accent tailpiece adjustment

[kiramdear]

I just got a beautiful accent tailpiece (may have come off a lennonized re-issue?) from a forum member. I love the styling and it works fine, but the handle swings a little low and flips the pickup switch if it's in the middle position. It's not a real problem as I plan to swing the handle over the strings to work it with my wrist. But I'd like to adjust it anyway. Should I (A) put a shim under the spring, (B) bend the handle, or is there another way to get a quarter inch more clearance?

[paologregorio]

Strange problem. Does anyone else with an Accent-equipped 325 have this problem?

You bought the unit used, yes? I think that the handle is already bent:

I know that they're different guitars, but the Accents on my WBs have lots of clearance. I was thinking that maybe the shorter distance between the body ramp that the Accent is mounted on and the bridge, etc, might cause the handle to hit the switch on your 325, but if anything, a steeper angle should give you more clearance.

Shimming might work, but the thickness of the washer shim required might not leave you with anough threads on the screw to hold the arm on without eventually stripping the threads with use of the Accent.

I'd probably bend mine-hey Lennon bent his, though for a different reason. :

[deaconblues]

My 325c64's Ac'cent arm clears the switch...can't say how much because it's not with me at the moment.

It could be that the ramp on your 320 is not as steep.

Did you put any felt circles or rubber feet under the leaf spring where it touches the guitar?

[kiramdear]

There are two green felt dots under the contact point. My case is really tight; maybe it got bent lower by closing the case?

[beatlefreak]

Possible, but it shouldn't have. Perhaps whoever owned it before bent it down to make the case easier to close?

[kiramdear]

Well I just got brave and gave it a bare-fingered tweak. Seems to have done the trick. The "screw" which pivots the handle is fixed in place, I can't budge it. Is it supposed to be movable?

[paologregorio]

Well I just got brave and gave it a bare-fingered tweak. Seems to have done the trick. The "screw" which pivots the handle is fixed in place, I can't budge it. Is it supposed to be movable?

The screw is removable, which is why a lot of the 60s 335 and 365 models are missing their Accent handles. Some folks remove the arm when putting the guitar in the case. I don't because it's easier for me to just turn the arm so it's out of the way and pointing down. I did remove one of mine for the first time ever earlier today. I used a dime for a screwdriver to remove it prior to replying to your post; I wanted to see if it was feasible to place a spacer on the unit for arm clearance.

[kiramdear]

With my 320's smaller body the only places for the handle when the case is closed are right over the knobs or across the strings. Perhaps a heftier torque on the screw, but I don't want to scar it...

[beatlefreak]

Kira, you should be able to swing that handle so it points to the lower back corner of the case. That's where most people stow the handle.

[jingle_jangle]

Two issues here: the string tension vs. the ability of the Accent's spring (center piece) to deal with it. An older Accent that's seen a lot of use with high tension strings, will have a slightly flattened spring, which will position the handle too low. High-tension strings can sometimes do this on their own, too, after some time.

I'd replace those felt dots with a couple of snap-in or self-adhesive rubber bumpers. This will cure the problem in one easy step. You can try hardware store bumpers or these from McMaster-Carr: www.mcmaster.com

9723K88 @ $4.36/pkg of 50

These are self-adhesive; loosen the strings and pop them in in place of the thin felt ones.

[kiramdear]

Kira, you should be able to swing that handle so it points to the lower back corner of the case. That's where most people stow the handle.

Kris, and Paolo, thanks. You're right, although I didn't think it would, the point goes in that corner just nicely, and that solves that problem. I wouldn't want to have to remove it each time I put her away.
And thanks, too, Paul, for approving my plan A approach. I'll look into it.
I don't think I was able to bend anything with my bare fingers. It's still doing the same thing.

[jdogric12]

General comment about any vibrato in a case:

Many people think it's good to swing a vibrato arm backwards while in the case, but it should usually be left up in the regular playing position, since once that case closes, if it contacts the arm, it will depress the vibrato, thus lowering string tension. If you swing it backwards you're actually increasing tension, which is not good for storage.

This is one of those funny things that many people think is good but is actually bad, like putting tape over windows if a hurricane's coming. That tape ain't going to do s***.

[jingle_jangle]

I disagree with this observation. In every situation I've encountered with a Bigsby-equipped Gretsch, or an Accent or Bigsby-equipped Rick, the vibrato arm tips upward when it's in its "normal" position (with the arm tip oriented toward the guitar's neck end). By rotating the arm backward (depending upon where in the case's space it can rest), the arm rotates through a plane that brings the tip and arm to a downward orientation with respect to the surface of the guitar.

Closing the case on an arm that is in normal paying position may detune the strings, but it also stresses the arm, the case top, the spring of either vibrato, and the top of the guitar (more important with larger-bodied Gretsches, which are hollow with no center block). By rotating the arm toward the "hinged/guitar bottom" corner of the case (for Ricks with rectangular cases) just south of the controls (Gretsches with form fitting cases), the highest point of the vibrato becomes the string anchor in both situations. This does not overstress anything, and the guitar has a better chance of staying in tune.

Best not to store any guitar with its mousetrap ready to spring!

(Of course, Fender vibratos [Oh, sorry, tremeloes(sp)] and Rick Kauffmans should have the handles removed and stored in the case pocket.

[beatlefreak]

I do know that on my 325V59, with the arm of the Bigsby pointed towards the corner, the case closes much easier.

[deaconblues]

The handle on my c64 won't fit in the lower right corner for some reason, I have to swing it all the way to the left over the strings to close the case.