6 screw american vintage bridge v. 2 point american bridge

[paulblackford]

Can I get some feedback from people who have experienced both the 6 screw american vintage style trem v. the 2 point fulcrum style american trem? Were there significant tonal differences? Were there significant tuning or playing issues? Please be more descriptive than 'I like mine' or 'it's great'. :-)

[mellecaster]

I guess since I make my Living doing Set-ups and repairs, I'll jump on in ?

Looks aside...although some will Scream...the Modern 2 point Tremolo is just a Superior Design, and works much better than the Vintage style. The String spacing is a bit more narrow, if that would be an issue for you ?...and if you just have to have a Vintage style...The Callaham can be made to work Very well, and return to tune quite nicely. The Set-up of a Strat trem to work properly and stay in tune can be a bit challenging....but it can be done.

[boris bubbanov]

If you cain't jump in there, Mellecaster, cain't nobody jump in there. :^)

I like a wider string array (a vintage Tele array is perfect). I find the "Modern" 2 post string array not to my liking, comparatively speaking.

About the 2 post, I like the way you can adjust the post height and manipulate both the angle of the bridge plate and the extent to which it all rides higher (more kinda like the G + L Dual Fulcrum design). This is great for palm shimmer and palm muting techniques, when they are each being employed some. I can't get the vintage plate up enough without getting the angle all messed up (there's some sweet spots that give playing quality and tuning stability). I'm considering fabbing a spacer for the 6 screw types to fit between the guitar body and the bridge plate, maybe 3/32nds inches thick.

But, to answer the O P's question about both types: I have both. I like mine, and its great. :^).

[atroy]

I've had both and I've always been partial to the two point. It seemed smoother to me when I'd use the bar. I also liked the way it looked.

Two point on my '95 Strat..
bridge.jpg

[paulblackford]

Thanks for the insights, here. I really appreciate you all for taking the time. Sorry about the "I like mine" and "its great" comments, but that's the art teacher in me, creeping out. It's usually pretty difficult to get more out of people than "I like it" or "its nice", during critique.:-)

[Vizcaster]

It might be hard to compare them at the guitar shop since they're rarely set up perfectly out of the box, but a good mom and pop shop that bothers with such things might be a good start. At any rate, I prefer the smoother action of the two-point trem because it takes less force to move the whammy bar. Kind of depends on whether you like a gentle shimmer (easy for the modern bridge) or a wild dive (better suited for the heavier springs of the older style bridge).

Not the first time he's made a good point, but Boris is right about the two point trem giving you an advantage with the height adjustment from the two posts. You pre-set the radius of the saddles and leave them alone after that - then adjust the action height with only two screws instead of twelve.