Vintage Trem Pro & Cons

[scotty]

I am contemplating a new project which involves a vintage (6 screw) Trem. The body is mahogany and I was wondering what your opinions are on this. I am Floyd Rose guy all the way and this project kind of scares me a bit. Give me your opinions and pros and cons on this idea.

[rps14a]

Re: Vintage Trem Pro & Cons

i think if you have plenty of floyd equipped guitars there shouldnt be any real cons. having a v trem around is cool for easy string changes and a little divirsity in general.

i myself perfer floyds all the way and love the way i can make them feel when i set them up just like i want, and my v-trem and TOM guitars definitely dont get near the action they do, but it doesnt hurt having them around at all, and they are there if i need them.


chris

[Sunbane]

Re: Vintage Trem Pro & Cons

I have to take the bar off when playing v-trem guitars. Otherwise the temptation to use it would be too great, and I'd just ruin the tuning within minutes. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] My mystery Flying V has a V-trem, and I just use it as a fixed bridge.

Cons: Obviously it's harder to keep in tune. Ugly skinny trem bar too. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Pros: Much easier to string up and tune. Also allows more nuanced playing than a Floyd IMO - just like a TOM, it's much easier to precisely regulate the amount of palm tuning for instance. It's nice to have that level of direct, hands-on control over your tone.

[LexLuthier]

Re: Vintage Trem Pro & Cons

Make sure you get one with a steel block. Those aluminum blocks suck, the arm threads wear out and the arm gets all wobbily, and the aluminum sucks up the harmonics.

You do need a straight string pull headstock (like a Fender) for them to work decent. Angled heads like Jackson have the strings going off in angles, and it is tough to get that type of design to stay in tune very well with a non locking trem. If you run staggered locking tuners, no string tree, and a well cut lubed nut, you can get them to stay in tune fairly well if you don't get too crazy with the bar. I have no problems doing Holdsworth type swoops and Uli Roth whammy vibrato with mine. Save the Steve Vai stuff for the Floyds.

[scotty]

Re: Vintage Trem Pro & Cons

Thanks for all the good info guys.