diggerbarnz Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Anyone else installed this on a 2nd gen 69?...if I pull back on whammy...falls out of block - been advised to route out some of the body...not into doin that I should have stuck w/original plan which was to have it setup for dives only...& I'm STILL waiting on the proper bloody whammy for it...salesman argueing w/me that it's just a "pop-in" & I told him NO...it's internally threaded - been over a month waiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 There are a couple of things you can try: Give the bent section of wire (part that pokes into the block) a very small bend with a pair of long-nose pliers. If you get it just right it will create enough friction to hold it in place without affecting operation. If you don't want to go that way, try sticking a plastic or wood block to the inside of the rear cover. The idea here is to space it about 1/16" from the wire so it keeps it from falling out. You don't want it in contact with the wire all the time, since that will affect tuning stability. You might also try contacting SuperVee. They seem like a very responsible bunch and may have other ideas to fix the problem. BTW, I cannot imagine what routing out the body would do for you. I've had a Maglok on my JTV-69 for a couple of years and it really tames the tuning issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstar1960 Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Anyone else installed this on a 2nd gen 69?...if I pull back on whammy...falls out of block - been advised to route out some of the body...not into doin that I should have stuck w/original plan which was to have it setup for dives only...& I'm STILL waiting on the proper bloody whammy for it...salesman argueing w/me that it's just a "pop-in" & I told him NO...it's internally threaded - been over a month waiting Hi digger - sorry to hear that you are having problems with the maglok. I haven't got one so I can't help with advice - but are they designed to be used for both dives and pull ups? Also sorry to hear that you have not got a whammy bar for your JTV69 - and interested to hear that yours is internally threaded. I have a JTV69 and mine is definitely a push in with a small grub screw on the side to tighten. Does that mean I have a 1st gen 69? I only got it within last year and it was one of the special offers at a reduced price and did have an old serial number plus the early firmware - so maybe I do have an early one. Hope I don't hit any of the issues that plagued the 1st gen - so far so good and I hope it stays that way. Anyway - I would have thought the salesman should be aware there are different types of trem on the 69 depending on when it was made. Good luck with solving the maglok issue and getting your trem arm from the dealer! BTW - have you tried contacting Line6 support directly for the trem arm replacement? They may be able to help speed things up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 Hi digger - sorry to hear that you are having problems with the maglok. I haven't got one so I can't help with advice - but are they designed to be used for both dives and pull ups? Also sorry to hear that you have not got a whammy bar for your JTV69 - and interested to hear that yours is internally threaded. I have a JTV69 and mine is definitely a push in with a small grub screw on the side to tighten. Does that mean I have a 1st gen 69? I only got it within last year and it was one of the special offers at a reduced price and did have an old serial number plus the early firmware - so maybe I do have an early one. Hope I don't hit any of the issues that plagued the 1st gen - so far so good and I hope it stays that way. Anyway - I would have thought the salesman should be aware there are different types of trem on the 69 depending on when it was made. Good luck with solving the maglok issue and getting your trem arm from the dealer! BTW - have you tried contacting Line6 support directly for the trem arm replacement? They may be able to help speed things up for you. I got mine last yr...I remember that you did both w/whammy screwed in + it had set screw( I think that's why salesman was arguing w/me)whammy IS coming direct from Line 6...bloody slow tho - It WAS Supervees idea to rout out body (slightly)...thanks for ideas & will get back to ya whenever I figure it out....maglok doesnt come completely out & when I do a dive it goes back into block almost all the way - hockey tape 4 now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstar1960 Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I assume your JTV69 trem does not keep in tune when you use the whammy - hence the maglok. I am not a heavy trem user but my JTV69 seems to stay perfectly in tune with light use. Does the maglok improve or completely fix tuning stability when using it for dives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Mine is internally threaded. I had to chase the threads to get it to thread on easily. It was so tight that it was useless when I got it. It threads into a bolt that goes through the back of the trem block in the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Maybe I'm just too fussy, but I've yet to see a floating tremolo that stayed in tune without a positive return point (Maglok, Hipshot, etc.). Even with that, G string goes sharp after dives due to catching at the nut slot. A Graphtec nut helps quite a bit, but doesn't completely eliminate it. For almost 40 years, I routinely blocked the tremolo on any instrument I used for playing out. Two years ago I started working with another guitarist who used it to great advantage, so I took the leap and left the tremolo on my JVT-69 active. After the Maglok and the Graphtec nut, I'm no longer afraid to use it on stage. Just needed to condition myself to bend the G string or give it a quick tug after using the bar. I'll accept the fact that there are folks out there experiencing terrific stability on a stock setup, but I've never personally experienced it. Then again, I'm one of those lucky (?) folks who in the first five minutes of using a new piece of code, trip on the software bug that no one in test caught. And, back in the days of mechanical wristwatches, mine never kept time :-). