What's your trem setup?

[Recalcitrant]

Describe your approach to tremolo. Vintage six or Standard two point? Floating or flush? (Or blocked?) How many springs, and where? Stock or aftermarket bridge? How do you use it? (Surfing the curls, Neil Young shakies, or dive bombing?)

I'm asking because I never used the trem until I tried to send up some surf music the other day, and discovered I have a LOT to learn.

Thanks!

 

[schmee]

Strat: I deck my tremelo on the body for tuning stability. I'm a light user. 4 springs usually to ensure return to pitch with 10-46 strings, 3 springs are OK for smaller strings. Vintage 6, but a 2 point would be fine with me.

I have never been able to float a strat trem successfully without tuning issues. I have tried roller nuts etc. My opinion is special nuts and locking tuners do nothing to solve trem tuning issues. It's all about the bridge returning to an exact spot. I cold see a nut mattering for really deep dives though.

My main use is the ending note to a song or a phrase end, adding a bit of wobble. Occasionally a small dive on certain parts of songs like Sleep Walk.

 

[monkeybanana]

Floating for me. I like the pitch to go up and down. I have Raw Vintage springs on my Strats. They feel good. Haven't found position to make a difference. Tension is tension. I do little wobbles and rarely dive-bomb although that's fun.

If you do bends and play more than one note takes getting used to as the other strings get pulled flat when you bend but youvget used to it.

 

[HaWE]

My bridge plate is screwed down to the body and the trem is blocked with a wooden block.

 

[brookdalebill]

I have two Bigsby equipped guitars, one Duesenberg with it’s proprietary trem, and an EJ Strat.
The EJ’s tremolo is decked, and blocked.
I like Bigsby “down only” type tremolos.
I’ve had hassles with every floating tremolo, except for PRS.
The PRS works perfectly, IMO.
Unfortunately, I’ve never bonded with a PRS guitar.

 

[David Barnett]

Six point, floating, three springs. I set the float where I can pull the 3rd string up three half-steps.

 

[SRHmusic]

Two point, decked, relatively strong springs so bends don't fight the trem, but with a bar I can still go down in pitch if want. I suppose I should float one of mine to be able to use it, but as for gigging I never wanted the extra tuning hassle and risk if I broke a string. (Perhaps that's silly because I don't break them hardly ever.)

Edit- Also I've seen that Guthrie Govan uses his picking hand to press back on his floating bridge while bending to avoid fighting the trem. Another technique to master but cool to see. Others must do that to, I think.

 

[Recalcitrant]

I have two Bigsby equipped guitars, one Duesenberg with it’s proprietary trem, and an EJ Strat.
The EJ’s tremolo is decked, and blocked.
I like Bigsby “down only” type tremolos.
I’ve had hassles with every floating tremolo, except for PRS.
The PRS works perfectly, IMO.
Unfortunately, I’ve never bonded with a PRS guitar.

Perhaps you know John Mann/Mannmade offers a vintage-fit Strat bridge, tho how perfect it works I don't know.

 

[Wrong handed]

Vintage six or Standard two point? Both, but I highly prefer two point tremolos because of tuning stability.
Floating or flush? Floating.
How many springs, and where? It really depends on the guitar, some need three springs, some two springs. The same with where.
Stock or aftermarket bridge? Stock.
How do you use it? I set my tremolos to go up a whole step on the third string and half a step on the second string when I'm pulling. I use the tremolo mainly as a fast bend and modulating the notes a little bit.

 

[voskarp]

Screwed down tight and blocked!

 

[badscrew_projects]

Two-point Strat, floated. Also a roller nut and locking tuners.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Mine is your standard Vintage style ( Tex-Mex Strat) Tremolo bridge, w/ 6 bridge screws and 3 trem springs.

Mine is setup to float ( maybe between 1/8" and 1/4" ?), and guitar was setup years ago, with D'Addario XL 10-46's- and I use only those strings, as tension varies among brands ( even w/identical gauge)

I really use only whammy bar on full smooth chord dips ( back & forth) in songs or short single note licks. Nothing crazy and maybe just lucky, but the guitar stays in tune pretty well.
You can pull the bar UP about 1/2 step ( one fret),
and I guess 1 to 1.5 whole steps ( so 2-3 frets ) DOWN.
* I did do one cool thing a few days ago:
After listening/watching so many Jeff Beck clips, I noticed that when he ends "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" in C, he plays a C chord at end but with whammy bar is able to lower his open E string all the way down to C- 2 whole steps down!
So I tried that, and it worked, cool!
( though hard keeping it right on pitch- plus I can't play anything like Jeff, duh!)

- there is a littie play in my whammy bar so response in pitch change is not immediate. I just live with it.

 

[Fiesta Red]

I have only one guitar with a vibrato (vintage 6-screw Stratocaster)…and it’s decked and blocked.

 

[TheZ]

The only one I have with a tremolo I keep floating. I love it!

 

[bottlenecker]

Describe your approach to tremolo. Vintage six or Standard two point? Floating or flush? (Or blocked?) How many springs, and where? Stock or aftermarket bridge? How do you use it? (Surfing the curls, Neil Young shakies, or dive bombing?)

I'm asking because I never used the trem until I tried to send up some surf music the other day, and discovered I have a LOT to learn.

Thanks!

I prefer tremolo on my amp, but right now I'm using a Supro tremolo pedal.

 

[Dostradamas]

Stock Squier bridge and springs (Standard series 2 point)
2 point with 2 springs
Floating about 1/16" parallel to top of body.

10's

Tuning stability and action are just fine

I may upgrade to get rid of play in arm/block joint.

 

[badscrew_projects]

I may upgrade to get rid of play in arm/block joint.

Do you have a spring inserted under the arm? Helps with the play.

 

[Dostradamas]

Yes

It is the tolerance of the threads themselves

I may just drill out and use o rings

May just buy a good block & arm.

 

[mixmkr 2023]

2 x SuperVee and various Bigsby

 

[darkwaters]

A Bigsby nailed to my SG. I don’t actually use it. I just like the look, sound it adds and how it rebalances the weight. I get my trem from my Dano Fish&Chips.