S-500 Swallows Whammy Bar

[El Fug]

My 1985 S-500 has swallowed its whammy bar. It will not unscrew and release. Any suggestions as to how to get it out of there?

[Craig]

My 1985 S-500 has swallowed its whammy bar. It will not unscrew and release. Any suggestions as to how to get it out of there?

See this post: Anybody ever have a trem bar get "stuck" in the guitar?

Hope this helps.

[El Fug]

My 1985 S-500 has swallowed its whammy bar. It will not unscrew and release. Any suggestions as to how to get it out of there?

See this post: Anybody ever have a trem bar get "stuck" in the guitar?

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Craig. Not sure if that exactly addresses my problem though as this is a vintage-style screw-in trem that I'm talking about. When I get home tonight, I'll loosen the set screw and see if that helps.

If I can't get it out, I'm just gonna leave it in. Does anybody do that? I figure if I keep it in a gig bag there will be room for the trem.

[Boogie Bill]

Might try a little dab of WD-40, or some penetrating oil (like Liquid Wrench) down the hole to loosen the threads. Probably got a little corroded.

Bill

[Miles Smiles]

As far as I understood, this style socket may be used in every DF-Vibrato: http://www.glguitars.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=38

So the socket may be unmounted with the stuck arm and outside there's maybe better chance to get it loose. I haven't tried yet, but if you push down the vibrato, you may reach the nut of the socket without disassembling the whole unit.

I'm considering to get me 2 such sockets including the current style arm, for my olld F-100 and S-500, as I like the modern arm more, because it has no edges. Of course I would keep the original stuff at a save place.

The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split. The arm from the F-100 (1982) is threaded and looks more like an ordinary Fender arm, but a Fender arm does not fit, it has a different screw thread.

If it is moving, I can't imagine a reason for being stuck, other than that tension screw. Maybe the nylon bushing got twisted and now blocks because of the arms screw thread, so loosing the tension screw may help.

[El Fug]

Might try a little dab of WD-40, or some penetrating oil (like Liquid Wrench) down the hole to loosen the threads. Probably got a little corroded.

Bill

Thanks, Bill!

The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split. The arm from the F-100 (1982) is threaded and looks more like an ordinary Fender arm, but a Fender arm does not fit, it has a different screw thread.

If it is moving, I can't imagine a reason for being stuck, other than that tension screw. Maybe the nylon bushing got twisted and now blocks because of the arms screw thread, so loosing the tension screw may help.

Thank you, Miles. The arm in question is threaded so as to screw in and out. I think it's original, but it may not be. Who knows? Buffalo Bros. said it was original. Are you saying it shouldn't be threaded? I don't understand this statement: "The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split." But then you mention the screw thread. I'm confused.

As it happens, I was able to get the arm out by loosening the tension screw. Now when I play, I have to tighten the tension screw to secure the arm, and then I have to loosen it to release it. It doesn't just screw in and screw out. This isn't the biggest burden in the world, but I'd be happier if I didn't have to do this. I'm a whammy-arm junky, and I love this particular guitar's whammy bar. Any thoughts? Could it possibly be a corrosion issue?

[louis cyfer]

Might try a little dab of WD-40, or some penetrating oil (like Liquid Wrench) down the hole to loosen the threads. Probably got a little corroded.

Bill

Thanks, Bill!

The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split. The arm from the F-100 (1982) is threaded and looks more like an ordinary Fender arm, but a Fender arm does not fit, it has a different screw thread.

If it is moving, I can't imagine a reason for being stuck, other than that tension screw. Maybe the nylon bushing got twisted and now blocks because of the arms screw thread, so loosing the tension screw may help.

Thank you, Miles. The arm in question is threaded so as to screw in and out. I think it's original, but it may not be. Who knows? Buffalo Bros. said it was original. Are you saying it shouldn't be threaded? I don't understand this statement: "The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split." But then you mention the screw thread. I'm confused.

As it happens, I was able to get the arm out by loosening the tension screw. Now when I play, I have to tighten the tension screw to secure the arm, and then I have to loosen it to release it. It doesn't just screw in and screw out. This isn't the biggest burden in the world, but I'd be happier if I didn't have to do this. I'm a whammy-arm junky, and I love this particular guitar's whammy bar. Any thoughts? Could it possibly be a corrosion issue?

actually that's the way it supposed to work. you just fixed it.

