OK, you have touched on a number of different aspects regarding the Hagstrom. Some things you wrote don't add up or make sense. And some of what you wrote is not entirely clear. this one is also a lefty, so ill try to stay on track with it myself
first, there are 2 main screws on that unit. the one large thumbwheel/set screw that holds the arm in place, and the smaller screw that controls the spring rate(or whatever) of the tremolo tailpiece. It sounds like you have removed the large thumb wheel set screw successfully. or maybe not?
"it turns, but doesn’t come out of the collar" a lot of things turn on that tailpiece. are u talking about the tremolo arm? or the large thumbwheel set screw??
presuming you are talking about the arm, and the large set screw has been removed and is not stuck in anything, just set that set crew off to the side. Is the point of the screw in decent shape? any major wear or signs of incorrect installation/use?
the "permanent divot in the arm" is there by design. there is only one way it is to be positioned. if it is "too low to be useful" than it is either: in there wrong/upside donw, is the incorrect arm, or a second divot has been made in the arm post-factory, in the wrong spot. something there is not right. one of my questions is that if you can't get the arm out of the collar, how can you see the divot(s) in the arm?
unless u mean the trem tailpiece itself is too low, which is controlled by that smaller screw. but lets pause there for a minute.
I want to make sure I am not misunderstanding what is stuck. in looking at your photo, the arm is way down by the knobs. that is not stuck, is it? the arm should be moveable, and if it is, move it up just under the high E string/in the pick guard area. The Hagstrom tremar is not like a Fender or Bigsby. it is very suddle, and just takes a touch to use the effect. It is not sticking way out like a Fender Strat. and the way that Hagstrom unit is designed (just look at it!) the trem will not work right (or at all) down where u have it in the photos. look at where a Bigsby arm is, the Hagstrom should look like that.
here is a lefty Hagstrom, see what I mean?
Once you move the arm out of the way, next step is see if the trem is locked with that smaller screw. play a chord and pull on the back of the tailpiece slightly. does the pitch change? or is it locked? Ultimately that smaller screw will need to be adjusted, while you are tuning, to set the tremolo "spring rate" to how you want it/how the guitar wants its.
but before you do that, if the the trem arm is stuck in its cylinder, I would heat that up with a hair dryer and get that arm out. just set it aside with the set screw. and show us some photos.
Also on mine the values of the pickups have not been measured, but they do seem quite hot. the neck pickup for sure, is a sea of heavy cream fattness. both pickups are full spectrum, wide open like the sky.
Thanks for all the detail. A lot to unpack here, so I will try to be clear and concise.
First, I am talking only about the set screw that holds the arm in place. The small screw that controls spring tension is set, floating fine, and is no issue, so for the rest of this conversation, I am only referring to the set screw for the trem arm.
Yes, I am able to remove the large thumbwheel screw. The screw looks fine. When I do this, the trem arm twists in the sleeve, but it does not come out. I will heat it as you recommend and see if that allows it to slip out.
That said, when I look into the screw hole with a flashlight, the divot in the trem arm, where the set screw rests, seems to look ground up a bit, so perhaps that is why the arm is not sitting at the right height.
The trem arm assembly turns freely, I can easily move it into place for use, so that is no issue. For the record, I am quite familiar with trem assemblies, having used Strat Trems, Bigsbys, Jazzmaster Trems, etc. So don't worry, I know how to set and float a bridge, which way the arm should be facing, how to manipulate the trem, etc.
The tailpiece is floating just fine and is of no issue.
When I say the arm is too low, what I mean is that it is sitting too low in relation to the body of the guitar to allow for wide movement of the term arm. I am a Strat player, and I like to hold the trem arm in my palm, and pick with my fingers, using the trem arm to wobble the notes. with this trem arm, that is not possible as it sits too low over the strings to allow this. If I remove the set screw, and rotate the arm, the curve of the arm shifts and the arm floats higher above the strings, but of course, it will not stay positioned that way.
The only way I can see to raise the arm in relation to the body, would be to tighten the trem spring, and make the plate sit closer to flush with the body, but the floating nature of it makes it feel much smoother (just like on a Strat, I never deck the trem).
Does this all make sense? I can also send pics if helpful, but hopefully I described this clearly.
So, right now, I am looking to:
Remove the arm from the sleeve to inspect it. You have given a suggestion how to do this.
Adjust the arm so it sits higher off the body of the guitar. Once I remove the arm, I can determine if the divot has become oversized or mangled in some way.
Thanks!
