Hallmark 60 Custom - roller bridge rattle help

[LOSTVENTURE]

The bridge, pick-ups, and vibrato all all American made by Mr. Shade.
Don

[MOSDAN]

Call Mr. Shade--he is very accommodating. He probably has a solution for your problem. The vaseline trick may work but it may also collect dirt and dust so regular cleaning may be in order if Vaseline is used.

[brutus]

Yes we make our own pickups AND we also own the remainder of vintage magnets that were created for Mosrite in the 60's and 70's.

I was aware that they made their own pups, I didn't know they made the vibratos and bridges were made here in U.S.A.. The Hallmark bridge is pretty cool with some great improvements over the Mosrite version. I agree call Mr. Shade.

[CookieMan]

I have a rattling roller on one of my Hallmark bridges. I shimmed the roller with a small piece of paper and the rattle is gone. The roller doesn't roll anymore, but as the bridge itself rocks, it hasn't caused any issues with tuning or string breakage. Not a fancy solution, but quick, and you can get back to the more enjoyable task of playing your guitar!

Thanks for all of your input, guys. I came up with a solution of my own - a short length of sewing thread between the offending rollers and now I'm back in business and rattle-free. I will probably contact Bob Shade and ask if he's got another solution, though. BTW FritzCat, the rollers are held with a pin, not a screw, so tightening them isn't an option.

[twango the clown]

When I first got my new 60 Custom a few weeks ago, while tightening the tremolo arm I accidentally knocked the roller bridge over , and when I restrung, there was that rattle. I dealt with it the same way I used to handle it on a Gretsch with roller bridge and bigsby a lifetime ago: I depressed the whammy as far down as it would go and popped the string off the roller, then spun it a half-turn, and popped the string back in until the buzz and annoying click disappeared. It takes a few tries, and there are no promises, but I think this is a quick fix that must have always been in use. When the roller is too loose, it vibrates sideways. If it's too tight it won't spin, and what's the point? I think that there is usually a tight point on the spin somewhere where you can leave it. Last time I changed strings the same thing happened and the trick worked again.
That said, has anybody noticed that sometimes your high e string unravels at the ball while using the tremolo? I use it a lot, because generally speaking hallmark makes the best tremolo I've used in terms of pitch return.
The first time the string popped my jaw dropped: I had never heard of a string unraveling. The second time, I thought, 'Hey, what's going on here?' as I watched the little brass ring roll across the floor and the string dropped off. D'addario seems to have noticed the problem, because they now make a special set of strings for tremolo bridges that is soldered at the twist. My music store was out of stock.
Right now I am just using a heavier e string.
Still, it's not as bad as the problem I used to get with the old Les Paul tune-o-matics, where a broken string sometimes meant that the retaining wire flew off, and along with it the plastic "tooth," forcing you to put down your guitar and grovel in the dark down on the dance floor until you found the pieces and the wire. A real crowd pleaser.

[CookieMan]

That said, has anybody noticed that sometimes your high e string unravels at the ball while using the tremolo? I use it a lot, because generally speaking hallmark makes the best tremolo I've used in terms of pitch return.
The first time the string popped my jaw dropped: I had never heard of a string unraveling. The second time, I thought, 'Hey, what's going on here?' as I watched the little brass ring roll across the floor and the string dropped off. D'addario seems to have noticed the problem, because they now make a special set of strings for tremolo bridges that is soldered at the twist. My music store was out of stock. :

Holy cow, Twango! I thought that it was just a bum E unraveling on me the other day. Something to be wary of I guess. Will have a look for those special D'Addarios.

Right now it seems I've eliminated the rattle with the sewing thread. I may try your Bigsby trick later though.

[dubtrub]

I too have experienced the same problem with the both the E and B string unraveling. I now solder every one including the backups I carry in the case. End of problem.

[Vec]

Having previously owned a Hallmark 60 Custom, I don't recall hearing any rattles. However, there was one thing about the bridge that always puzzled me. The bridge floats on top of two posts that thread into the body which allows it to rock on the posts when the trem is used. It seems to me that an improvement might be to have the threaded posts extend slightly above the bridge plate so a locking nut could be used to lock the bridge in place once the bridge height is set. This would prevent the bridge from rocking on the posts when the trem is used and might improve the return to pitch, would let the bridge rollers do their job, and might improve the overall sustain in the process. Just a thought .

[Dennisthe Menace]

Vec,
That is EXACTLY what Semie did with his guitars starting somewhere in the mid to late 80s .

[Vec]

Vec,
That is EXACTLY what Semie did with his guitars starting somewhere in the mid to late 80s .

Cool...thanks, didn't know that!! Learn somethin' new every day .