out of tune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MissionBrown]

What's happening is that when I press down on the arm, it returns to pitch, but if I pull up, it feels like there isn't enough tension on the tremolo from the strings to pull it back down again and stays sharp.

Just a thought here; does the trem spring fit snugly (at both ends) -i.e. not encountering any type of unwanted friction or play even?

Oops I missed your post.

I can't look now, but if I pull up, the heavy spring does appear to raise on one side.
The one from Zamm Inc doesn't quite fit right. I had to grind out one end to fit on the brass bit under the handle.

I bought a pack of 9's to try with the original spring, but haven't had a chance to do it yet.

[MissionBrown]

(SIGH)

OK, so I've changed down to 9's and the original spring.
Again, pushing down goes back to tune no problem.
But pulling up it sticks. It feels free moving when unstringed.

What I think is going on is a case of uneven bearings.
Does anyone know what bearings to use on an "excellent" vibrato?
Or better yet, how to fix them?

The bottom photo shows the worse of the two.

[olrocknroller]

OUCH! That looks ugly! I think you've found your problem! Also check, once you have it apart, that the shaft is not bent, or the threads weren't cut in off-line, cross-threaded etc.

[MissionBrown]

OUCH! That looks ugly! I think you've found your problem! Also check, once you have it apart, that the shaft is not bent, or the threads weren't cut in off-line, cross-threaded etc.

Oh wow, not the best news to wake up to.

This one doesn't have a shaft, but two screws like your second option.
Lets say (for education) the thread is cut incorrectly:
a: how can I tell
b: how do I fix it?

It's been a long time since I used a tap & die set. I think it might've been 1993-94, back in high school.

[MissionBrown]

I'd been woken early by my daughter, so I ended up having some extra time before heading to work. The vibrato has been disassembled. The Bearings pop out easily from the inside.
One of the bearings does seem like it might be the problem.

When the screws are inserted into the vibrato but off the mounting plate, they look pretty much dead straight, I used an object with square edges as a set square to quickly gauge it.

Apologies for the poor focus. I really should have dug out the tripod.

The one on the left looks a bit suspect to me. But both exhibit signs of being misaligned.

[Veenture]

Are the bearings well lubricated? Do they feel 'right' (smooth) when you roll 'em between your thumb and finger(s)?
Maybe try getting some good 'mileage' on 'em whilst you have them dismounted?
Your pictures are good!

[olrocknroller]

OUCH! That looks ugly! I think you've found your problem! Also check, once you have it apart, that the shaft is not bent, or the threads weren't cut in off-line, cross-threaded etc.

Oh wow, not the best news to wake up to.

This one doesn't have a shaft, but two screws like your second option.
Lets say (for education) the thread is cut incorrectly:
a: how can I tell
b: how do I fix it?

It's been a long time since I used a tap & die set. I think it might've been 1993-94, back in high school.

Good photo's! To check that the pins are not bent, roll them slowly on a perfectly flat surface, watching the threaded end carefully, if there is any wobbling going on, I'd say you've found a bent pin. Easiest fix there is to replace, or take them to a machine shop to be duplicated.

The threads look good though, no evidence of galling or damage from being cross-threaded. I also note considerable gouging on the bearing surface of the pins...make certain these have been dressed so that they do not extend above the bearing surface of the pin at all. If you find any sign of a high surface, dress the high spots by wrapping the pin in a strip of fine (400-600 grit) wet-dry sandpaper, and spinning the pin until all high spots are gone. With all this done, check the individual bearing rollers for flat-spots, dirt, wear, and any filings. If you find nothing, clean everything up, and re-lubricate the bearings, reassemble and test...

After finishing this, I took a second look, and also suspect that some of the tiny rollers inside the bearing may be missing...the outer collar of the bearings should be "full" of little rollers. If there are gaps, the bearings will not ride smoothly on the support pins, and that would definitely make them look "off-center." That would mean that the trem has been disassembled, and some of the pins lost. Your only hope for a fix there would be to find a replacement bearing, or a nylon collar/tubing that could be sized to fit and lubricated to move smoothly...

Good luck!

[Sarah93003]

Excellent photos! What a great way to study these up close and personal.

[MissionBrown]

The pics would be better if they focused on the parts more than the grain of my coffee table

OldRock, I'll take your suggestions and try them out.
The hard bit I suspect is finding the flat surface to work on(I have the fine grit sandpaper).

The gouges weren't really evident to the naked eye, the flash seems to have accented them.
As far as lube goes, the bearings seem to have a little grease on them.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of lube I should use?
I only have machine oil, which seems a little light on.

The rollers in the bearing do appear to be evenly spaced, So maybe they're not the right type.
I think the use of bearings over-complicates the tremolo rig as I have others of similar design which operate perfectly on screws.
Anyway once it's all sorted I'll post the problem and fix on my blog (giving credit to this forum of course).
Hopefully it'll help someone else in the future if they encounter this problem.

[MissionBrown]

Are the bearings well lubricated? Do they feel 'right' (smooth) when you roll 'em between your thumb and finger(s)?
Maybe try getting some good 'mileage' on 'em whilst you have them dismounted?
Your pictures are good!

Am still at work, but would utilising a drill to spin the shaft in the bearing be a good way to get the mileage going, or a bit heavy handed?