A while back someone linked to a third-party JM/Jag tailpiece arm & bushing that were threaded (like those on a Strat) to keep the arm from flopping around. Search is coming up with nothing, anyone recall who sells 'em?

If you push it all the way in. Right to the Right angle bend. They don't flop. It's the way the Collet is designed.

Gotta push hard, then leave it on the guitar after.

And never remove! Even if you're putting the guitar in the casE- leave it in. My trem arms stay put if I want them too. I found the gum from a piece of clear adhesive tape to work better/last longer than anything else. Good luck!

Take the vibrato unit off the guitar and insert the arm into the collet. Squeeze the collet with a pair of pliers until you get the arm resistance you want and then put a piece of shrink tubing over the end and heat it until it is good and tight. Problem solved forever and you can remove the arm should you want to and reinsert without losing tension. Do not squeeze the collet without the arm in place as they are somewhat fragile.

That's a great idea, Bear! I've got plenty of heatshrink, gonna have to give it a try. I've used both CIJ and AVRI tailpiece hardware on my JM; even with wrapping the arm in tape and/or forcing it down into the collet, it still flops around like a eunuch at an orgy.

Good thinking, Bear.

I wish Fender would adopt the Hagstrom system for this type of push-in vibrato arm. Here the 'collet' is actually a rather more substantial piece of tube with a plastic bush inside it and there is a grub screw passing through the wall of the collet, like on some guitar control knobs. This grub screw pushes gently against the plastic bush so by adjusting the grub screw you can have the arm as tight or as loose as you want.

My Strats have screw-in vibrato arms. I wrap plumbers' ptfe tape around the thread before screwing them in. This keeps them firm but moveable for a good while.

Good thinking, Bear.

I wish Fender would adopt the Hagstrom system for this type of push-in vibrato arm. Here the 'collet' is actually a rather more substantial piece of tube with a plastic bush inside it and there is a grub screw passing through the wall of the collet, like on some guitar control knobs. This grub screw pushes gently against the plastic bush so by adjusting the grub screw you can have the arm as tight or as loose as you want.

My Strats have screw-in vibrato arms. I wrap plumbers' ptfe tape around the thread before screwing them in. This keeps them firm but moveable for a good while.

Good thinking, Bear.

I wish Fender would adopt the Hagstrom system for this type of push-in vibrato arm. Here the 'collet' is actually a rather more substantial piece of tube with a plastic bush inside it and there is a grub screw passing through the wall of the collet, like on some guitar control knobs. This grub screw pushes gently against the plastic bush so by adjusting the grub screw you can have the arm as tight or as loose as you want.

My Strats have screw-in vibrato arms. I wrap plumbers' ptfe tape around the thread before screwing them in. This keeps them firm but moveable for a good while.

Wilkinson Strat vibratos have the push in arm with the grub screw. Both my Strat and my Tele have Wilkinson vibratos. I HATE screw in arms because of the freeplay wobble.

Put the arm in a vice. Bend the part that goes into the collet ever so slightly. Fixed!

You could probably order the tailpiece and arm from the classic player series guitars.

You could probably order the tailpiece and arm from the classic player series guitars.

You could probably order the tailpiece and arm from the classic player series guitars.

Unfortunately the classic player uses a threaded arm so you get the freeplay wobble so you have to use Teflon plumber's tape.

Using a piece of shrink tube on a properly sized collet is easy and permanent with no bending or modification of parts.