Spectrum SX - tremolo arm

Hi - I tried getting parts for doing the Floyd arm install on my Westone bridge (http://www.westoneguitars.net/fixme/hardware-repairs/bendmaster-ft-tremolo-collar-insert-replacement/), and it appears that mine uses a larger screw size than the 9mm shown. So, the collar I purchased basically falls into the thread-hole.

Any word on making this work?

The ST used a different bridge than the one shown in that tutorial, so I’m not sure what we could do about that....

Floyd Rose on a Speccy ST???? unless it's been retro fitted?

Thanks for the replies! Glad to see this forum alive and breathing.

Not sure what you mean - I don't have a FR bridge - it's the original westone bridge. Looks a bit like the picture in that article on retrofitting a FR collar into the bridge, but mine has fine tuners and a larger threaded hole.

I took the bridge apart last night, and found that I can thread the collar into the trem block by flipping the collar over and using the threaded side that the trem arm actually connects to.

I started kicking the idea around of drilling the trem block hole larger, which would allow me to utilize the FR mounting. However, I think I'm going to run into problems keeping that thing tight the way it is, and am looking for another way.

I'm starting to think that if I can get a bolt or all-thread (threaded rod) the same size as the threads on the collar, I can cut it to length and try to drill a hole in the center to match what is needed for the trem arm.

Alternative to all this, would it be recommended to try installing a FR bridge? Does it need to be the full-on (expensive) one, or do the licensed ones work ok? Is it a bolt-in (presumably using the FR posts), or would I need to plug the existing inserts and drill for new ones?

Thanks again!

You have to thread the smooth part of your new bit. 9mmx1 die and cut a bit off to length as per the mod instructions on the website.

Sure your guitar is an Spectrum ST??

Photos help.

I’ve got the 9mm die, but almost positive that will make an insert with too small a diameter.

I’ll get some pics posted up shortly.

Thanks again for the help

My mistake - it's a Spectrum SX (not ST)



Serial number (if helpful) - pretty sure it's from August 1985 (I think I bought it in the later summer / early fall of that year)



Here's a shot of the body, showing the bridge. It's a crop from a larger pic, so detail isn't what it probably should be. If needed, I can take another picture later tonight and post it.



...and a shot of the back cavity

GRIMESPACE wrote:I’ve got the 9mm die, but almost positive that will make an insert with too small a diameter.

No it works.... ...done it many times. Not almost but positive.

Ahh, rightio: an SX!! Makes quite the difference!

My SX has the FR wang bar mod and it's working just the way intended; I took the original collar off the FT bridge and just wound the modded FR collar in... smacked the bar in, tightened the thumbscrew and Robert's your mothers' brother!

Your pics didn't load, so we're none the wiser! :-)

Or use one of these, it's already threaded but you need to trim down to size on the threaded end or it will bind in the block...easy....
link

corsair wrote:Ahh, rightio: an SX!! Makes quite the difference!

My SX has the FR wang bar mod and it's working just the way intended; I took the original collar off the FT bridge and just wound the modded FR collar in... smacked the bar in, tightened the thumbscrew and Robert's your mothers' brother!

Your pics didn't load, so we're none the wiser! :-)

Wait - my pics didn't load?

I can see them on my browser... does imgur BB codes not work here?

Fixing the ones above - please let me know if you see them

Posting more detailed pics of what I'm dealing with below

Here's detailed shots of my bridge and the part I bought (FR Collar)



This is the size of the lower part - the one that I believe you're telling me needs to be threaded to 9mm



This is the outer thread diameter of the upper part that the arm capture nut threads onto



And this shows the inner thread diameter of the threaded hole which (if I'm reading correctly) should allow the newly tapped lower part to thread into - however, it's simply too large (diameter)



...and allows that part of the collar to simply slip in



The strange thing is that the already threaded part of the collar (that the trem bar screws onto) does thread correctly into the trem block

I just found this - I'm wondering if maybe I'm just dealing with a 'wrong' collar...

https://www.dhgate.com/product/new-style-floyd-rose-tremolo-arm-socket-whammy/231124981.html





Based on this drawing, the underside part is larger diameter (8.5mm as opposed to mine, which is 7.9mm), which should provide enough meat to catch most of the thread diameter. Other cool thing is that it's already ground for a wrench, which saves that step.

Westbone wrote:Or use one of these, it's already threaded but you need to trim down to size on the threaded end or it will bind in the block...easy....
link

Check the link above.

Both those collars you show will not work. 8.5 mm is not 9 mm.

The first one was for  certain models of Ibanez/Floyd trems.

Just follow the instructions on the 'fix me' page it's straightforward.

These are the one's I used in the first place.
Trem insert

I get that 8.5 isn't 9, but its such a small difference that I decided to pick up a pair of 'em from Amazon to give it a try - was only $7 (US), so risk was low.

Here's the Amazon link, in case anyone is interested: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C6GK694/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It appears to work pretty well. Yes, I can see that the threads aren't fully formed (and won't fully engage with the socket), but given the number of threads I was able to cut, it seems to be holding quite well.

Here's a couple of pictures showing the parts in question:





I really do appreciate all the help and support. So awesome to know that the old Westone I bought back in '85 is still a viable tool!

Now, on to the next problem (saddle adjust screw seizure)... I'm going to make a separate thread for that.

Thanks gents!

Put a bit of blue loctite on it. Will help the threads.