USA Production Series Appreciation Thread

[Flatpicker]

My love of Kahlers is based on subtlety.
It was my first "real" trem as I had it on a parts mutt with a killer guild neck and a dinky body.
I could flutter that trem and just loved the feel of the cam over the knife edge.

[Grandturk]

I always loved how the reinforced area of the strings would just saw through the roller cam as you moved the bar and create sharp grooves that would break your strings. Then you got to use emery cloth in them to smooth them out so they wouldn't break strings. Than your strings would saw through them again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I don't see how that would happen at all. If you look at the pic I posted, the "reinforced" section of the strings are no where near the rollers. Maybe different string brands, but I've never seen the wrap section go that long.

[Newc]

I don't see how that would happen at all. If you look at the pic I posted, the "reinforced" section of the strings are no where near the rollers. Maybe different string brands, but I've never seen the wrap section go that long.

Not the rollers on the saddles, the actual cam barrel. That's what he's talking about.

[Grandturk]

Oh he did say cam, didn't he. Well, the string and cam both move in the same direction when you whammy. I've never had a problem there either... If they're moving in the same direction there really shouldn't be enough friction to cut into the cam.

[Newc]

Looking at how the balls fit in the cups reminds me of how many perfectly good strings were ruined when the balls turned slightly in the cup, which caused the part of the string that wraps around the ball to break.

Then there was all the times the string popped off the roller during a dive.

Not to mention that the balls would stick and have grooves cut into them that gripped the string, and eventually sawed it in half.

Having to oil 10 different moving parts regularly, 4-piece saddles, more screws than the rest of the guitar combined, and the entire thing moved when you adjusted the fine tuners, rather than just the one string/saddle.

Yay Kahlers! :ROTF:


The only upsides:
1. Not as loose as a Floyd, making it better for slide-effects.
2. At least 5 times more mass than the wood which was removed for the spring cavity.
3. Laterally-adjustable saddles to correct crooked installations and to tweak string spacing.
4. Individually-adjustable saddle height to match any radius without shims.
5. Easier to string.

[Grandturk]

5. Easier to string.

I don't know about that - I always have trouble with getting the ball ends to stay in the cup when theres no tension on the string. I need a third arm.

Now a Floyd - that's easy - unlock, pop in a new string, tune, repeat x6, lock the nut, done.

The hamstring on the Kahler is that it's single locking - while my balls don't pop out when I'm dive bombing - they can shift a bit and that means it might not come back in tune - there's ways around this - mine is set up right and stays in tune - but it would be even better if it was double locking, and if it had a floyd nut.

[6string40]

while my balls don't pop out when I'm dive bombing...

Thank God for that...I don't want to see that shit!!!! :ROTF:

[Grandturk]

Enough talk about how awesome Kahlers are and let's get back to the point!!!

How about that awesome knob? Personally, I love it. Feels good, rolls around in your fingers nicely... mine has even started to wear a little bit around the top.

[Newc]

Agreed. The knob does indeed rock. The only reason I replaced mine is because I wanted dual concentric Volume/Tone knobs and for color-scheme purposes.

However, the de-located Knobs O Doom are quite happy on the Ultimate Metal Guitar - The Halford

[beachjammer]

I didn't know my pic of my Model 6 with the kahler beside my So-Cal would cause so much controversy! HA HA!

I agree on the knob! At first look I really didn't like it but after I got my So-Cal I love it! It does grip very easily and isn't the meat grinder everyone makes it out to be.

[Chubtone]

I love the knob too. It's very rust resistant too as an FYI. I keep the original knobs off of my two production models in the shower where I use them to slough off the dead skin on my feet. They are perfect for that and take way kess time than one of those store bought pumice stones.

So Mike was right. Lots of people do like the knobs..... just for different purposes

[Bionic]

i love the knob too. It's very rust resistant too as an fyi. I keep the original knobs off of my two production models in the shower where i use them to slough off the dead skin on my feet. They are perfect for that and take way kess time than one of those store bought pumice stones.

So mike was right. Lots of people do like the knobs..... Just for different purposes :d

rofl

[roodyrocker]

I think I just might order a custom shop Charvel with a Kahler trem, Knob O' Death volume knob, and a pointy headstock instead of Strat just to piss off everybody else here
Seriously, the knob is not bad at all and Kahlers work just fine. I have had a Kahler since the mid 80's and never once popped the ball end out of the claw on it and I never had string breakage problems either. At least the thing stays in tune in the rare event you do actually bust a string and it has no removable parts like those damn Floyd string blocks. Ever lose one of those during a string change on a dark stage? Good luck finding it! Oh, and I have recieved more older used guitars with one of those blocks frozen in place on a Floyd than I have frozen Kahler parts. I have guitars with both trems and can play either. The Kahler does not = Evil!

[jem777az]

Here are my two:

Candy Tangerine - completely stock, still has plastic on the pickguard

Candy Green - Doug Aldrich in bridge, Lil' Screamin Demon in neck - also put a Dimarzio 3 way switch (Petrucci wiring), custom pickguard 3 ply black/white/black

[Chubtone]

Here are my two:

Candy Tangerine - completely stock, still has plastic on the pickguard

Candy Green - Doug Aldrich in bridge, Lil' Screamin Demon in neck - also put a Dimarzio 3 way switch (Petrucci wiring), custom pickguard 3 ply black/white/black

Sweet! But you need the slime green to match that drum set!