When I was young, I used to pull my trim out and play with it every so often. By the time I hit my teen years, I couldn’t stop playing with it. It was so hard to move back-and-forth but the more I played with it the better I got. In my older years, it became loose and just kind of hung there and I figured out how to make it firm again by tightening down on the nut and now I pop in my bar all the time. A firm trim helps me make beautiful music. I can really make it moan. I know there are many opinions on this, the new generation….some of them want to remove it completely! Not me. Get a firm hold on it and you can make things scream. It’s a very useful tool, and one I will play with for the rest of my life.
I use the vibrato without the bar by making quick pulses with my palm at the end of some songs to give a nice quiver to the final chord. Great accent technique. I know people complain about floating bridges, but there are several UA-cam vids that will walk you through how to balance the string tension with the springs to create a stable platform.
I never install or use a trem on Strats. I put 5 springs on and deck my trem, I tighten the claw down to where the rest of the strings won't go flat when doing at least a one and a half step bend on the G string. I love my strats and have probably around 10, but if they were all hardtails, I would be just as happy. What we learned in todays tangents: Baxter believes in unicorns, and Johnathan has a soft grip and giggles when getting a reach around on his wiggle stick... This is why I watch every day.
I wish I had a blocked Floyd from the start. The fine tuners are so nice and the feel of the saddles is top tier. Even for floating it blocking, tightening the trem, tuning, unblocking, and loosening the claw until you are at tune is not hard. With UA-cam it is not arcane knowledge anymore either
I feel completely handicapped when I play a guitar without a wiggle stick. Currently I don't own a guitar without one. Just gliding into a chord, giving yourself more options for vibrato, there's so much more to it than just the old dive bomb. I use mine all the time as I play.
I used the "decked" by five springs wang-bar on my Nash strat so seldom, I bought a Robert Cray hardtail, which I love. The neck, finish, weight, sound (awesome pickups), and tuning stability make this my favorite guitar. The 2008 version has a slightly chunkier neck than the 2019 I bought previously, as people said on the forums. Springs do give strats a reverbish tone, which is nice in a way, but I prefer the woody sound of my hardtail. For under $1,000 used Robert Cray strats are great values, if you don't value a tremolo bar.
One of my favorite guitars Fender ever made is the CBS era telecaster deluxe with the strat trem. They're so cool. Also, I use my strat trem all the time. It's about your genre, and playing style. The same question was asked on the gear page the other day, and I had to point out that the trem isn't just about the utility of pitch shift, but also the tone of the trem. Those two, three, or six springs in the back, and mechanics of the trem impact the tone just as much as anything else. Hardtail strats sound less straty to me as a result. Still cool though.
My daughter bought an early 00's Squier Standard Strat that we have set up with the bridge floating and it is amazing how well it stays in tune even when using the trem. I've wondered what it is that makes some hold tune like hers while others go out if you sneeze near them.
Decent tuners a must, but graphite lube on the nut and bridge pieces is the key. If it’s still not staying in tune at that point then you need to consider if setup or worn parts are causing binding or string slippage. I have three guitars with wiggle sticks and no tuning issues with any of them.
Tuning stability is all about absence of friction. It's that simple. I'm betting your daughter's Squier has a well cut nut. The nut is always a big culprit. Some would argue tuners are a part of it too, but I don't believe in that. If you know how to wind the strings around the posts properly, tuners are a non issue. Unless they are really super cheap/bad and skip/slip. Lubrication of the nut/bridge saddles never hurts either.
@@raytorvalds3699 agreed. Despite nothing being wrong with the original nut but height and me definitely not being a tech, I made the current nut out of a tusq blank to get the action lower. After swapping out the pots and wiring, putting in a Fender switch and a set of Yosemite pickups (the original alnicos weren't terrible though) it's a legit great guitar. Its every bit as comfortable to play as my Am Performer Tele.
Trems are most usefull for vibrato on chords in my opinion. Sometimes the jeff beck way of slowly vibrating a note that you bend up is also quite beautiful
I usually have a floating trem so I can get a little vibe off whenever I need it without having to screw the wiggle stick in. Otherwise I almost never use it. But it definitely feels different than a hard tail and I like that.
For me it depends on the situation. I love my hardtails (especially a hipshot) but I have two Schecters with Sustainiacs and when I play those I use the bar more than I use my pick!
I prefer a trem. That's what throws people off when I mention my favorite guitar is the Fender Mustang. When setup correctly, it's magic. I do have 2 MIA Stratocasters, and a Reverend Jetstream 390 with Wilkinson V50 trem, which also rocks! So yup, I prefer em.
I don't mind using it on my '76 Strat, it's a good effect that seems to appeal to the audience, much like using the wah pedal. If the guitar is properly set up (nut, bridge saddles, & trem) there's not a lot of problem using the trem, in my experience. If you're worried about staying in tune with a Strat trem, ask yourself why some brand guitars have wandering G string tuning, built-in!
