Poll and comments: who really uses that Strat Trem

[Runewalker]

I search Ebay alot for build-up/conversion/customizable deals. I notice a large percentage of strats that have lost their whammy bars. This leads me to think that of the millions of strats and strat owners out there, only a small percentage actually use the whams.

If you listen to current music there ain't many warberlers out there and even fewer dive bombers for fear of appearing Passe'.

So I was wondering if the erudite members of the board would venture a guess of the percentage of Strat player you personally know who even bother keeping the bar screwed in, much less use it.

I would guess about 10-15% actually use the thangs.

Go ahead, let your whammy bar flag fly!

[UnklMickey]

well i for one have enough for my brain to keep track of what with left hand fingering, right hand picking. i'd probably get completely confused (walk and chew gum -- who me?) if i tried to incorporate some tremolo action into the mix. (i wouldn't shive a git if someone thought i was being passe!)

'sides my tremolo springs are stock and you'd have to be charles atlas to do any dive bombing with it that way -- even warbling takes an inordinant amount of effort. don't plan on removing springs for tonal reasons.

maybe someday i'll experiment with it but for now ink me in for non-use.

p.s.
so much for comments, where do i vote on the poll?


U.M.

[Happyguy]

I used to keep mine in all the time, and use it a lot. But something horrible has happend, sumhow the inside has stripped itself and now it is a fixed bridge lol. But I like the strat trem a lot more than a floyd rose. Mostly for the sound but also because of the exhausting process of changing strings on that damn floyd-thing.

[wolf]

Well I hope I can be as erudite as the previous replies.
My reasons for avoiding the tremolo bar are quite similar to the present day reasons for its declining usage. After many years of heavy metal tremolo trickery, it is getting tiresome. The tremolo bar has been done to death so to speak.

When I started playing the guitar (1966 - I am old !!), the out of favor music style was "surf music". (Didn't Jimi Hendrix say in "Third Stone From the Sun" - "You will never hear surf music ever again" ?) And what was pretty much the cornerstone of the surf sound? - the tremolo bar !!!
Unlike unklmickey, I really cared what people thought about my playing. I sure didn't want anyone to think I was "yesterday's news" by resorting to that tremolo bar. Hey that was something the Ventures would do !!

[mike]

Steve Vai uses a lot of whammy bar in the expression of his music. Satch is another one.

[lawrencedesigns]

As an old surf guitarist...I once used a lot of tremolo. Which, of course, is an effect created in those old Fender amps by varying VOLUME...NOT PITCH.
The "whammy bar" varies pitch..and therefore, is a vibrato bar, not tremolo.
Unfortunatly, even the manufacturers have now fallen into this mis-labeling.

For the current poll: I have removed my vibrato bar on my Strat and blocked it. Sort of a Clapton mod. Along with locking tuners, there is never a tuning issue. And perhaps a bit more sustain.

And, of course, there is a Boss Tremolo pedal in my chain!

Keeth Lawrence
LawrenceDesigns

[RandomHero]

I'm not audacious enough to say I have perfect pitch, but even given the downfalls of Floyds, I prefer them. I can't -stand- listening to a Strat after the trem's been used a couple times into the song; the detuning makes my ears bleed!

[jester700]

Nothing wrong with whammies, but like anything it's best when subtle. Of course, guitar solos themselves are generally egotistical wanking, so when doing that anyway, why NOT dive bomb?

[d34th4uall]

i find it quite usefull in finding the proper tones for bends and low notes you just cant reach otherwise.i.e. need to hit a low D but dont want to retune? Whammy!!!

[bam]

the only thing I hate about Strat whammy bar is the bar itself which (in stock Strats) tends to drop .. Fortunately there are set screws and Teflon tapes.

BUT I still prefer the Ibanez's Edge Pro despite of the string-changing pain. (not Floyd Rose. They're always in my right hand's way.)

[erikh]

Don't use the one on my Strat or homemade with a vintage strat bridge. I have the bars though kept safely in the case.

If I'm gonna use a whammy bar, I'll use a Floyd Rose.

[GuyaGuy]

i've yet to find a suitable tension setting w/ the strat trem. bends always seems a bit too stiff. i like a bigsby for smooth dips and warbles.

or the yamah sgv's unique trem. i miss that. it had ball bearings neat!

[R]

i use trems alot when im just messing around or when trying to do my best hendrix imitation ( and failing miserably ) i have a vintage trem and even though they are notoriosly known to go out of tune i don't seem to have that problem could be the lead on the nut the billions of tweaks ive done to the springs and claw or the tweaks on the screws most likely its just dumb luck ;D

[stratovani]

I blocked my trem a couple of weeks ago. I figured I just about never used it so why not block it and see what happens? Best move I ever made!! Blocking it has improved its tone, increased sustain, improved tuning stability, and gave it a bit more quack at the n-m and b-m pup positions. All I did was put the trem flush to the body, installed 5 springs, and tightened them. Works for me!!

[dunkelfalke]

i do use whammy, mostly wilkinson, sometimes vintage strat. not that often but still.

after all i am trying to imitate david gilmour

[terryofdgm]

Block it!

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

My Johnson JS-050-¾ had the "trem" tailpiece when I bought it, but no handle. I ordered one, and it'll probably arrive today. (And probably turn out to be the wrong thread.)

I've got a copy of the Signature Licks book Guitar Instrumental Hits by Wolf Marshall. For "Sleepwalk" (by Santo and Johnny), he's got the Hawaiian-style steel guitar stuff tabbed out for bends, dips, and shakes with the vibrato bar, the way Jeff Beck did his version of it. (In the Beckology boxed set.)

I can't picture myself doing a lot of dive-bomb stuff with it, although I think that might be what Neil Young is doing in places on "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," track 10 on the Rust never Sleeps CD. I'm still working on "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)," the acoustic version. I think the "HH, MM" stuff was probably done with a Bigsby, anyway.

Never let the confines of the theory of music stand in the way of what sounds right.

I love it! Good one!

--
Doug C.