Whammy bar issues Majesty Music Man

[Michoavg]

Hi everyone! I have a new Music Man Majesty 6 Enchanted Forest, purchased from Guitar Center in 2023, and I think I'm having issues with the whammy bar. I've already tightened the two internal screws, and it still comes loose quickly and easily, and I can easily remove it. Can you help me please Thank you very much in advance!

 

[tbonesullivan]

Do you feel it "lock" into place when the stud on the bottom of the bar goes past the bar spring?

 

[Michoavg]

Do you feel it "lock" into place when the stud on the bottom of the bar goes past the bar spring?

When I put the whammy bar in place with the bridge removed, I hear a “click” and feel it lock in place—it's perfect! (I'll add a photo.) The problem is that when I install the bridge and use it to play, the whammy bar comes loose quickly and easily MusicMan support hasn't responded to my request.

 

[Mace13]

In your photos there isn’t a photo of the small screw on the ‘rear’ of the block (the side that is opposite the pick-ups, towards the bottom guitar strap peg). I think it is a 1.5 mm hex, you can try tightening this screw when the whammy bar handle is installed. If the bridge in installed, you can only access this screw by pointing whammy bar towards the headstock and then pushing the whammy bar down onto the strings.

 

[Michoavg]

In your photos there isn’t a photo of the small screw on the ‘rear’ of the block (the side that is opposite the pick-ups, towards the bottom guitar strap peg). I think it is a 1.5 mm hex, you can try tightening this screw when the whammy bar handle is installed. If the bridge in installed, you can only access this screw by pointing whammy bar towards the headstock and then pushing the whammy bar down onto the strings.

I think you're referring to the screw shown on the back when I press down on the whammy bar (you can see it in the photo). I've already pressed it, and it works fine, keeping the whammy bar in place. The problem is that the whammy bar comes off the bridge when I use it.

 

[DrKev]

There is a similar 1.5 mm allen screw in the base of the trem block, in line with the trem bar. That screw exists to ensure the correct trem arm position against the spring clip and prevent the trem arm pushing too deep past the clip. I would unscrew it as much as you need or dare (see warning below). When you know the trem arm is in the right position, screw it back in until it touches the butt end of the trem arm.



WARNING: on some instruments that screw is very small and VERY short. While unscrewing it, it may come free from the trem block sooner than you think. If you drop it, it can be very easily lost, only to be found by subsequent tenants of your home long after you are dead. To avoid this, only make adjustments to the screw on a table covered with a light colored fluffy towel, to minimize bouncing of the falling screw and visually aid in its rapid recovery.

I assume no responsibility in the case of loss of screw and/or loss of sanity.

 

[beej]

"... only to be found by subsequent tenants of your home long after you are dead."

 

[tbonesullivan]

It sounds like maybe when you have it installed, you aren't pressing it down hard enough to get it to lock into place.

 

[Mace13]

Yeah, I missed that photo..sorry about that.

not sure what the issue could be if you’ve double checked and adjusted those grub screws. I don’t understand how the rear grub screw can hold the whammy bar tight and then it falls out when you use it.

 

[DrKev]

I don’t understand how the rear grub screw can hold the whammy bar tight and then it falls out when you use it.

A low strength thread locker would fix that. Wouldn't go medium strength here.

 

[Mace13]

So, I marked with a pencil how deep my Majesty whammy bar is installed. It is 35 mm from the end of whammy bar to where the whammy bar exits the bridge. How deep is yours installed? As mentioned by another, maybe it isn’t pushed in past the locking pin?

To install, make sure the ‘rear’ grub screw is loose and push in the whammy bar and it should click in with light force (then the little necked down area of whammy bar goes past the locking pin). The rear grub screw should then be tightened to taste (loose of you want the bar to spin/windmill around, tight if you want the bar to not spin and stay in place, like up in playing position, for example).