I played a tele for a lot of years, I am mainly a Strat guy now. Yes I use the Whammy bar, it is a bit of work to set up properly and keep in tune, but my style warrants using it. The Thing is an all time fave! The Kurt Russel one is the best!
My brother who is 17 years older than me saw the original “ The Thing” in a movie theater and has always said that that movie scared him more than any other. A true movie buff would watch both. Happy Birthday Joe!
I am probably Whammy enough without my tremolo, and agree with Baxter that seldom want to add anything to signal chain , there are a few songs that require a Trem or Pedal, but if we are honest there were days before pedals and Floyd Rose Trems for Dive Bombs and many were Amazing Guitarist without them
OMG the part about the floyd rose. My first guitar was a ibanez rg570 .. with FR bridge. I couldnt stop lauging , your both 100% correct. I play a broadcaster now. Get the tele!!
I never use the trem on my Strat. Should have bought a hardtail, and probably would have if they offered more variety in hardtails without going custom shop.
@@t3hgir The Robert Cray (MIM, though there have been many MIA and CS editions) and Nile Rodgers (Hitmaker MIA) signatures.. That's about it for Fender, so you have to like those specs unless you want to go custom shop. have a CS hardtail on order with Casino. Hoping it will be in around next spring/summer. Thinking about buying a Shijie hardtail to get me though.
@@t3hgir piggy backing off of I’m not Old… the Robert Cray MIM has a nice oval C neck and the pickups sound great. Just watch out for the bridge, they are often installed somewhat crookedly.
I don't know about you, but my experience with hardtail strat is, they sound somewhat different, or feel different. Players of strats either swear by them, or not like them at all and prefer a blocked strat over a hardtail.
When I play surf or rockabilly, I use the trem bar. Depends on what the song needs. Most of my guitars are hardtails, anyway. Thanks for the entertainment, y'all 🙏
I Typically lock down my Strat trems however Recently I got a 6 screw trem Strat that just didn’t play right or set up well locked down. I just didn’t have enough adjustment in the Saddles to put the stings at the right height. Anyway I finally took the extra springs out and floated the bridge a bit and I honestly think it sounds and plays amazing. I guess some strats are just made that way.
Btw, sci-fi is my inspiration for guitar practice.."space ships and even space people"..clears the mind.." now if you will excuse me I must be on my way..(sproing..ying,Yang,woing..)🛸
I actually use it a bit on my American Pro II because the trem is so smooth on that guitar, but mostly leave the bar off on my Strats. Having said that, I love my Floyd Rose equipped guitars and definitely put those things to the test. I remember back in the 80’s. My first guitar with a trem was a Hondo Strat copy. I overtightened the bar twisting it in and stripped the threads. Lol. Good times.
One great show! And yes I do use my wiggle stick! Not for bombs or rockets, but to add a little "wiggle" once in a while. Just enough to liven it up a bit. And yes, you really shouldn't allow kids to play with your wiggle stick. Thanks for a great show.
The trems are in both of my strats. I also have 4 guitars with bigsbys. Use them all sparingly, a great tool in the box. In the original THING, James Arnez (Gunsmoke) is the alien.
My PRS SE Custom 24 is the only guitar I have with a wiggle stick. My Fender Strat is a Robert Cray signature that's a hard tail. I very seldom use the tremolo but it's nice to have to use now and then. I have made an effort to use the tremolo more these past few years since I got the PRS.
I have a Steinberger Spirit with a trem and a Squier VM Jazzmaster. I occasionally use the trems for chord pitching. I installed a Les Trem II on my LP '50s Tribute because 9.2 lbs wasn't heavy enough... I traded off a Baretta Special and a Squier VM Mustang because I didn't want to try to set up the trems. I have two Teles but wouldn't want to go to the work and expense of installing a trem. You're supposed to do the steel guitar bends with your fingers LOL
After playing guitar for 30 yrs I got my first Strat last year. I didn't put the wiggle stick in for the first 5 months I had it because I didn't think I deserved to play with it yet. Lol
I don’t use it on my strat, but use it on my PRS. Live in constant fear of a string break during a gig though. Went through this with a Floyd Rose back in the day too. Floating bridge + string break=terror. Great video
I like both feels, I prefer a strat trem because it’s what feels right to me and allows a modulation that is more flexible than a bigsby but also not as crazy as a Floyd. But for my tele I like having it as a Hardtail, I approach the songs differently. Just depends on how I feel that day
It's one of those things that once you have one on your guitar, you use it constantly. I lived for decades without one, but the electric guitar feels really constipated without one, now that I'm used to having it available.
The Gretsch Bo Diddley is a misunderstood guitar. Really light, well balanced, good to sit down with, really nice colour. And I own the lefty model! (Oh, and Vibrato bars are great if you don’t over use them).
I recently acquired a prs with a tremolo, and it makes playing so much fun, especially when you kick in a fuzz pedal and grind down on that wiggle stick. I cannot afford a Lamborghini so This is how I deal with mid-life crisis.