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstar1960 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Maybe I'm just too fussy, but I've yet to see a floating tremolo that stayed in tune without a positive return point (Maglok, Hipshot, etc.). Even with that, G string goes sharp after dives due to catching at the nut slot. A Graphtec nut helps quite a bit, but doesn't completely eliminate it. For almost 40 years, I routinely blocked the tremolo on any instrument I used for playing out. Two years ago I started working with another guitarist who used it to great advantage, so I took the leap and left the tremolo on my JVT-69 active. After the Maglok and the Graphtec nut, I'm no longer afraid to use it on stage. Just needed to condition myself to bend the G string or give it a quick tug after using the bar. I'll accept the fact that there are folks out there experiencing terrific stability on a stock setup, but I've never personally experienced it. Then again, I'm one of those lucky (?) folks who in the first five minutes of using a new piece of code, trip on the software bug that no one in test caught. And, back in the days of mechanical wristwatches, mine never kept time :-). I hear you. I did have my JTV69 set up professionally which included having the nut slots slightly lowered but it seems to be very stable, but like I said, I am not using the trem for anything other than a little bit of Hank Marvin tremolo effect - maybe if I was using it to dive down a few steps I would find it doesn't return exactly. I have a few trem guitars and I have had them all set up which usually includes lowering nut slots and so far all except my Fender USA strat play fine and don't stick. The Fender USA strat seems to be catching on the string tree since I swapped strings on it recently - so I have now swapped to using a string tree with a grooved wheel and that seems to have fixed it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 Actually I just had $ to burn on Mag-lok...stability wasn't bad on my 69...BUT, I do find that I tend to rest my hand on bridge & throws me off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 I assume your JTV69 trem does not keep in tune when you use the whammy - hence the maglok. I am not a heavy trem user but my JTV69 seems to stay perfectly in tune with light use. Does the maglok improve or completely fix tuning stability when using it for dives? Won't know until I have it set up properly ...supposedly it stabilizes for both whammy use & for bends(almost as if you had a stop-tail bridge) not perfect but definite improvement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quadcabby Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I have a Maglok fitted to my JTV69 and it went straight on and had no problems with it. I fitted it as I do a lot of pedal steel double stop bends and found as I bent a string up the one or two others dropped slightly flat. The term itself wasn't an issue and always returned to pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 yeah - I should have went w/blocking I think...live & learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevekc Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 JTV-69 Tremolo Setup http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9371.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 yes Steve. . .besides PM's I've read this before (maybe not well as I don't read much!) but...I don't see anything about blocking All I know is if I rest my hand on bridge as I tend to do...it throws her sharp. . .other than that, the vee STILL goes flat on double bends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 If the Maglok is letting things go flat on bends, then it is not properly adjusted. When setup properly the guitar behaves like it has a fixed bridge until you manually push on the bar. Before tightening down the screw that holds the Maglok body to the guitar, you have to be absolutely sure that the guitar is at pitch and (they don't mention this) oriented as if you are playing it - NOT laying face down on the bench. With the hook seated in the bridge block, pull the mounting bracket back until it JUST touches the sliding pins on the body of the Maglok and tighten the screw down firmly. You have to be very careful to take up all mechanical "slop" before tightening the screw or it wil allow some dive. It's very easy to accidentally be touching the strings or bridge when you are doing the setup and that throws it off. Maybe have a second person brace the guitar on its edge while you tighten it up? I have Magloks on both my JTV-69 and Roland / Fender Strat. Both are rock solid in terms of string dive under any bending you might imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks - will try...but now that I've already "bastardized" body w/screw I hope I can re-attach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevekc Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 nope - I suck...soon as I rest hand on bridge - # thanks for tryin guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 PS Steve - I'm gonna print off your pdf on this & just give it to luthier - as well as maglok...& I'm STILL waiting on the proper whammy since November Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 PS Steve - I'm gonna print off your pdf on this & just give it to luthier - as well as maglok...& I'm STILL waiting on the proper whammy since November Why not take the plunge and do it yourself? It's really important for a guitarist to have some hands-on familiarity with basic stuff like bridge adjustments and tremolo mechanisms. Plenty of great videos on YouTube to help you get your courage up :-). