Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Earlier this month I fitted an Accent vibrato to my 330. It's perfect for my garage/surf pop band's sound, but I'm having a little trouble getting the arm to be more controllable. I tighten it down to the point where it rests just near the pickup selector switch, but when I pick the arm up to apply some vibrato, the screw loosens and if I'm not careful by the end of our set it's completely fallen off. I'm wondering if there's some sort of hack I can do to make sure it stays in place, still movable but not as loose (sort of like the movement on a Bigsby arm). Does anyone here have any tips? Also, is there a longer version of the vibrato arm? I could do with an extra inch or so...

antiuser wrote: I'm wondering if there's some sort of hack I can do to make sure it stays in place, still movable but not as loose (sort of like the movement on a Bigsby arm).

Loctite and a wave washer. Put the Loctite only on the first few threads of the screw, then tighten it down until it's just the way you want it.

antiuser wrote: I could do with an extra inch or so...

I've heard a few guys express this sentiment before.

antiuser wrote:Earlier this month I fitted an Accent vibrato to my 330. Does anyone here have any tips?.

Take it off and bin it

johnhall wrote: Loctite and a wave washer. Put the Loctite only on the first few threads of the screw, then tighten it down until it's just the way you want it.

Good info. Thanks!

johnhall wrote:I've heard a few guys express this sentiment before.

scotty wrote:Take it off and bin it

The wave washer works great. I use them on all my Accents, which I use quite a bit. I generally bend my Accent VB arms up for more travel. If you do this, bend the arm at rhe first bend/elbow, not at the mounting ring end; you don' want the arm to break off.

paologregorio wrote:If you do this, bend the arm at rhe first bend/elbow, not at the mounting ring end; you don' want the arm to break off.

This is good advice, especially with vintage parts. In the old days, the handle was brazed to the mounting ring- end to side- and was prone to breaking under heavy force. The modern ones look exactly the same, but the ring is drilled and the arm inserted, then welded instead of brazed. Much stronger!

johnhall wrote:

paologregorio wrote:If you do this, bend the arm at rhe first bend/elbow, not at the mounting ring end; you don' want the arm to break off.

This is good advice, especially with vintage parts. In the old days, the handle was brazed to the mounting ring- end to side- and was prone to breaking under heavy force.

I suppose that explains why, after dozens of vintage Ricks, I've never once bought a vintage Rickenbacker that still has it's original Accent arm.