I now have a tele with a bigsby. It's the first trem I've ever had. I will say this. I don't use it that much, but I love the tone of that guitar and I think that a lot of it is from that bigsby
Yes, a lot of people claim that having a trem, particularly a Bigsby, on the guitar Improves the tone or sustain. See Keith Richards with his black ES 335. He never uses the trem, but he always plays that guitar live. The Bigsby adds a good bit of weight to the guitar. Maybe that helps the sustain.
Ha Hah! My first electric was a Squier with a Floyd. Now I have my AmPro II with the floated trem tuned at intervals. Bending those D shaped triads up to the A shape triad 1 fret above, D to a C, sounds amazing!
I've noticed over decades of experimentation that some Strats play well decked, while others are better floated.Being a user of many different tunings,I also have some hard tails to spare myself the frustration.Personally, I'm not big on heavy whammy work, but it can be very useful for flutters and accents, in a similar ,very manual way the volume pedal can be employed.Because I also use a lot of effects, I try to employ the manual effects in tandem with the modulated effects, - from subtle to structure changing. I don't think the original bent steel Fender saddles have been improved upon, but then, I don't think ANY of Leo's originals have been bested, - except maybe by himself.
Good question guys! So many opinions about this..for me just being classic rock and blues player mainly I never used my trem in the past and after 13 years away from playing I'm a year back in and I've hardtailed both my terms..the stability is so much more solid and in my mind is far more beneficial than the ability to pitch bend..I can do enough w vibrato and string bending to get around my music just fine..and in tune..2020 player strat limited edition hss and my 2020 PRS both good trems but both hardtailed..my strat stays in tune very well now
Fellas you are experienced enough to get the technical names correct. ( it's a shuggel bar) for hanging your hippy love beads on.😂😂👍🥃Respect to you fellas.
First of all, despite what Fender calls it, it's a vibrato, not a tremolo. I like a good, firm, wiggly whammy bar. It takes a bit longer to get in tune on a Strat with a floating setup, but with a well-lubricated nut, it's very stable. I prefer the Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato though, because it's smoother, and the handle is longer and easier to hold with two fingers while picking. One can imitate slide guitar pretty-well with practice.
Always since I learned how to set up a strat trem and cut my own nuts. Stays in tune better than a Floyd. Also, it makes a non trem guitar more interesting to play. Your double stop bends sound absolutely glorious. Still love Floyds. Takes the nut and tuners out of the keeping in tune problems.
Floyds don't deserve the hate, it's almost always user error... I had to explain to a customer that it wouldn't be ideal to change from E standard to D standard and back & forth on his floyd equipped guitar...
@@t3hgir my second guitar was a Focus 2000. The internet didn’t exist, but I had some really good mentors that taught me all about tremolos in general. One time my drummer let his friends band use our stuff in our rehearsal space and my Floyd loaded Charvel had 3 strings busted behind the nut and the bridge was tilted forward. We tuned to E flat. It was now tuned to 440.
@@friedrudibega6384 yeah! I was lucky to have lessons from an experienced teacher at a local players shop early-mid 2000s before all these amazing online resources were there. For newer players without the guidance though I think the amount of content can be overwhelming.
I blocked my trem. I like to play with my hand resting on the bridge and with the Fender two-point balanced trem that's a huge 'no-no'. Bend notes with your fingerd, or, if you want divebombs, buy a whammy pedal.
Tell your son that during the 80's the Ringling Brothers Circus had a Unicorn that they drug around the circuit for a year. In truth it was a goat that whose horns had grown up and had been forced to grow into a single twisted massive growth. The original Ringling Brother said, "There's a sucker born every minute." They circus made their money back that year.
I never really used to use it at all because of the music I listened to but funnily enough it was when I got into Iron Maiden and of course Van Halen that I decided that I need to use it. My Strats always got out of tune and so I went out and bought a Schecter C6 FR Pro which was terrrrrrible because the Floyd always want out of tune and even my guitar tech said there was something wrong with it (in hindsight I think it was because it was a special that just couldn't handle my dive bombing). That put me off Floyd's ... For about a few months before I gave it another try on a Kramer Jersey Star and it completely changed my perception of Floyd's and now I can't buy a guitar without one. After this life changing experience I still haven't given Schecter another try and I'm not sure if I should unless you guys want to change my opinions. I've used Charvels and Kramers. Ibanez Wizard necks are too thin for my liking. Always wanted to try a Jackson and ESP as well but never have.
I've avoided the Floyd for years after a similar 90s experience. Recently I've built a Strat with one and can say the rules of the Floyd (at least for me) are; make sure it's a Floyd Original or Schaller Lockmeister (they are exactly the same but the Schaller is cheaper) cheap models, licensed versions and repros all seem to be made of softer materials which won't last it let strings slip, get a massive brass sustain block, have the Floyd decked against the body with no silly floating recess. This has resulted in rock solid tuning, no tone suck and no ending a show just because a string breaks.
Yeah, have a '93 Samick 660 Super Strat with a lic FR and I have broken several parts on it. At one time I had planned on upgrading the entire guitar including the FR, but have not done it yet....maybe never....it plays fine even after all these years.