[Miles Smiles]

Thank you, Miles. The arm in question is threaded so as to screw in and out. I think it's original, but it may not be. Who knows? Buffalo Bros. said it was original. Are you saying it shouldn't be threaded? I don't understand this statement: "The S-500 (1985) arm has a smooth end and is split." But then you mention the screw thread. I'm confused.

The threaded arm is for my 1982 F-100. So there do at least two different old style arms exist.

I guess you've lost that nylon bushing, which has to be between arm an the tension screw. On my F-100 I can remove and mount the arm without touching that screw, although the arm is threaded too and it's adjusted tight, so winding in the arm wouldn't almost not be necessary.

You may get yourself this set: http://www.glguitars.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=39

[Craig]

What color is the plastic tip on your trem bar?
If it's black, it probably is the original.
If it's white, it probably was replaced with a Fender Mustang style trem bar.
See: I need a tremelo arm, do you know where I can get one?

We have a copy of the patent issued to Leo on this part in our Gallery: D4671157.

Hope this helps.

[El Fug]

What color is the plastic tip on your trem bar?
If it's black, it probably is the original.
If it's white, it probably was replaced with a Fender Mustang style trem bar.
See: I need a tremelo arm, do you know where I can get one?

We have a copy of the patent issued to Leo on this part in our Gallery: D4671157.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all of this info, Craig.

The plastic tip is black. Interestingly though I'm pretty sure that it is not split. It's one piece and threaded (I'm at work right now and can't check this out). I'll post a picture of it when I get home.

[El Fug]

actually that's the way it supposed to work. you just fixed it.

I'm supposed to allen wrench the thing in and out every time I use it?

[El Fug]

I can't find my camera, but the tremolo arm is as I described. It's not split at the bottom and it's threaded. The plastic tip is definitely black. Basically, I've been twisting it into the opening like an idiot, 'cause it's the tension screw that's holding it in there, not any threading. This explains quite a bit. I guess I'll just tighten and loosen the tension screw each time I play it. Not sure why it was working before and then started giving me trouble, but no biggie.

So, might I have an F100 tremolo arm for some reason? Weird.

[Miles Smiles]

So, might I have an F100 tremolo arm for some reason? Weird.

It might depend on the date, your S-500 was produced. I don't know when exactly G&L changed the tremolo arm.

As mentioned before (but obviously ignored ), you need that nylon bushings too, not only the tension screw, to have it right working:



Is that bushing in there?

Here you can see, how that two different arm types look like:
http://electricstringedinstrument.com/e ... _arms.html

I will check in the evening, if the non threaded arm fits in the socket with the thread and vice versa. I assume, they are interchangeable, but I'll see. If yes, you could order a non threaded arm at ESI, but that wouldn't be necessary, as you could just fix yours.

[El Fug]

So, might I have an F100 tremolo arm for some reason? Weird.

It might depend on the date, your S-500 was produced. I don't know when exactly G&L changed the tremolo arm.

As mentioned before (but obviously ignored ), you need that nylon bushings too, not only the tension screw, to have it right working:



Is that bushing in there?

Here you can see, how that two different arm types look like:
http://electricstringedinstrument.com/e ... _arms.html

I will check in the evening, if the non threaded arm fits in the socket with the thread and vice versa. I assume, they are interchangeable, but I'll see. If yes, you could order a non threaded arm at ESI, but that wouldn't be necessary, as you could just fix yours.

Thanks, Miles! Your bushing mention was not ignored -- I filed it away for... today!

And thank you for that link.

I'm back at work once again (swamped), but I'll try to figure out about the bushing when I get home. You've been very helpful.

[Miles Smiles]

I will check in the evening, if the non threaded arm fits in the socket with the thread and vice versa.

So I did:

• The newer one (1985) without thread does not fit into the socket with the thread. It goes not deep enough, I guess it stop's where the thread begins.
• Unneeded, but just for the records: The older one with threads fits into the newer (vintage) socket, but needs a more tightened tension screw.

If your problem persists, you could order a new socket and a new arm (the US G&L version)

The new one can easily be pushed in and out without any winding, is smooth and has no cap with edges.

[Boogie Bill]

Yeah, that sounds like the wrong arm for that guitar. I might start over with a new socket and a new arm.

With my guitars, all BBE-era, I just slip the arm in and find a balance between the side tension I like and ease of removal by adjusting the set screw...and it will stay as set for usually quite a long time. I pop it out when I put the guitar back into the case.

Good luck!

Bill