There are a handful of ways Fender hold their tremolo arms in place. There’s the traditional screw-in type; push-in with a nylon bushing; and a pop-in version that uses a clip, which is the focus of this article.
Fender have used various pop-in tremolo arm systems since the early 1980s, but the clip-retained version discussed here is found on the American Deluxe and Ultra models.
It's a simple design: a spring-steel retaining clip inside the tremolo block engages a groove machined into the base of the tremolo arm. The clip itself sits in a slot cut into the side of the block, which can be seen by looking at the side of the tremolo assembly.
The problem is finding a replacement clip.
Whilst the bridge assembly is available (tremolo arm sold separately), the clip as a separate part has been discontinued by Fender. A few suppliers still have stock, but these supplies will eventually disappear. If you're searching for one, the Fender part number is 003-6531-000.