I don't use the trem on my strat. I blocked the trem with a piece of wood because I was sick of retuning and found the trem to be a distraction more than anything. I think the players that take advantage of it are the ones that use it tastefully and not all the time. Fender and Squier need to make more hardtails. I would have bought one if there were more options
I just switched to teles. Got a modern player with hss, a mim SS, and one with p90’s i prefer the strat shape but the hard tail was a dealbreaker so I’m a tele guy now
On most my trem equipped Strat-oids I have it decked. I've had a couple of Floyd equipped guitars in the past (it was the 80's after all) but I sold them long ago.
B3, B5, B7, B16, Vibramate, Wilkinson Strat-style, Fender Mustang, Fender Coronado, Les Trem, Mosrite, B Blender, Rolling Bender. I have them all. Make sure you keep the Nut lubed. Think of it as a human voice, where you gliss into notes or put a little "up and down" to the notes. If you have a Bigsby and don't like it, replace the spring with a socket.
Years ago Godin guitar introduced a Tele style guitar with a decent Trem system, a HB and a pre-amp.. I got one and loved it butI guess some Tele purist, thought it was a heresy to add a trem on a tele. They don't do them anymore perhaps because the average Tele player doesn't use a trem but it's one of my favorite axes.. I love a Tele with a trem it opens up possibilities. Sometimes more is more..
My first electric was a Washburn Floyd Rose Tele. It's one of the things that inspired my lutherie journey. My issue was I associated the bad experience with the Tele body not the Floyd😆
I have one guitar with a trem, and when I play that guitar I barely touch it. But when I really need it, it's nice to have it there. Tuning stability is noticeably worse, though.
but isn't it really vibrato? the answer for me is yes, i use them. on my gretsch, on my jazzmaster, and i had a bigsby on my tele. sometimes a little wiggle is needed in a song, and if i'm on one of my guitars without one.......that means bending the neck a bit. something i really dont like to do on say my sg. so yes, if ive got it, i'll use it. sometimes.
I got my 40th anniversary Strat 2nd hand and it didn't have a wiggle stick. My wife loves it anyway, and she is amazing! What acoustic guitar do you recommend for a decent first guitar?
My first electric guitar had a Floyd. Probably not wise, but I wanted to shred, lol. Because of it, I can set one up with my eyes closed. I do believe the trem system adds to the tone. The most acoustically resonate electric guitar I have has a Floyd with a big brass block, which makes that guitar absolutely sing. But do I use the trem on that or my Strat? Nope. Just like Baxter, I'm too lazy.
When I was young, I used to pull my trim out and play with it every so often. By the time I hit my teen years, I couldn’t stop playing with it. It was so hard to move back-and-forth but the more I played with it the better I got. In my older years, it became loose and just kind of hung there and I figured out how to make it firm again by tightening down on the nut and now I pop in my bar all the time. A firm trim helps me make beautiful music. I can really make it moan. I know there are many opinions on this, the new generation….some of them want to remove it completely! Not me. Get a firm hold on it and you can make things scream. It’s a very useful tool, and one I will play with for the rest of my life.
Top comment right here! 😎😂
Ewww
OMG!..glad you didn't tell the Nuns!🍆..ha ha!..lol
"Hehehe, that's a good one!" (says the creepy old guy watchin' youtube videos and playin' with his little wiggely boi.) me, that is... lol
@@216trixie All the high school girls say "ewww, gross" until saturday night and in the afternoon when they get home from school. LOLzzz
Fun fact: Leo misnamed the vibrato, "tremolo".
Tremolo varies volume, vibrato changes the pitch.
I use the vibrato without the bar by making quick pulses with my palm at the end of some songs to give a nice quiver to the final chord. Great accent technique. I know people complain about floating bridges, but there are several UA-cam vids that will walk you through how to balance the string tension with the springs to create a stable platform.
I never install or use a trem on Strats. I put 5 springs on and deck my trem, I tighten the claw down to where the rest of the strings won't go flat when doing at least a one and a half step bend on the G string. I love my strats and have probably around 10, but if they were all hardtails, I would be just as happy.
What we learned in todays tangents: Baxter believes in unicorns, and Johnathan has a soft grip and giggles when getting a reach around on his wiggle stick... This is why I watch every day.
You guys are just great…love the show. Look forward to it everyday.
I install Bigsbys on all of my guitars and I use it heavily on every song!
My main guitar is an Esquire with a Bigsby and it’s a beast.
Subtle vibrato for chords is fantastic with a floating/cocked bridge. That's really the only thing I use a strat bridge for.
You guys are amazing, sometimes in a questionable way. That's why I love you so much!
I wish I had a blocked Floyd from the start. The fine tuners are so nice and the feel of the saddles is top tier. Even for floating it blocking, tightening the trem, tuning, unblocking, and loosening the claw until you are at tune is not hard. With UA-cam it is not arcane knowledge anymore either
I feel completely handicapped when I play a guitar without a wiggle stick. Currently I don't own a guitar without one. Just gliding into a chord, giving yourself more options for vibrato, there's so much more to it than just the old dive bomb. I use mine all the time as I play.
