Question Trem arm with guitar in case

[PeteDuBaldo]

Is it safe to keep guitar like this? With the tremolo touching the case and slacking the strings?

It may be safe but I personally wouldn't do it for the exact reasons that Spud mentions. A properly set up guitar has tension balanced between the strings (at pitch) and truss rod. Slacking the strings changes the tension on the neck, and the balance is gone.

IMO - no, it's not a good idea.
A guitar, when effectively set up uses many different parameters. One of which is truss rod adjustment.
When the guitar is in the case without the lid touching then the neck is in it's "set up state".
If you were to leave the guitar in the case for a period of time with the lid touching the trem arm, then the string tension is slackened - there will now be an inclination for the
neck to want to backbow - because you no longer have parity between the truss rod / string tension.

So if you agree with my opinion - don't leave the trem arm in a guitar when the case lid depresses that trem arm

Edit

The same consideration should be given to guitars when shipping them.
Some people think that they ought to slaken the truss rod - don't do it.

 

[Spudmurphy]

It may be safe but I personally wouldn't do it for the exact reasons that Spud mentions. A properly set up guitar has tension balanced between the strings (at pitch) and truss rod. Slacking the strings changes the tension on the neck, and the balance is gone.

(Spud - at hotel - working away - bored)

......

cheers Pete!!!

 

[coldsummer]

Glad this came up. I always assumed any EBMM case would allow for the trem arm to remain in situ, however on further inspection it seems the BFR ones don't have a sufficient recess and the lid does touch the arm. Will have to take the arm out of my BFRs every time now. Oh man, that's such a drag

 

[koogie2k]

I don't really use the bar all that much and take mine off.

 

[AnotherNoob]

... Jesus, I never even knew you could do that haha!

 

[BrickGlass]

All right, so after seeing all the responses in this thread about the BFR cases touching the bar I double checked and there is no doubt about it, the lid pushes the bar down a little bit on both my Luke and my JP. All I can say is that really, really sucks, and I'm disappointed. One of the coolest features of my old JP (mystic dream) and Luke (Luke blue) were that you could keep the bar on and they fit in the case and had the little recessed area of the lid that allowed the bar to stay on and not touch. I'm so dumb I just assumed that the BFR cases were that way. I have no clue why MM would take away such an awesome feature of their cases? Honestly, I'd rather have the cheaper and not as nice looking cases now. I like to keep my bar pretty tight so it doesn't move around unless I move it. Now I'm going to have to tighten and then loosen the little allen wrench slot every freaking time I play the guitars. Annoying. There goes one feature about EBMM that I loved. Why did they make the BFR cases that way? They had a good thing going...

 

[Craiguitar]

I have vintage cases with both my Luke's. they are the same type that come with the BFRs. The trem arm stays on the guitar OK with both (Floyd Rose and Standard bridge).

 

[Norrin Radd]

Tim O Sullivan likes his trem bar so much he sleeps with it under his pillow.

Oh that explains it! I'd heard he spends each night in bed with his "wiggly stick".

 

[jazzdod]

Always taken it off and dont use it that often. However played yesterday at a wedding and when a song came on that I do use it on it I reached for it and it wasn't there! Still in the case!

Dave

 

[BrickGlass]

Always taken it off and dont use it that often. However played yesterday at a wedding and when a song came on that I do use it on it I reached for it and it wasn't there! Still in the case!

Dave

Everyone can play air guitar, but who knows how to play air whammy bar?