My Kahler is squeaking...

[sonicsamurai]

...tell me how to make it stop...

[rjohnstone]

WD40 or some 10W30:ROTF:

Clean it, but it does need to be oiled.

[sonicsamurai]

which bit?? a bit retarded but i have no idea what a kahler trem looks like underneath

[Racerx2k]

Depends on which type of Kahler: They have several designs. Some look like Floyds, some don't.

[sonicsamurai]

its an 86 mod 4 kahler

[wilkinsi]

WD40 or some 10W30:ROTF:

Clean it, but it does need to be oiled.

i tried that with a bc rich speedloader i used to own (i feel so ashamed and embarassed to have owned the wretched guitar). it worked for a day or two before squeaking again. i swear, it wasn't my idea, it was the shop. i've never used a kahler..

[MetalMedal II]

its an 86 mod 4 kahler

When does it squeak? Does is squeak when using the bar or just when bending a particular string? If it's the latter, it could be one of the rollers that's causing the noise, maybe needing oil. But if it occurs with the bar, or with any string bend, and if it sounds like it coming from underneath the trem, it could be from one of the springs.

The flatmount Kahler like on the Mod4 has 2 springs underneath that attach to where the strings anchor. One of the strings could be squeaking, which might be solved with cleaning them with some oil or even rubbing some wax on the strings to keep them from rubbing. To do this you'll need to remove the 4 screws that hold the trem into the body (remove or loosen the strings first!).

[lerxstcat]

You're also supposed to oil the moving parts every 3 months with 3 in 1 oil or an equivalent. If you haven't done that in a long time you may need to remove the trem, clean the hell out of it with WD-40, then manually clean it off with a ccloth and maybe an old toothbrush to get to everything, then once it dries oil it with 3-in-1. The rollers for sure will seize if you don't do that. If the rollers still don't roll freely, you masy need to take the saddle assemblies off and clean them separately.

[sonicsamurai]

they seem to attract a lot of grime these kahlers don't they?

[lerxstcat]

they seem to attract a lot of grime these kahlers don't they?

Not really, I have a Carvin CM130 that has had a Kahler on it for over 20 years now andhas never needed any parts replaced. It does have some flaking of the gold plating, in fact a friend gave me the trem when he replaced it for that cosmetic reason only. Basically I wipe it down after playing, clean and oil it when I change strings and it's basically the same as it was in 1985.

Floyds have no moving parts except the pivots so they are easier to maintain,
you basically go until the knife edges and pivots wear and get a new one. So Floyds are designed to be replaced, Kahlers to be maintained.

But if you have grimy hands or sweat a lot when playing, I guess grime would accumulate in the moving parts. Still no problem if you take an extra 5 minutes to address it when changing strings though...

[Racerx2k]

The rollers on Kahlers have always been an issue, since they are moving parts. Sadly, there are many players who know little of how to take care of their instruments, and that's when the guitars suffer. As a result, the instrument gets the blame, instead of the person(s), not performing the necessary upkeep. I'm not laying blame on HIM, the owner, for this, as I don't know the specific story of him and this guitar.
I owned an 86 Model, back in 86, brand new. I was about 17 years old, then, and it was first real guitar (thanks, mom and dad!), but I knew nothing about the necessary upkeep. So, I just kept playing it, till things started to break down. The first, being the rollers on the Kahler. Oh, I eventually got the ones in issue rolling, again, but not until they ended up with a flat spot, here or there. Years, and several dings and a headstock tip, later, I traded the guitar in, for something new, cause I felt the guitar was falling apart, and was irrepairable. Sadly, I know better, now, and only WISH I still had that Model 4. Nowdays, thanks in part to places like this AND the online parts stores, I have enough recourses to keep all my guitars up and running, without having to drop coinage on a repairman.

Lesson: If you don't have the knowledge to upkeep or repair it, yourself, at least have the knowledge to take it to someone who can.

[shredhed]

Just play louder