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 So if I'm seeing this right you actually screw one end into the guitar body (wood) and then hook the othe end to the trem. A little scary but I've done scary work on my guitar before. Just attempted my first two fret level jobs. I was surprisingly successful! Skill? Or Luck? We'll find out the next time I attempt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'm wondering if NOT having the proper whammy ...is adding to my probs too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 So if I'm seeing this right you actually screw one end into the guitar body (wood) and then hook the othe end to the trem. A little scary but I've done scary work on my guitar before. Just attempted my first two fret level jobs. I was surprisingly successful! Skill? Or Luck? We'll find out the next time I attempt it. Attaching a Maglok is not all that scary, considering that you are screwing into the inside of the spring compartment where no one will ever see it unless they go looking. Fret work? Now that I find scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 If the Maglok is letting things go flat on bends, then it is not properly adjusted. When setup properly the guitar behaves like it has a fixed bridge until you manually push on the bar. Before tightening down the screw that holds the Maglok body to the guitar, you have to be absolutely sure that the guitar is at pitch and (they don't mention this) oriented as if you are playing it - NOT laying face down on the bench. With the hook seated in the bridge block, pull the mounting bracket back until it JUST touches the sliding pins on the body of the Maglok and tighten the screw down firmly. You have to be very careful to take up all mechanical "slop" before tightening the screw or it wil allow some dive. It's very easy to accidentally be touching the strings or bridge when you are doing the setup and that throws it off. Maybe have a second person brace the guitar on its edge while you tighten it up? I have Magloks on both my JTV-69 and Roland / Fender Strat. Both are rock solid in terms of string dive under any bending you might imagine. RE:mechanical slop - which way do you take up the slack - in vid they show towards head of guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Ok, you want to go in the direction where if you are pulling the bracket (piece that screws to the guitar) away from the tremolo block. In other words, if you pull too hard the guitar will go sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 this is whacked - they just emailed as well...just ending up with body full of holes & doesnt stop nuthin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 I want zero movement upward - as much play as there is in the "base plate" on maglok is the amount it's still moving - maybe if bridge was flat on guitar - I really hate screwing things up - PS Prednizone & no sleep for 3 days isn't helping my situation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snhirsch Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I replied to your PM. You're not setting the Maglok bracket correctly - sounds like you have it pushed towards the trem block. The bracket needs to be as far away from the trem block as possible without starting to pull the trem block sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 This maglock intrigues me. After watching a video on it I was impressed with the increase in sustain. But I think he had one of the super vee trems on with a sustain block. So.... Does the maglock increase sustain on it's own. If so, is it a lot or do you need on of the Super Vee trems to get that. If you need one of the Super Vee trems, is there one with piezos on it that can be put in a JTV Will one of those sustain blocks fit on the JTV 69 trem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm no longer commenting on this...& waiting on response from company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 NO response from them - unit fell apart, bracket & all....never again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay-man Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 NO response from them - unit fell apart, bracket & all....never again The maglok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 yes sir - it's in pieces - & no response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay-man Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 yes sir - it's in pieces - & no response Glad I didn't get it for my Variax 600. There are other tremolo stabilizers out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerbarnz Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Finally have a response & satisfaction - I ended up using a hipshot tremsetter...all seems solid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 this site offers reviews of a bunch of trem stabilizers, some I hadn't heard of, and is a good reference for comparison... http://joe.emenaker.com/TremStabilizers/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsdenj Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I got a Mag-Lok for my new JTV-69S as I liked how the hipshot tremsetter works on my Strat Deluxe. However when I went to install it, I noticed the JTV-69S claw is somewhat narrow and the springs are too close together. The Mag-Lok U-bracket can be pushed in-between the springs, but the springs are rubbing on the side of the U-bracket near the claw. I'm afraid this rubbing will cause noise in the springs that will end up in the piezo pickups. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it really an issue? Do I need to get a wider claw for more spring spacing? Or is this not really a problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I'm afraid this rubbing will cause noise in the springs that will end up in the piezo pickups. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it really an issue? Do I need to get a wider claw for more spring spacing? Or is this not really a problem? No experience with it, but it's easy enough to test...it'll either make noise or it won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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