|
|
Post by falcatarius on May 30, 2008 8:56:55 GMT -5
Hey folks, I just received my Callaham hardware kit for my custom stratocaster build and it looks fantastic. I'm can't wait to put it all together. Now I actually got 2 whammy bars from them. One with in the "64 Length", which is the length of the trem on vintage strats and a little shorter then the current productions. But what i'm really excited about is the 'Super Short Gilmour Trem'. Its an extremely short whammy as used by David Gilmour and I can't wait to hear how it sounds. Here's a pic with a standard Fender length at the top:  Closeup of Gilmour's one, (along with his additional pickup switch):  From what i've heard, it will be harder to use but give me a much smoother, more subtle whammy. However, reviews i've seen seem to be sort of vague, so i'm wondering if anyone has tried anything similar and what their opinions are. I'll let you know how it sounds as soon as I put it in. Though it won't be for a few weeks as I still need to get my neck. Cheers! -Falcatarius ( edited by sumgai to turn the links into images.) |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on May 30, 2008 13:35:34 GMT -5
Hmmm, well, hmmm.............. Just "choke up" on yer current "bat handle" and vammy avay! It ought to be close in simulation.  Yep, the lever is shorter. Maybe, but since the lever is shorter, the same displacement will effect a greater frequency change. Since it will be harder to operate, this may help make it smoother. I use a really short vibrato arm on my guitars thus equipped (Wilkinson), as in none. The picking hand palm can easily modulate it for minor swells. I know that sum other gai's do this as well. |
|
|
|
Post by newey on May 30, 2008 18:16:14 GMT -5
Hmmm . . . This leaves me wondering whether a std Strat TremeLeo Bar is ductile enough to take a tight "S" bend, thereby shortening its overall length and presenting an attractive snake-shaped profile? This would also lend itself to using the back of one's palm for bends . . . What do they make these things out of, anyway? I have several in a drawer upon which I might experiment.  |
|
|
|
Post by falcatarius on May 30, 2008 19:47:54 GMT -5
Callaham's are made of stainless steel. Happy experimenting!
|
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on May 30, 2008 23:22:06 GMT -5
I don't know what they're made of, likely chrome plated steel.
Pickup, a magnet, and use it to see (stainless steel is slightly magnetic).
While you could heat it with a torch, if it's plated, it will likely flake off.
|
|
|
|
Post by newey on May 31, 2008 11:39:07 GMT -5
Yes, I was assuming replating would be needed, or perhaps powdercoating it black. Or maybe it would be easier to just get a piece of something very ductile like aluminum rod and cut threads to size on the end. That could be fairly easily polished up with a bit of Simichrome and a polishing wheel on the Dremel.
Anyone else ever DIY a TremoLeo bar?
|
|
|
|
Post by lunaalta on May 31, 2008 16:19:15 GMT -5
Ally might not be strong enough to handle the stress at the block. Be careful it doesn't break off there!  |
|
|
|
Post by sumgai on Jun 2, 2008 12:16:31 GMT -5
newey, lunaala is correct, ixnay on the luminumway. Since you can bend aluminum by hand without assistance (heat), it's already got negative points in that department. So if you cut threads, you're removing even more material, and right at that point where the threads first start, there's no support, so the arm will tend to break right there, given enough stress....... which you'll be providing, if'n you're in a David Gilmour frame of mind.  Since I'm here (I wasn't gonna add a "me too", but.....), I'll bolster Chris's position - no matter how short it is, that arm is right exactly in the wrong place for using the heel of the palm to mute the strings at the bridge. This applies whether you're chicken pickin' a country lick, or thundering the reverb tank for surf, or even in jazz and blues for certain harmonics - there are lots of places and times when that muting is absolutely necessary. If there's an impediment (the "arm"), then the music suffers. Hence, I tend to ride the bridge closely, and when I need to raise the note, I simply push down. When I need to lower the note, I lift the bridge with the heel of my hand under the edge. I may not be able to dive bomb like a swift hawk, but I can get down there, and I can do it musically, so that's good enough for me. ;D HTH sumgai |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Jul 28, 2008 10:21:52 GMT -5
