Kahler Trem LP

Yes....

The best place to get them is from wammiworld.com they probably have install pics.

The routing is only under the trem itself, about 2" sq and 1" deep. You can see in the pics that it doesn't go through to the back of the guitar and very little wood is removed.

They are unique trems in many ways. It works by a cam system, the bridge stays put and locked tight, you can adjust height and intonation...plus string spread. Few bridges of any type allow this!

Like all routing, especially a finished guitar, you need to be very careful, but it is not too hard. Make sure everything is marked out and taped off. Cut the finish carefully with a sharp knife so it does not chip. Mark a drill with tape and drill out most of the wood to the depth...use a router in small depths to route out to a neat cavity. make a template to ensure it won't run away from you. Use a really grippy rubber mat thing so the guitar wont move on the floor, do it on the floor so it can not fall any further!

Be absolutely sure that it is in the right place and measure and check at least three times...and then once again!

Unlike fulcrum trems, the bridge stays put, so the strings do not lift with trems. Adjustments are made from the top and the strings are top loading. You can adjust arm tension and spring tension in this way.

Cam tension is important to adjust accurately for the "hybrid" thing to work. Set it all up, the adjust and tune, etc...till the trem balances perfectly so when screwed in to fixed, it is still in tune.

10-46's that i use are the thickest strings it is designed for without mods and new springs to handle them.

These trems are 'fully floating'. It is good as the bridge does not move so palm muting is not a problem as with fenders or floyds. It has easily the range of any floyd system...but then i use it more subtly more like a bigsby.

You can hear the range of the thing on the telecaster demo here, it has the same trem system...

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So...it's not a reversible thing and quite expensive. I wouldn't be modding my '69 Gibson LP with one!

Most trem tuning problems are at the nut end, the kahlers come with a free nut lock that goes behind your existing nut...but l like to use head tuners over fine tuners, so that means a lot of expensive tuners and nut things. The LP, especially the head thing makes it not the easiest candidate, although, gibson themselves had a kahler LP model at one stage as I recall.

I have done a lot of research into trems over the years...the only "no route" thing that was around was the washburn "wonderbar" thing...no longer available and possibly not the greatest.

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Someone should give me an endorsement! My next major project is also a kahler guitar. It has become so much a part of my "sound".

They certainly are smooth and incredibly well built and designed bit of hardware.

In comparing 'cost' with other systems. Anything like a bigsby say (most unreliable and completely different beast) you have the cost of the trem, some kind of roller bridge as well...and all the nut and tuner things I have to go through to be anything like reliable. They can "look cool" and retro, but...well...hardly compares

Fender however was onto a real good thing with the strat and properly set up these can be tremendous systems.

I've never taken to floyds btw, way too fiddly and asking for trouble, a real one will cost as much as a kahler anyway...

The Kahler has as much range as a floyd though, strings go to completely slack and spring back into tune (given the nut and all) and go up...well...until all the strings break if so inclined...

However, really I use if far more subtly than that, to put a bigsby like shimmer on things, songs like 'wicked game', surf dips, scoops into notes...that kind of thing...just cause you can go nuts, doesn't mean you have to....good for your beck harmonic things though!

Does a good impersonation of slide guitar, without the slide as well.

Take the arm out, and it is a good looking bridge with fine tuners, lockable and comfortable as well, all smooth and shiny...

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The reason I use trems so much (even though the first 25 years in bands were played with my old black gibson without one) is because bending only allows one kind of vibrato.

Have you notices that the sweetest vibrato is when you bend to a note and waver below it? Sharp notes always tend to be jarring compared to flat ones, consider blue notes and the way singers and other instruments like violin or horns use vibrato. Always flat!

So, on the guitar the only way really to do that is to bend up to a note and waver around it and below...or use a trem on any note!

Thanks for the interest...p