Loved y'all already, but the Hellraiser references made me love you even more :)
Yes. On certain songs and certain passages it can be a great way to add some nice expression.
I used the "decked" by five springs wang-bar on my Nash strat so seldom, I bought a Robert Cray hardtail, which I love. The neck, finish, weight, sound (awesome pickups), and tuning stability make this my favorite guitar. The 2008 version has a slightly chunkier neck than the 2019 I bought previously, as people said on the forums. Springs do give strats a reverbish tone, which is nice in a way, but I prefer the woody sound of my hardtail. For under $1,000 used Robert Cray strats are great values, if you don't value a tremolo bar.
Bax: "Bigsbys are magical". Amen brother!
I use the trem on my Squire Jaguar pretty often. Its pretty smooth and (mostly) stays in tune when I use it.
One of my favorite guitars Fender ever made is the CBS era telecaster deluxe with the strat trem. They're so cool. Also, I use my strat trem all the time. It's about your genre, and playing style. The same question was asked on the gear page the other day, and I had to point out that the trem isn't just about the utility of pitch shift, but also the tone of the trem. Those two, three, or six springs in the back, and mechanics of the trem impact the tone just as much as anything else. Hardtail strats sound less straty to me as a result. Still cool though.
B Bender for the win. Baxter, you have better than average hair today. Glad to Jonathan back.
Pinhead analogy on point, Baxter.
My daughter bought an early 00's Squier Standard Strat that we have set up with the bridge floating and it is amazing how well it stays in tune even when using the trem. I've wondered what it is that makes some hold tune like hers while others go out if you sneeze near them.
Decent tuners a must, but graphite lube on the nut and bridge pieces is the key. If it’s still not staying in tune at that point then you need to consider if setup or worn parts are causing binding or string slippage. I have three guitars with wiggle sticks and no tuning issues with any of them.
Tuning stability is all about absence of friction. It's that simple.
I'm betting your daughter's Squier has a well cut nut. The nut is always a big culprit.
Some would argue tuners are a part of it too, but I don't believe in that.
If you know how to wind the strings around the posts properly, tuners are a non issue.
Unless they are really super cheap/bad and skip/slip.
Lubrication of the nut/bridge saddles never hurts either.
@@raytorvalds3699 agreed. Despite nothing being wrong with the original nut but height and me definitely not being a tech, I made the current nut out of a tusq blank to get the action lower. After swapping out the pots and wiring, putting in a Fender switch and a set of Yosemite pickups (the original alnicos weren't terrible though) it's a legit great guitar. Its every bit as comfortable to play as my Am Performer Tele.
Always. Feels weird to play a guitar without one. Mostly for subtle shakes, especially on chords.
Trems are most usefull for vibrato on chords in my opinion. Sometimes the jeff beck way of slowly vibrating a note that you bend up is also quite beautiful
I don’t use the actual bar, but I often push on the bridge for a similar effect (and pull on the neck slightly on my SG).
I’ve always loved them
The Robert Cray signature Strat is the only hardtail Fender Stratocaster that I know of. It’s fantastic.
They tremolo cavity is like a reverb tank.
The Blk/ Wht Thing is the best!
Best show ever!🕺🏿👍🏿
Baxter's "cockney" accent is eerily good 😆
I usually have a floating trem so I can get a little vibe off whenever I need it without having to screw the wiggle stick in. Otherwise I almost never use it.
But it definitely feels different than a hard tail and I like that.
I perfectly set up strat trem is a must. I've set up many of them. 90% that I come across are not set up properly.
For me it depends on the situation. I love my hardtails (especially a hipshot) but I have two Schecters with Sustainiacs and when I play those I use the bar more than I use my pick!
The tremolo adds a kinda bouncy tone to notes when you pluck the strings hard. The springs add to tone.
I prefer a trem. That's what throws people off when I mention my favorite guitar is the Fender Mustang. When setup correctly, it's magic. I do have 2 MIA Stratocasters, and a Reverend Jetstream 390 with Wilkinson V50 trem, which also rocks! So yup, I prefer em.
Don’t feel bad about the tangents, very entertaining!
I don't mind using it on my '76 Strat, it's a good effect that seems to appeal to the audience, much like using the wah pedal. If the guitar is properly set up (nut, bridge saddles, & trem) there's not a lot of problem using the trem, in my experience. If you're worried about staying in tune with a Strat trem, ask yourself why some brand guitars have wandering G string tuning, built-in!
Make sure to check your thong before tuning your G-STRING...
I played a tele for a lot of years, I am mainly a Strat guy now. Yes I use the Whammy bar, it is a bit of work to set up properly and keep in tune, but my style warrants using it. The Thing is an all time fave! The Kurt Russel one is the best!
One of my favorite songs to play is “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaac. So I use it very often.
