Comanche whammy bar hacks

[Fred G]

Hi, just got a new Tribute Comanche which I'm really enjoying. That being said... I wish the whammy bar worked differently. I'd like it to have a mechanical connection to the guitar beyond the friction retainer, so I can for instance have it loose enough to hang down out of the way when not using it without falling off the guitar if tilted or w/e. I can't imagine I'm the first to think this. Anyone know any solutions? The obvious one to me seems to make a shallow groove in the bar where the plastic retainer goes, so that the retention of the bar would be more independent of the friction holding the bar in a set position. But I'm thinking that might be tricky, it'd have to be just so or various things could go wrong.

Also, anyone know the specs on the little retainer screw? I'd like to try to find a little thumb screw or such to put in there so it wouldn't require a hex wrench. Seems that would be much better than having to find that hex wrench every time I want to make an adjustment, I imagine that probably needs to be tightened regularly.

Any thoughts? TIA!

[Elwood]

I've found when snugged up just right...it doesn't fall out, but can be repositioned at will.
Maybe your bushing isn't sitting straight or has worn or ??
Maybe upload some pics if you have a chance.
cheers

[Danley]

The bushings can eventually harden to where they feel like you might as well have metal on metal. When they're soft, in my experience they let the arm stay in firm yet rotate freely. Might be time to replace your bushing, and I think those used to be available on G&L's online store (pretty sure I bought one once, but might be hallucinating).

That said, one of the ways I get trem arms on Fender Mustangs to stay put is by tightening down the factory metal (note- not plastic) set screw and then turning the arm hard 360 regs a few times, till there's a groove cut as you say. Should be unnecessary IMO on a G&L and obviously wouldn't work with a plastic bushing anyway, but that 'groove' concept does work in practice.

[Fred G]

Thanks for the replies, gents. Yah, it's brand new and seems to work exactly as designed, I just wish it was a little different. Ya know with a Fender, how the arm screws in, so you can tighten it all the way in, or back it out a turn and it'll hang down completely loose but still attached to the guitar? I'd like that option, and I'd like to not be futzing around with a hex wrench. There are of course various ways to do this, I just thought maybe someone already thought of a good one. Thanks again!