Hmm..takes me a while to find these threads sometimes... ...google "easy mute tremolo" for a bit more info...made in the UK for a pretty (!!) price and used for some years by Hank Marvin.. ..me, well I'm going to bend one and replate it...  |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Aug 7, 2008 11:26:47 GMT -5
Progress report.. Bought a couple of cheapy after-market replacements (to try this out)...bent one as per the "Easy-Mute".... ...works fine, feels comfortable...  ...down side..  ...threaded section was shorter than the 'genuine' item, and the first bend out of the block was a shallower curve...puts the arm just a b-i-t too close to the control knobs when folded down...but hey, at least I proved a point... ..careful application of a piece of shrink-sleeving above the top end of the thread sorted most of it ...now to bend a genuine one.. NB.. DON'T try to bend the arm without heat!! |
|
|
|
Post by newey on Aug 7, 2008 20:39:29 GMT -5
Cool work, Gumbo! I hypothesized something of the sort in this thread, glad to see it got an actual try-out. Now I'll definitely experiment. Please post some photos of the end results! |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Aug 15, 2008 6:32:50 GMT -5
Thanks Newey, It's getting its second road test at a gig this weekend, although so far so good ;D I'll see if I'm still as happy on Sunday night.. ..I'll dig out the camera and see what I can do next week..somewhere I know this forum must have a FAQ on how to post a pic Cheers from here! Gumbo |
|
|
|
Post by newey on Aug 15, 2008 20:22:03 GMT -5
Gumbo- image postingCourtesy of RandomHero, our original fearless leader! |
|
|
|
Post by newey on Aug 21, 2008 19:42:54 GMT -5
  Here's Gumbo's pix of this mod. I had to post them for him as he couldn't get it to work. Apparently, from Downunder, they kept posting upsidedown. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on Aug 21, 2008 21:49:18 GMT -5
?Upsidedownunder?  ?Over under sideways down? |
|
|
|
Post by andy on Aug 22, 2008 11:07:08 GMT -5
Apparently, from Downunder, they kept posting upsidedown. ;D Hold on... That guitar IS upside down! Does this mean that the photo is of a upsidedown guitar, and is therefore the right way round, or that the photo has to be upsidedown to be the right way round, or that the camera has to be upsidedown for the photo to be the right way round, or that the guitar has to be upside down for the photo to be the right way round? There are alot of options, and I am frankly now a little confused. |
|
|
|
Post by D2o on Aug 22, 2008 11:14:57 GMT -5
Apparently, from Downunder, they kept posting upsidedown. ;D Hold on... That guitar IS upside down! Does this mean that the photo is of a upsidedown guitar, and is therefore the right way round, or that the photo has to be upsidedown to be the right way round, or that the camera has to be upsidedown for the photo to be the right way round, or that the guitar has to be upside down for the photo to be the right way round? There are alot of options, and I am frankly now a little confused. I don't know, but reading your post gave me virtigo ;D I'm gonna need more tape over my mouth!  DD |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Aug 23, 2008 6:46:01 GMT -5
You think that's bad? I have to tip the &*%$# monitor up the other way just to READ your posts.... |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Aug 23, 2008 7:09:00 GMT -5
...and here's the bit of text that accompanies the pix...(hope it comes out right-way-up)
The profile was achieved with just one extra bend beyond standard..resulting in a shortening of the arm by about one inch, and a corresponding 'lowering' of about the same distance below the top E string...seems comfortable and still provides enough leverage to operate the tremolo without breaking one's wrist!
As stated in an earlier posting, DON"T try to bend the arm cold and then MIG weld it back together when it snaps...makes for more overall angst, although does work well....don't ask me how I know this.
The 'sleeve' above the threaded section is a piece of shrink-sleeving that tightens the arm in the trem block and engages with the larger-diameter entry section to the hole...mostly stops any 'extraneous' play in the arm-to-block movement and keeps things pleasantly solid.
I expect that this will have to be renewed from time-to-time, but is relatively small beer in the overall scheme of things!
..as far as the actual arm goes ..I'm ecstatic about how it feels to play, muting is still easy, and I'm going to try a couple more variations on the theme when I get a chance in the next few weeks.
So it's goodnight from me (4 now)...
