Tele with Tremolo Arm

Any trem will do, Bigsby, Strat, Floyd, etc....

I liked this pic of my Tele with my one and only boy.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/telechaser/P1000944.jpg

Right there in the avatar. If I had it to do over again I would have used BigsbyTele as my handle ;)

i'm in....

Doublebound 'burst with O.V.'s and the Glendale ChimeMaster built by Ron Kirn

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb37/maestrovert/KirnTeleRob2resized.jpg

Here's my 2004 CIJ 60's Custom with B5. Original pickups recently replaced with Lawrence Keystones.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o67/echorrigan/Custom_Full_Front.jpg

Count me in!

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9425/img5057m.jpg (http://img522.imageshack.us/i/img5057m.jpg/)

Seymour-Duncan Hot Lead Stack in the bridge and Full Shred in the neck, 4-way switching and push-pull coil cut. Not crazy about the tune-o-matic style bridge that came with the Bigsby, so I'm currently using the ZZ Guitarworks bridge. I miss the old ashtray style bridge though, so I think I'm going to try notching one out to make it work.

Is there such thing as a Thinline ('69 or '72) with a tremolo???

woo hoo - loving my mim 1994 with B5 and fralin blues special :razz:

http://university-park.org/guitar/mimteleb5.jpg

Is there such thing as a Thinline ('69 or '72) with a tremolo???

Yes. Plenty of pics around. Are you planning on building/put together one? As long as there is a centre block, putting a tremolo should be no problem.

here is a nice page that has Bigsbys specifically. I referenced it when I was researching if and how I was going to install the B5: http://www.xs4all.nl/~msengers/htm/gallery.htm
unaffiliated of course. hth

Anyone else -- I'm more interested in non-Bigsby options like the Les Trem.

Anyone else -- I'm more interested in non-Bigsby options like the Les Trem.

Same here. I'm planning to put together/build something with a Strat Trem (no flloyds though.)

I'm also interested in this one http://www.stetsbar.com/

Same here. I'm planning to put together/build something with a Strat Trem (no flloyds though.)

I'm also interested in this one http://www.stetsbar.com/

Where are you planning to get the body routed with a Strat trem, or are you doing it yourself?

This is the coolest aftermarket Telecaster trem unit I can find:

http://www.tremking.com/prod2.html

Anyone else -- I'm more interested in non-Bigsby options like the Les Trem.

I love the trem and in particular the Khaler now on my tele. Expensive, but quality!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/peterstewartwarmington/blueteleful1/bluetele9.jpg

Very small routing under the trem required, this hybrid version will lock down (to a fixed bridge), and like a bigsby the bridge (adjustable up down and sideways) stays fixed solid...(so, no risk of palm muting putting things out). Unlike a bigsby, it stays in tune! I use locking tuners and an LSR. It's great for a bit of a bigsby like wobble...both up and down...all the way to the most extreme down to slack or string breaking up bends (if that's your thing!).

I love the trem and in particular the Khaler now on my tele. Expensive, but quality!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/peterstewartwarmington/blueteleful1/bluetele9.jpg

Very small routing under the trem required, this hybrid version will lock down (to a fixed bridge), and like a bigsby the bridge (adjustable up down and sideways) stays fixed solid...(so, no risk of palm muting putting things out). Unlike a bigsby, it stays in tune! I use locking tuners and an LSR. It's great for a bit of a bigsby like wobble...both up and down...all the way to the most extreme down to slack or string breaking up bends (if that's your thing!).

That's beautiful mate. Would you be able to post more pics? Like a closer shot of the bridge and the back as well. Where did you get the bridge?

I got the Khaler from "wammi world" who distributes them...also cheapest I found.

The back...well, not much to see there...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/peterstewartwarmington/blueteleful1/bluetele7.jpg

Hahahaha...it works on a cam mechanism so requires a 1" deep route under the bridge that isn't that big really. The springs and such are adjusted from the top of the trem...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/peterstewartwarmington/bluetelebridge.jpg

There are a few tricks required...one is that you want a fair pressure down on the bridge saddles...so on some guitars you might want to add a bit of a shim..tele's are notoriously "flat"...this guitar is set as low as is possible with these things.

Also, if you look closely in that last pic...there is a small grub screw behind the bridge itself...this is the "hybrid" set screw. Screwing it in fixes the bridge in place. This is really useful for installing and setting up intonation and such...or if you wanted it back to a fixed bridge and take out the arm.

You want to adjust the bridge so that when in tune it floats exactly where this grub screw is...spring adjustment and arm rotation tension is adjusted by the screws near where the arm goes in.

One thing to note is that they are not built for extra heavy strings...I use 10-46...but any higher like a 52 bass string won't fit in the ball end retainers of the fine tuners I have found. Also, the extra tension may require stronger springs. Wammi world are pretty good about answering questions and have a range of parts for them...like springs and saddles and roller of different materials.

I use roller nut (LSR) and locking tuners, the things come with a locking nut and if you are going to go crazy with a full floating trem like this you might need to lock those strings down and use the fine tuners like a floyd.

Even though it is a fully floating wide range device, it shares much with the bigsby all the same. I know bigsbys are traditional and look cool and all...but they are notoriously tricky to keep in tune and kind of primitive. I had one on my first guitar (an SG). There are a lot of rollers and such that the strings will hang up on and the springs loosen up a bit...and by the time you have got a good bigsby and rolling bridge and the mods to the guitar and a good nut and tuners, etc...well...the outlay and mods are probably similar.

I've also tried a few other things on gibsons without success (although there is a gibson-like version of the khaler that is equally good for stud tailpiece guitars). I find that a strat's standard fulcrum trem to be fine though if properly set up, but not suitable for a tele really and not the range or advantages that the Khaler has.

I also like the "sound" of the khaler...it is a heavy duty bridge with brass rollers saddles as standard...it seems to give a very good separation of notes. It is not a "reversable" mod though...you do need to route the guitar under the bridge so you can't put it back...not a lot of wood goes missing though. The only bridge that was kind of flat mount, but not available anymore, was a washburn "wonderbar" thing as I recall.

I routed this tele for the bridge after the custom finish with a lot of care and masking...plus a bit of a wooden "jig" out of scrap to be absolutely sure not to mark up the guitar...can't be too careful with this kind of thing!

I might have an excuse to put together/build a solid body Tele after all. 10-46 is what I use for the Tele with Bigsby. 11-49 on the others.

Wow folks - I've been away for a while, but love the feedback and tips.
THANKS

here is a nice page that has Bigsbys specifically. I referenced it when I was researching if and how I was going to install the B5: http://www.xs4all.nl/~msengers/htm/gallery.htm
unaffiliated of course. hth

Great Link - even a little overwhelming...thanks a ton!

MPatt

I want a Bigsby Tele for surf guitar... but I also want a Jazzmaster for surf guitar... I want more guitars... :oops:

I'm in!

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e323/RomanSonnleitner/teleblasterP6284.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e323/RomanSonnleitner/telebastardP6287.jpg

Bigsby on Tele FTW!

I'm in! Here is my Nashville Deluxe with a B5:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q311/smogburn/My%20Guitars/FenderNashvilleDeluxeTelecasterW-8.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q311/smogburn/My%20Guitars/FenderNashvilleDeluxeTelecasterW-7.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q311/smogburn/My%20Guitars/guitars%20on%20new%20pc/nashvilledeluxe2.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q311/smogburn/My%20Guitars/guitars%20on%20new%20pc/telecasters.jpg

I'm happy to report that the Bigsby doesn't make my tele go out of tune. This is probably due to using the Bigsby fairly conservatively.