If i understood correctly how it works... If i'd put the springs higher the bridge would tilt even more forward?

Bear in mind that i know nothing about setting up these things. I just watched a video and went to work. The idea of the tremolo being locked somehow also threw me off. As far as i can tell there wasn't anything that was locked.

Thanks for the comments!

The further from the pivot point the spring is set the more tension it provides against string tension.

If the hotdog is pitched towards the bridge you want the springs further away. If the hotdog is pitched away from the bridge you want the springs closer. Ideally you want the hotdog standing up straight.

[Zoltan]

So i DID get it wrong then I guess i'll have to open it up and see how it goes! Thanks!

[GilmourD]

So i DID get it wrong then I guess i'll have to open it up and see how it goes! Thanks!

No prob! Keep us posted on how it goes.

[Zoltan]

I made the change and now the tension springs are back at their highest position. This helped a lot, but the hotdog still tilts forward.

Is there anything i could try to fix it further, or would it be best to leave as is? It feels like there's enough room to move already and it seems to stay in tune. I'll know better once i get the tremolo arm.

The cigar/hotdog up/down adjustment screws are a mess so there's no way of adjusting the height of this part.

[timtam]

There is a two page Fender instruction sheet for setting up the (improved/modified) Am Performer mustang trem ...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=124481&start=15#p1779935

[Zoltan]

Thanks! I saved that for future reference.

Although a lot of what's being said on that instruction sheet doesn't work for me. I didn't get that pin that's mentioned in the instruction and the bigger problem is that there's no hope of adjusting the height of string bar (cigar/hotdog).

Weirdly enough it stays in tune as is so let's see how it works when i finally get the trem arm.

Edit: I know a lot of what i've written here sounds like an idiots guide to guitars - don't do this! But i really went into this ass-backwards with the idea being that the tremolo is locked and it should be easy to unlock. I went to it with minimal knowledge and posted pics because i was kinda waiting for a comment like "that's assebled backwards", or "it's missing something".

And like in a cheap suspense story it turns out the bridge was never locked and the height adjustment screws are screwed(*. So the story about "The tremolo is locked because i don't use it, it's easy to unlock if you so wish" wasn't the case. The tremolo was "locked" by being fulled forwards by 12 gauge strings and having the tension sprints at their weakest position.

(*The screws look like cauliflower.

[GilmourD]

Thanks! I saved that for future reference.

Although a lot of what's being said on that instruction sheet doesn't work for me. I didn't get that pin that's mentioned in the instruction and the bigger problem is that there's no hope of adjusting the height of string bar (cigar/hotdog).

Weirdly enough it stays in tune as is so let's see how it works when i finally get the trem arm.

Edit: I know a lot of what i've written here sounds like an idiots guide to guitars - don't do this! But i really went into this ass-backwards with the idea being that the tremolo is locked and it should be easy to unlock. I went to it with minimal knowledge and posted pics because i was kinda waiting for a comment like "that's assebled backwards", or "it's missing something".

And like in a cheap suspense story it turns out the bridge was never locked and the height adjustment screws are screwed(*. So the story about "The tremolo is locked because i don't use it, it's easy to unlock if you so wish" wasn't the case. The tremolo was "locked" by being fulled forwards by 12 gauge strings and having the tension sprints at their weakest position.

(*The screws look like cauliflower.

Hey, you never learn if you don't ask questions!

[andy_tchp]

Ugh, so both string bar ('cigar') post adjustment points (those 'screws' are the tops of the actual posts themselves) are stripped? A 2.5mm hex/allen key fails to move either of them in any direction?

Probably up for a replacement assembly if it can't be dialled in fully, I don't think those posts are available as individual replacement parts. It's probably rare that they get the heads so badly damaged.

Fender part number 7713264000 according to AMERICAN PERFORMER MUSTANG® (0115510XXX) Page 1 of 6 Oct 15, 2018 - PR5239 - Rev. A COPYRIGHT - 2018 - FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION PARTS LAYOUT

[Zoltan]

Ugh, so both string bar ('cigar') post adjustment points (those 'screws' are the tops of the actual posts themselves) are stripped? A 2.5mm hex/allen key fails to move either of them in any direction?

Yes. There's no way to even try because there's nothing to try. Both of those are totally ruined

Thanks again for the comments!

[GilmourD]

You don't by some strange chance live near north New Jersey?

[Zoltan]

You don't by some strange chance live near north New Jersey?

Nah, Europe...