Loose Vibrato bar screw on 2016 Legacy Tribute

[DugT]

The screw that secures my whammy bar gets too loose within an hour or two. That prompted this post but I have other questions too:

1. Should I use lock tight on the screw? I bought this guitar used so maybe it has an aftermarket screw that is too small. Does the orginal screw fit snug?

2. How tight should the screw be? I would think I would want it tight enough to keep the bar where I put it until I push it someplace else.

3. How far into the bridge should I shove the bar? All the way or do some fine tune it out for max effect before bottoming out?

4. The outer diameter of the bar seems to be a little small relative to the hole it sits in. Should I shim the bar with part of a plastic straw or anything? With a shim, it would be less of a problem if the screw got loose.

Thanks for any advice.

[Craig]

The screw that secures my whammy bar gets too loose within an hour or two. That prompted this post but I have other questions too:

1. Should I use lock tight on the screw? I bought this guitar used so maybe it has an aftermarket screw that is too small. Does the orginal screw fit snug?

2. How tight should the screw be? I would think I would want it tight enough to keep the bar where I put it until I push it someplace else.

3. How far into the bridge should I shove the bar? All the way or do some fine tune it out for max effect before bottoming out?

4. The outer diameter of the bar seems to be a little small relative to the hole it sits in. Should I shim the bar with part of a plastic straw or anything? With a shim, it would be less of a problem if the screw got loose.

Thanks for any advice.

it is probably missing the nylon bushing which goes into the hole before the grub screw is inserted. You should replace it because the metal grub screw will score the trem bar arm without it,
which can cause a problem with removing the trem bar from the socket. If you have a local hardware store, see if they have any nylon rods which you can then cut off a piece to place into the screw hole and
then insert the trem bar into the socket. Finally insert the grub screw into the screw hole and tighten just enough to hold pressure on the trem bar. You should be able to remove/reinsert the bar without
adjusting the screw. See: G&L's DF Vibrato System.

They nylon bushing should be 2mm long and 3mm diameter.

Hope this helps.

[DugT]

Thanks, Craig.

I didn't know there is a bushing/nylon rod inside the screw hole. The rod is still in mine. So, the screw in mine backs out even though the rod is in place. I'm surprised because there shouldn't be much reason for the screw to back out. I'm thinking a little lock tite should solve the problem unless you have a better idea.

Doug

[Craig]

Thanks, Craig.

I didn't know there is a bushing/nylon rod inside the screw hole. The rod is still in mine. So, the screw in mine backs out even though the rod is in place. I'm surprised because there shouldn't be much reason for the screw to back out. I'm thinking a little lock tite should solve the problem unless you have a better idea.

Doug

I suggest checking for the nylon bushing before using loctite. Also, does your screw tighten the trem bar movement when tightening it?
If you don't find the nylon bushing, you should get a replacement, because the bushing is the key to it working properly.

Just my $0.02.

[DugT]

Thanks, Craig.

I didn't know there is a bushing/nylon rod inside the screw hole. The rod is still in mine. So, the screw in mine backs out even though the rod is in place. I'm surprised because there shouldn't be much reason for the screw to back out. I'm thinking a little lock tite should solve the problem unless you have a better idea.

Doug

I suggest checking for the nylon bushing before using loctite. Also, does your screw tighten the trem bar movement when tightening it?
If you don't find the nylon bushing, you should get a replacement, because the bushing is the key to it working properly.

Just my $0.02.

When I said, "The rod is still in mine", I meant the nylon bushing (nylon rod) is in my guitar. When I tighten the screw it does tighten the trem bar movement so it is working properly except I keep having to tighten the screw about once per day.

If this isn't a common problem, maybe I'm not adjusting the screw tight enough. I will adjust it tighter than I have been and see if that keeps it from loosening. If that doesn't work, I will try locktite.

[Danley]

Were inserts only after a certain year? Curious if my '87 would have had one originally.

[Craig]

Were inserts only after a certain year? Curious if my '87 would have had one originally.

Here's some info from Gabe Dellevigne (aka GPD, a long time G&L historian):

The earliest Dual Fulcrum vibrato arm came with either a long or short arm that was fashioned from .125” diameter stainless steel rod.
It was threaded on both ends…one side had a plastic tip that threaded in place and the other end threaded into a socket (called a vibrato arm holder
in the old literature). The “socket” was made of mild steel and zinc plated. It was internally threaded to receive the vibrato arm. Additionally, the shoulder
of the socket was drilled and tapped for a set screw. Leo added a small nylon cushion that the set screw pressed against. This rig acts as a clutch of
sorts allowing the player to easily adjust the amount of rotational resistance the arm will have…very slick!!! Easily the coolest vibrato arm mounting setup
available in 1980 and still one of my favorites of all time.
Regarding the long early vibrato arm…I’ve found them on both 1980 and 1981 F-100’s and they disappeared before any other guitar models were introduced.
From my research, I cannot find any rhyme or reason as to what determined what guitar would get one of these long arms.

Hope this helps.