Kahler Trem LP

[4real]

Here's my latest guitar...Les Paul...with Kahler Trem...a few novel unique features...and the borsanova "twenty Dual" wiring scheme

The body and neck is typical LP made by Eden and supplied as neck and body...



A lovely tiger-stripe on it and surprisingly well made, much like an epiphone, perhaps even the same factory. Finsish is great but brittle, real think maple cap and mhogany back and neck...though not top grade...



The obvious feature is the full floating kahler trem, it will go from strings slack to string breaking high and very solid having a great tone...The novel feature here is I was able to find a thumb screw to replace the normal hybrid grub screw. This allows the bridge to be fixed in tune on the fly...for altered tunings say, or a broken string or oblique bends, etc...just a couple of twists and it's locked or unlocked.



The pickups were very cheap ebay specials...probably artec and quite hot...tortoiseshell bobbins and all 'slug' poles on both coils...they sound powerful as is but split well with plenty of power.

Wiring is the Borsanova "twenty dual" scheme with help from JohnH...this allows for splits and a parallel on the bridge pickup, phase and all series and is a great versatile scheme and works well with these pickups.

Built to spec from John's wiring diagram, it worked out of the box!!!



Wired and tested on this cardboard template of course...then put into the guitar.

The treble bleeds work great and the tones a nice 'wah' to them...turn down the vols a tad to clean up the HB's and give headroom for the splits, parallel and phase options as required.

The secret to trem stability is not just the bridge but the head and tuners...



Sperzel light weight locking tuners...



The secret weapon...a 3mm aluminium plate with string end 'balls' as rollers using rivets as axles. This give support to the graphtech graphite nut and brings the strings across straight through before splaying off to the tuners. The mass adds to 'tone' and 'sustain' as well as supporting the vulnerable neck/head join. A little vaseline and the system works a treat.



The headstock detail there is a laser cut SS necklace thing I found at a surf shop here on the island...bit of double sided tape holds it on...

Speaking of which...



The backplates also are held on buy double sided tape..I had thought of magnets or the usual screws...but this works just as well for a clean look...there is enough of a gap to insert a pick to pry them off...

This guitar is a about simple details really...like this use of a small O-ring to provide a neat spring washer that holds the jack socket tight...



So...very pleased with the end result, stays in tune exceptionally well...trem from bigsby like with floyd range if you choose...or completely fixed. A good clean look, no frills but plenty of options hidden in the push pulls....

So, a versatile guitar that compliments her 'sister' my blue tele...



similar trem system...hard to know which one to play...pete

[cynical1]

+1 for a very interesting little project. I especially like the truss rod cover/string tree idea. That's one of those things that when you see it you slap your forehead and wonder where you were on that one...

I always liked the Kahler's...could never afford one, but liked them anyway. A friend of mine had a bass version they made...maybe still do...that I thought was smooth as silk.

You know, now that you've posted it we're all waiting for sound samples...

Good work on a very unique little guitar.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[irwired]

I second C1...............does that make me C2 too

Very nice looking project........you're giving me thoughts on how to smuggle another guitar into the house.............one piece at a time............yeah that's the ticket..... ;D

May it serve you well

Cheers

[newey]

4Real-

A very sweet axe! I particularly like the "screwless" cover plates, the magnets are an inspired idea. +1 from me for that little tidbit.

I am wondering whether you were (or are) a hot-rodder at heart, as that's a very "roddish" type of solution. A nice "sanitary" look, in gearhead-speak.

[Yew]

That is officially one of the nicest mods ive seen here (or even at the gibson forums)

[4real]

Thanks Guys...

The magnet idea on cover plates is an old one...but might have misread...was thinking of going that way, but instead just went with domestic double-sided tape...works a treat...same look!

And Yes...the 'hot-rod' guitar thing is what I go for...something classic like a tele or LP with some twists and innovations...and these days a very 'clean look' but including all those extra features like wiring options.

The main thing I suppose is that these guitars "work"...

That means special attention to tuning stability...a variety of tones to be versatile...not so expensive that I can't insure it or leave the house with it (I have a '69 LP that can't leave for insurance purposes and not so versatile as this!)...and look good.

Also...I want quality, but within a budget. A khaler is expensive sure, but it works especially with locking tuners and such...but overall this guitar comes in with a hard case for...well I am not sure...but half a grand perhaps...and plays like a dream!

[JohnH]

That is indeed a fine piece of work. well done Pete!

J

[4real]

Thanks JohnH

I suppose I might also mention that I imported a few of these bodies a while back to save costs in freight and some hair brained scheme. I have a black one with trad LP construction and an interesting tobacco burst that is largely hollow, both with hard cases...but would need to be relatively local...if interested, drop a line

Not a market place, but a bunch of stuff as to go...just a thought...but this one is kind of special and also marks a special time in my life when it was put together.

Not sure if I have done something on it's sister the tele...they were kind of matched as a pair

I have kept another for a future project and have the kahler for it...an amazing sparkle gold...and I have this fender branded piezo system with tuner that I am thinking of using on it if I have the guts and can work out how to get a decent sound...maybe a lot of bling as well...say, 4 lipsticks in chrome rings?

Ahhh...but that's for another time...Lately I have wanted my strat back...so I suppose it is time to get out the soldering iron again and put it back together after three years...LOL...that's a Beck tribute kind of machine, with similar 'hot rod' features...

[Yew]

Does that Khaler trem need any routing?

[4real]

Nov 16, 2010 4:40:59 GMT -5 Yew said:

Does that Khaler trem need any routing?

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...

...

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.

...


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...

...

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