You can also select a hard tail in the Fender Strat mod shop portal options
My brother who is 17 years older than me saw the original “ The Thing” in a movie theater and has always said that that movie scared him more than any other. A true movie buff would watch both. Happy Birthday Joe!
I still want a hardtail strat.
Teles, strats, borg, cenobites and trems. Classic :D
I am probably Whammy enough without my tremolo, and agree with Baxter that seldom want to add anything to signal chain , there are a few songs that require a Trem or Pedal, but if we are honest there were days before pedals and Floyd Rose Trems for Dive Bombs and many were Amazing Guitarist without them
If you make an "avoid the floyd" shirt I'll buy one.
OMG the part about the floyd rose. My first guitar was a ibanez rg570 .. with FR bridge. I couldnt stop lauging , your both 100% correct. I play a broadcaster now. Get the tele!!
I never use the trem on my Strat. Should have bought a hardtail, and probably would have if they offered more variety in hardtails without going custom shop.
is there even a MIM or MIA Hardtail regular Fender available?
@@t3hgir The Robert Cray (MIM, though there have been many MIA and CS editions) and Nile Rodgers (Hitmaker MIA) signatures.. That's about it for Fender, so you have to like those specs unless you want to go custom shop. have a CS hardtail on order with Casino. Hoping it will be in around next spring/summer. Thinking about buying a Shijie hardtail to get me though.
@@ImNotOld_ImVintage you forgot tom delong and jim root models. But only if you want humbuckers in your hard tail
@@t3hgir piggy backing off of I’m not Old… the Robert Cray MIM has a nice oval C neck and the pickups sound great. Just watch out for the bridge, they are often installed somewhat crookedly.
I don't know about you, but my experience with hardtail strat is, they sound somewhat different, or feel different. Players of strats either swear by them, or not like them at all and prefer a blocked strat over a hardtail.
When I play surf or rockabilly, I use the trem bar.
Depends on what the song needs.
Most of my guitars are hardtails, anyway.
Thanks for the entertainment, y'all 🙏
I Typically lock down my Strat trems however Recently I got a 6 screw trem Strat that just didn’t play right or set up well locked down. I just didn’t have enough adjustment in the Saddles to put the stings at the right height. Anyway I finally took the extra springs out and floated the bridge a bit and I honestly think it sounds and plays amazing. I guess some strats are just made that way.
Btw, sci-fi is my inspiration for guitar practice.."space ships and even space people"..clears the mind.." now if you will excuse me I must be on my way..(sproing..ying,Yang,woing..)🛸
This was a fun video.
Going to see Mr Vai in Belfast tonight. I will watch very closely to see if he uses one! 😉
I actually use it a bit on my American Pro II because the trem is so smooth on that guitar, but mostly leave the bar off on my Strats. Having said that, I love my Floyd Rose equipped guitars and definitely put those things to the test.
I remember back in the 80’s. My first guitar with a trem was a Hondo Strat copy. I overtightened the bar twisting it in and stripped the threads. Lol. Good times.
Every guitar I own has a bar. I use it in my playing often. Tastefully, but often.
13 year old me loves the first 3 minutes of this video way too much lol
I have a 1991 Fender Telecaster Plus Deluxe with a 2 point floating trem from the factory and it’s an amazing guitar. The only made them from 1990-92.
One great show! And yes I do use my wiggle stick! Not for bombs or rockets, but to add a little "wiggle" once in a while. Just enough to liven it up a bit. And yes, you really shouldn't allow kids to play with your wiggle stick. Thanks for a great show.
The trems are in both of my strats. I also have 4 guitars with bigsbys. Use them all sparingly, a great tool in the box. In the original THING, James Arnez (Gunsmoke) is the alien.
My PRS SE Custom 24 is the only guitar I have with a wiggle stick. My Fender Strat is a Robert Cray signature that's a hard tail. I very seldom use the tremolo but it's nice to have to use now and then. I have made an effort to use the tremolo more these past few years since I got the PRS.
I have a Steinberger Spirit with a trem and a Squier VM Jazzmaster. I occasionally use the trems for chord pitching. I installed a Les Trem II on my LP '50s Tribute because 9.2 lbs wasn't heavy enough... I traded off a Baretta Special and a Squier VM Mustang because I didn't want to try to set up the trems.
I have two Teles but wouldn't want to go to the work and expense of installing a trem. You're supposed to do the steel guitar bends with your fingers LOL
The Trem on my PRS Custom 22 is perfect
It really isn't that complicated to learn how to set up your guitar well, all thanks to the magic of UA-cam.
After playing guitar for 30 yrs I got my first Strat last year. I didn't put the wiggle stick in for the first 5 months I had it because I didn't think I deserved to play with it yet. Lol
I don’t use it on my strat, but use it on my PRS. Live in constant fear of a string break during a gig though. Went through this with a Floyd Rose back in the day too. Floating bridge + string break=terror. Great video
I like both feels,
I prefer a strat trem because it’s what feels right to me and allows a modulation that is more flexible than a bigsby but also not as crazy as a Floyd.
