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Trem Arm Bushings

14K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Takin' a Ride 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone. I am new here and just bought a JEM 7V a couple weeks back and just did my first gig with it last night. What a nice guitar! Anyway, I did a search and couldn't find an answer that makes a lot of sense. My trem arm spins around rapidly and I found out here that the bushings are worn. People talk about putting nail polish on the arm and putting the bushing over that. Rich from Ibanez recommended falaming the bushing once it is in place. Any other ideas for this? I wnat my arm to stay in one place and then reach down and pull it up for use.
thanks,
ricky bobby
 
#11 ·
That also sounds good. What would happen if you did need to replace them? How would you get them off after being super glued? I tried heating them up and so far so good. I don't know if I heated them up enough or not. The trem arm does not swing around, which is what I wanted, but I am not sure if it is due to the new bishings or if I got them to expand by heating them or both.
 
#12 ·
Just use the glue/varnish to add thcikness to the bushings by adding it to the bardo one coat let it dry then anotherbe carefull I seem to add a little too much and it wont fit in right away so I have to turn the bushings untill they are perfectly snug now my arms snug and stays put...

Trial and error to get the perfect balance...
 
#13 ·
Why not using the screw on the side of the trem arm slot? It's supposed to adjust how easy the arm turns. It also helps when the arm is sloppy in the slot.

At least good trems like Edge and Edge Lo Pro have this screw and if I remember right, even the crappy Edge III had it!

The comment about replacing the bushings every month or so must be from an Ibanez employee!?!?!? No pun intended, but that's waaayyyy overdone!

I've NEVER had to replace the bushings ever in my life, except for one heavily mistreated used trem I got.

And honestly: even IF(!!) the arm becomes sloppy once or twice a year, you guys spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on your guitars, even collect them to show off a livingroom filled with guitars but then you can't even buy a replacement for a couple of cents and start playing around with fire and glue and nailpolish on your expensive instruments???

That's like pouring body lotion into your car's engine just because it's cheaper than motor oil.

Let's face it: a trem is a complicated piece of mechanical equipment, it needs maintenance!
Your guitar is an expensive working tool for a musician. If you want it to work properly, care about it properly!
If you can't afford bushings for a couple of cents, which are cheaper than a set of strings, then I really wonder......

Sorry for these clear words, but sometimes something seems very wrong in the guitarist's world, at least IMHO.
 
#14 ·
And honestly: even IF(!!) the arm becomes sloppy once or twice a year, you guys spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on your guitars, even collect them to show off a livingroom filled with guitars but then you can't even buy a replacement for a couple of cents and start playing around with fire and glue and nailpolish on your expensive instruments???
Truth. Click the Ibanez Rules banner at the top of the page. Rich sells a bag of 12 for $16. That's six changes. I always keep spares in my little tool box of guitar hardware. When I run out, I order more from Rich. The guy does a lot for this community, support him with some parts orders.

The bushings are supposedly tapered and you want to install them the correct way. You'll see three small dots on the side of the bushing and you want to install them with the dots facing towards the tip the you insert in the trem.
 
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