The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Just got my hand on this destroyed guitar (Aria 5102T 1971) a couple weeks ago: http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5156

Now for the reconstruction, I need some help for the vibrato: some parts are missing and I was wondering if they are the same dimensions as on a bigsby. If someone got one with a guenuine Aria Vibrato, I would be very grateful if you could give me a zoom photo of the system and some dimensions, so I could manufacture/order some:

1.internal and external diameters + length of spring
2.length of the vibrato arm
3.arm hole's diameter
4.kind of bolt, spring washer and nylon nut. (i think it's 1/4-28 UNF)

Here is a photo of the system I built myself, but the spring just doesn't fit...its made from a long compression spring I found and then cut.
Any help or tips for a rebuild will be appreciated.

Thanks to you, Aria fanatics

...Anyone with an Aria vibrato? (it's not necessary to be a 5102T)

Sorry I can't help with details. It is unusal to find these intact. I remember someone posting one a few months ago, asking about value so probably in the auction part of the forum, that had a complete one. You could try doing a search and then PM them if you find it. It looks to me tike it is a custom spring with tighter ends to hold them in place. Good luck and let us know if you come up with a solution.

Finally had the guitar all fixed and adjusted!

For the vibrato, here are the parts i used, in order:

¼ screw
2 washers
vibrato arm
bigsby built hole
spring washer
regular nut (nylon locking nut was too thick for purpose)

It's built approximately like a bigsby, but I had to heat the spring to give him a curve so he won't pop out when the strings are tuned.

Ø7/8" spring (ext) X 1" LG with 3/16 wire, but it is not rigid enough, I had to unscrew the spring rest at half course, and the vibrato arm touches it when firmly pressed down...Had to adjust it in catastrophe: the wooden-self-built vibrato arm was too thick and I replaced the screw with the only one I found. I'll check this at next string change.