But for my tele I like having it as a Hardtail, I approach the songs differently. Just depends on how I feel that day
It's one of those things that once you have one on your guitar, you use it constantly. I lived for decades without one, but the electric guitar feels really constipated without one, now that I'm used to having it available.
The Gretsch Bo Diddley is a misunderstood guitar. Really light, well balanced, good to sit down with, really nice colour. And I own the lefty model!
(Oh, and Vibrato bars are great if you don’t over use them).
Came for the tremolo advice, stayed for the scifi horror discussion.
I recently acquired a prs with a tremolo, and it makes playing so much fun, especially when you kick in a fuzz pedal and grind down on that wiggle stick. I cannot afford a Lamborghini so This is how I deal with mid-life crisis.
I now have a tele with a bigsby. It's the first trem I've ever had. I will say this. I don't use it that much, but I love the tone of that guitar and I think that a lot of it is from that bigsby
Yes, a lot of people claim that having a trem, particularly a Bigsby, on the guitar Improves the tone or sustain. See Keith Richards with his black ES 335. He never uses the trem, but he always plays that guitar live. The Bigsby adds a good bit of weight to the guitar. Maybe that helps the sustain.
Ha Hah! My first electric was a Squier with a Floyd. Now I have my AmPro II with the floated trem tuned at intervals. Bending those D shaped triads up to the A shape triad 1 fret above, D to a C, sounds amazing!
I've noticed over decades of experimentation that some Strats play well decked, while others are better floated.Being a user of many different tunings,I also have some hard tails to spare myself the frustration.Personally, I'm not big on heavy whammy work, but it can be very useful for flutters and accents, in a similar ,very manual way the volume pedal can be employed.Because I also use a lot of effects, I try to employ the manual effects in tandem with the modulated effects, - from subtle to structure changing.
I don't think the original bent steel Fender saddles have been improved upon, but then, I don't think ANY of Leo's originals have been bested, - except maybe by himself.
Good question guys! So many opinions about this..for me just being classic rock and blues player mainly I never used my trem in the past and after 13 years away from playing I'm a year back in and I've hardtailed both my terms..the stability is so much more solid and in my mind is far more beneficial than the ability to pitch bend..I can do enough w vibrato and string bending to get around my music just fine..and in tune..2020 player strat limited edition hss and my 2020 PRS both good trems but both hardtailed..my strat stays in tune very well now
Fellas you are experienced enough to get the technical names correct. ( it's a shuggel bar) for hanging your hippy love beads on.😂😂👍🥃Respect to you fellas.
I do use my tremolo bar. Seriously. I’m always serious when I use it. Never with humor. Trems are great tools for expression.
I mean if you’re playing 80s hair rock stuff a trem is a must
No matter how hard I try, I have never been able to make it do anything more than Vibrato. (Cool April Fools video content suggestion)
First of all, despite what Fender calls it, it's a vibrato, not a tremolo. I like a good, firm, wiggly whammy bar. It takes a bit longer to get in tune on a Strat with a floating setup, but with a well-lubricated nut, it's very stable. I prefer the Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato though, because it's smoother, and the handle is longer and easier to hold with two fingers while picking. One can imitate slide guitar pretty-well with practice.
Always since I learned how to set up a strat trem and cut my own nuts. Stays in tune better than a Floyd.
Also, it makes a non trem guitar more interesting to play. Your double stop bends sound absolutely glorious.
Still love Floyds. Takes the nut and tuners out of the keeping in tune problems.
Floyds don't deserve the hate, it's almost always user error... I had to explain to a customer that it wouldn't be ideal to change from E standard to D standard and back & forth on his floyd equipped guitar...
Cut my own nuts!😊👍🏿
@@t3hgir my second guitar was a Focus 2000. The internet didn’t exist, but I had some really good mentors that taught me all about tremolos in general.
One time my drummer let his friends band use our stuff in our rehearsal space and my Floyd loaded Charvel had 3 strings busted behind the nut and the bridge was tilted forward. We tuned to E flat. It was now tuned to 440.
@@friedrudibega6384 yeah! I was lucky to have lessons from an experienced teacher at a local players shop early-mid 2000s before all these amazing online resources were there. For newer players without the guidance though I think the amount of content can be overwhelming.
If you cut your own nuts, go to the emergency room
I blocked my trem. I like to play with my hand resting on the bridge and with the Fender two-point balanced trem that's a huge 'no-no'. Bend notes with your fingerd, or, if you want divebombs, buy a whammy pedal.
Tell your son that during the 80's the Ringling Brothers Circus had a Unicorn that they drug around the circuit for a year. In truth it was a goat that whose horns had grown up and had been forced to grow into a single twisted massive growth.
The original Ringling Brother said, "There's a sucker born every minute." They circus made their money back that year.