Gumbo
|
|
|
|
Post by andy on Aug 23, 2008 9:09:26 GMT -5
The profile was achieved with just one extra bend beyond standard. Ahh, that makes sense of what I'm seeing in the photo now, literally a 'sideward' bend to the arm. I've promised not buy any more guitars, but just in case I need to offset a little more tax at some point ( ;D), I have my eye on a couple. I hope to get a Bigsby into the eqation for the more subtle action, but if I end up going the Strat trem route (which is far more likely) I will definately be giving this a try. +1 for a great little idea! |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on Aug 23, 2008 23:29:19 GMT -5
If you're looking for suBtle (as in less effect for a given displacement), you need a longer vibrato arm.
|
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Aug 24, 2008 7:23:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the accolade, Andy....although I can't take all the credit for the overall design...in a way that was a bit of a 'pinch' from the "Easy-Mute".. or perhaps it originally came from Hank Marvin (Shadows) himself as he is the one who seems most associated with it (if you read between the lines of their advertising)...all I really did was grab it by the short-and-curlies and make one instead of paying more OzBux that I thought reasonable or appropriate ;D Co-incidentally (and also primarily due to the absence of Mrs Gumbo at an all-day meeting!) a friend-and-current-band-member and I had a "Shadows-Fest" all day today watching the extended version of the Final Tour DVD (I think recorded about 2005/06?)....in which there are numerous shots of the Man and his many Easy-Mute tremolo arms in action...worth a look if you have the opportunity or inclination...interesting the speed one can get up to when just bracing your playing hand on the tip of the arm with the little pinky! (In other words, don't rest your hand on the pickguard) Even though my current playing style and genre is a million miles away from HBM (try cajun/zydeco!!), I'm finding this technique very helpful on much lead work....it's sooo much easier (at least for me) with the shortened length of the arm because it better positions my 'strike' area over the pickups, whilst still allowing me to comfortably palm-mute when needed... Hope all of this has been of interest to some people along the way, and at least got some thoughts going ....I plan to make at least one more using a genuine (rather than after-market) arm in an effort to correct some of the alignment gremlins from this time around, and will post the results some time in the future... Thanks for a great forum, everybody....hope you don't have to tip your monitors unside-down to read this Cheers from Here Gumbo |
|
|
|
Post by andy on Aug 24, 2008 8:13:44 GMT -5
If you're looking for suBtle (as in less effect for a given displacement), you need a longer vibrato arm. Thats very true. Bigsbys have seemed to work well when I've tried them, with lots of waggle for little result, but I've found Strat trems to be positioned wrong, for a start, feeling like they should be shorter, but have also been very touch sensitive- I was thinking that having less leverage would mean that more energy is required to move the thing in the first place, and result in less action for the effort. But I suppose it would require movement over a much shorter distance, and therefore cancel out the benefit. |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on Aug 24, 2008 11:35:41 GMT -5
Well, you could use stronger or more springs, but this might limit you to detune only. Sounds like you need a trem vibrato stabilizer, or at least a shock absorber from a radio controlled car. |
|
|
|
Post by andy on Aug 24, 2008 13:01:59 GMT -5
Or that Gretsch I've been looking at... Just don't tell the Mrs. |
|
|
|
Post by gumbo on Oct 31, 2008 1:47:14 GMT -5
Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm still in love with this mod....no complaints after many gigs....  ...even my MIG welding hasn't failed. ;D I will soon apply the same theory to a 'real' arm so that I can take advantage of the correct (sharper) bend of the arm...and have a slightly longer threaded section available to screw into the trem block.... As I suspected, I have had to renew the shrink-sleeving - but only once in a couple of months...no big deal... probably would be less of an issue if I wasn't one of those people to constantly remove the arm to get the guitar in its case.....  Cheers from Down Here... |
|
|
|
Post by axekicker on Apr 27, 2010 2:18:40 GMT -5
I have one of those as I'm also building a Black Strat. But the short arm takes some getting used to. Forget about dive bombing or getting fancy with it. It is good for Gilmour-style steel guitar sounds, which is how he uses his vibrato for the most part. BTW, you see that filled in part at the back of his bridge? That's where a Kahler used to be.
|
|
ttsc
Rookie Solder Flinger
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
|
Post by ttsc on Nov 22, 2010 15:01:20 GMT -5
Wow,
That is the coolest strat trem arm I've ever seen.
|
|
...threaded section was shorter than the 'genuine' item, and the first bend out of the block was a shallower curve...puts the arm just a b-i-t too close to the control knobs when folded down...but hey, at least I proved a point...
