I have a 1989 540R in Jewel Blue. At some point the black padded material that's in the tremolo route cavity on the front of the body was removed. I'm guessing it probably started to disintegrate and was removed. I'd like to restore it to how it would have looked when new. Does anyone have suggestions on what I could stick in there or if there is an exact replacement available.
In case it's not clear what I'm talking about I've attached a picture.
All that it is, is a type of craft foam aka EVA foam. You can find it in any local Joann Fabrics, Michaels or AC more if you're in the states. Or you can buy it online. It's essentially this stuff
Thanks everyone for the links. Looking at pictures of various 540Rs of similar vintage on the web, it looks like most are missing the foam. I'm guessing over time the adhesive deteriorated and the foam fell out. Or perhaps some left the factory without the foam (doubtful). But it's definitely supposed to be there as can be seen in the catalog pictures from '87-'90. Seems easy enough to fix.
UPDATE! I went to Michael's and found this thin sheet of black foam with adhesive backing for 0.99 cents. I cut out a piece approx. 2.75" x 1.5" and it fit right into the space. Looks just like new and I didn't even have to mess with a spray adhesive. Plus I have enough left over for, like, 10 more guitars. :smile2:
Thank you everyone for your help and for steering me in the right direction. This was a much easier project than I anticipated.
That said, I cant help but notice you have an F1 in your bridge position. Whats up with that? Im sure its fine, Im just used to seeing F2's in the bridge
I've probably seen that a million times, but never had it "click" I guess. I wonder why the disparity lol. Gotta say the gray on the blue looks really nice
What was the purpose of the foam pad in the first place. I recently bought a 1990 Universe that is missing that, but the vibrato unit seems to work fine. It would seem to me like it would also have more range without it.
I'm sure it was mostly aesthetic. The finishing in that spot is a bit rough and the labor it would take to make it look nice and match the rest of the guitar (such as on the JEM) would likely have increased the cost. So sticking a piece of adhesive foam in there would have been a cost effective way of preserving an overall neat appearance. And yes, it does slightly limit the amount of up-travel on the tremolo.
I think the foam is to prevent a clunking sound if you pull the bar back hard and fast. I have a few guitars that have lost that and I never gave it much thought(would usually just paint the cavity flat black), but seeing a good replacement, I may have to get some
I always insert a block to prevent the bridge tipping back during string changes. Since I used to do setups for several others, I actually cut a half dozen blocks of different thickness so I could block any trem at the proper level to the body(makes setups and string changes go way faster).
I've been using this paper eraser for ages. It is a perfect match, and it is soft
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