I never really used to use it at all because of the music I listened to but funnily enough it was when I got into Iron Maiden and of course Van Halen that I decided that I need to use it. My Strats always got out of tune and so I went out and bought a Schecter C6 FR Pro which was terrrrrrible because the Floyd always want out of tune and even my guitar tech said there was something wrong with it (in hindsight I think it was because it was a special that just couldn't handle my dive bombing). That put me off Floyd's ... For about a few months before I gave it another try on a Kramer Jersey Star and it completely changed my perception of Floyd's and now I can't buy a guitar without one. After this life changing experience I still haven't given Schecter another try and I'm not sure if I should unless you guys want to change my opinions. I've used Charvels and Kramers. Ibanez Wizard necks are too thin for my liking. Always wanted to try a Jackson and ESP as well but never have.
I've avoided the Floyd for years after a similar 90s experience. Recently I've built a Strat with one and can say the rules of the Floyd (at least for me) are; make sure it's a Floyd Original or Schaller Lockmeister (they are exactly the same but the Schaller is cheaper) cheap models, licensed versions and repros all seem to be made of softer materials which won't last it let strings slip, get a massive brass sustain block, have the Floyd decked against the body with no silly floating recess. This has resulted in rock solid tuning, no tone suck and no ending a show just because a string breaks.
Yeah, have a '93 Samick 660 Super Strat with a lic FR and I have broken several parts on it. At one time I had planned on upgrading the entire guitar including the FR, but have not done it yet....maybe never....it plays fine even after all these years.
I don't use the trem on my strat. I blocked the trem with a piece of wood because I was sick of retuning and found the trem to be a distraction more than anything. I think the players that take advantage of it are the ones that use it tastefully and not all the time. Fender and Squier need to make more hardtails. I would have bought one if there were more options
I just switched to teles. Got a modern player with hss, a mim SS, and one with p90’s i prefer the strat shape but the hard tail was a dealbreaker so I’m a tele guy now
Amen to that. More hardtails from Fender and Squier. Preferably ones with Hipshot bridges too.
On most my trem equipped Strat-oids I have it decked. I've had a couple of Floyd equipped guitars in the past (it was the 80's after all) but I sold them long ago.
You convinced me. I’m going to drive nails into my head and put a Floyd on my LsL bad bone 290. My Saturday is now full.
B3, B5, B7, B16, Vibramate, Wilkinson Strat-style, Fender Mustang, Fender Coronado, Les Trem, Mosrite, B Blender, Rolling Bender. I have them all. Make sure you keep the Nut lubed.
Think of it as a human voice, where you gliss into notes or put a little "up and down" to the notes.
If you have a Bigsby and don't like it, replace the spring with a socket.
Years ago Godin guitar introduced a Tele style guitar with a decent Trem system, a HB and a pre-amp.. I got one and loved it butI guess some Tele purist, thought it was a heresy to add a trem on a tele. They don't do them anymore perhaps because the average Tele player doesn't use a trem but it's one of my favorite axes.. I love a Tele with a trem it opens up possibilities. Sometimes more is more..
I like the fine tuners on a Floyd.
My first electric was a Washburn Floyd Rose Tele. It's one of the things that inspired my lutherie journey. My issue was I associated the bad experience with the Tele body not the Floyd😆
The world of guitar is a sci-fi and retro cool perpetual machine.
I use the trem on my Jaguar a lot, on my Strats sometimes. I play differently on the Jag than my Strats, but I like having the option
I use mine. Sparingly, but mainly for "Beck-like" flutters on my standard American Strat.
Claw screwed all the way in, 5 springs, wiggle worm removed :) I rest my palm on the bridge and it doesn’t affect it anymore!
Nobody:
Absolutely no one:
Baxter: My middle-aged son asked me if unicorns are real
Baxter's lucky. My wife hasn't touched my wiggle stick in ages. But I have hope. My birthday is next week.
You can also use a Bigsby as a kick stand.
I have 3 Tele style guitars, two of which I've fitted a Stetsbar to!
I have one guitar with a trem, and when I play that guitar I barely touch it. But when I really need it, it's nice to have it there. Tuning stability is noticeably worse, though.
I block off all my whammys with a block of wood. Improves my vibrato because the bridge isn't taking up the slack
but isn't it really vibrato?
the answer for me is yes, i use them. on my gretsch, on my jazzmaster, and i had a bigsby on my tele. sometimes a little wiggle is needed in a song, and if i'm on one of my guitars without one.......that means bending the neck a bit. something i really dont like to do on say my sg.
so yes, if ive got it, i'll use it. sometimes.
I love that 355. One day I'll have one
I got my 40th anniversary Strat 2nd hand and it didn't have a wiggle stick. My wife loves it anyway, and she is amazing!
What acoustic guitar do you recommend for a decent first guitar?
My first electric guitar had a Floyd. Probably not wise, but I wanted to shred, lol. Because of it, I can set one up with my eyes closed. I do believe the trem system adds to the tone. The most acoustically resonate electric guitar I have has a Floyd with a big brass block, which makes that guitar absolutely sing.
But do I use the trem on that or my Strat? Nope. Just like Baxter, I'm too lazy.