Have I broken the trem? Help

[Diddly]

2012 custom 24
Gen 3 trem

This is a bit long but I feel I need to fully explain things.

While I was pushing in the trem arm I heard something pop. The trem tilts in a groove on the six screws. The trem slipped below the grooves on the high E string side (where I was pushing in the trem arm), then a few seconds later on the low E string side. This then left the entire trem flat to the body. The springs in the back are usually straight, but now they had a bit of a curve in them.

I immediately removed the strings and the springs in the back, as I know the grooves in the screws can be damaged easily. When I repositioned the trem into the grooves on the screws and put the springs back on, I presumed the trem would go back to normal, like when the strings are removed. But now the trem just keeps falling flat to the body. Almost like the holes in the trem that the 6 screws go through are too big.

None of the screws look damaged or the holes in the trem etc. Before this I was adjusting the neck relief. There was too much forward bow, so I was adding some back bow. I was using a feeler gauge and following the recommended specs etc. I only gave the truss rod 2 to 3 gentle turns as required. The guitar was playing much better and I was playing away grand for 10 minutes or more. It was only when I put in the trem arm that things went wrong. I thought I'd mention it though.

The trem arm wasn't going in without a bit of pressure, but it's always been like that as I don't like it swinging around, so it's set a bit tight. I had put it in numerous times with the same tightness and had no issues. But maybe I pushed too hard. I'm not sure though.

I have no idea what's wrong and hope I haven't damaged a anything. Has this happened to anyone else? Hopefully this makes sense.

Cheers

 

[andy474x]

Just a thought - is it possible that the notches in your screws aren’t aligned with each other?

 

[Rider1260]

I assume you have the strings back on and up to pitch , if not that is your issue.
Before I remove the strings I put a shim under the bridge so it stays level and in the grooves.
I would put two springs back on , then get the bridge in the grooves , insert a shim ( or a credit card works also ) put on the rest of the springs and string up the guitar.
Be sure to loosen the trim arm retailing screw it should not be so tight as to push the bridge out of the slots.

Post some pics if this docent get you sorted.

IMG_1911 by

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/152274366@N08/sRpi07]IMG_1910 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152274366@N08/[/url]

 

[AP515]

I'm guessing you had replaced the strings before you played it and moved the arm that cause the pop sound. The trem sets in the grooves of the 6 set screws. If the tension is taken off the trem by loosening or removing the strings, the trem will fall to the guitar body and will have to be placed correctly in the grooves before the tension is increased as the strings come up to pitch. The tem can be slightly off and one end rides in the groove and the other is actually out of the grooves. Then when the trem is used, the trem will either slip in or finish slipping out of it.

The solution is to loosen the strings and adjust the trem so that it sets in all 6 grooves. Tighten one string slightly and then the other at each end (two E strings), and check to make sure it is in the grove and moves in the groove as it is supposed to. then tighten the other strings slightly and then bring them all up to pitch. Check to see that the trem is level with the guitar body and about 1/16th above it. If all looks right you should have no more trouble.

 

[Diddly]

Just a thought - is it possible that the notches in your screws aren’t aligned with each other?

I think they are ok as I have never touched them and it was working fine until last night. It is a used guitar but it looks like they havent been touched

 

[Diddly]

I assume you have the strings back on and up to pitch , if not that is your issue.
Before I remove the strings I put a shim under the bridge so it stays level and in the grooves.
I would put two springs back on , then get the bridge in the grooves , insert a shim ( or a credit card works also ) put on the rest of the springs and string up the guitar.
Be sure to loosen the trim arm retailing screw it should not be so tight as to push the bridge out of the slots.

Post some pics if this docent get you sorted.

IMG_1911 by
https://www.flickr.com/photos/152274366@N08/
IMG_1910 by

I havent put the strings back on yet no. By the sounds of it everything seems ok then. It just seemed odd that it was falling flat to the body, as it has never happened before when I had removed the strings. Ill try putting a shim underneath like you suggested.

 

[Diddly]

Thanks for the quick replies and help guys. Ill attempt to put strings back on then as it seems like nothing is broken. Ive never had a trem come loose like that so was a bit worried id done something silly. Cheers

 

[Diddly]

https://postimg.cc/gallery/G2b8WbF

Ok so before I attempt to try and put this back on I have included some pics. I was having trouble uploading pics so here is a link to a few of them if its not too inconvenient.

Anyway as you can see the trem is completely flat to the body and not sitting in the grooves on the 6 screws. This is with no strings and no springs attached. When I do attach the springs back on, they kind of buckle. Almost like there is too much tension on them. Maybe the 2 screws in the claw need to be loosened? Weirdly it wasn't doing the before though. Also the trem just keeps slipping out of the grooves (with no strings on at this stage). This has never happened before when i have removed strings, which is why it seems a bit odd to me.

Does everything seem ok to look at from the pics?

Cheers guys

 

[tedtan]

If you’re using the same string gauge as before, you should only need to get the trem back on the posts.

I would put the strings and springs back on and tweak the trem back onto the posts as you tune up.

But you should be able to get it back on the posts without the strings, too.