Awesome Scott《☆》I've never taken the vibrola off of my Epiphone Firebird VII. I was concerned about how high the resting position was on the trem arm so I straightened out the bend in the arm. Now it sits in its case without getting depressed by the lid. It doesn't have as much travel as it did originally but it's good enough🤓👍🏾Nice mods on your Kay Brother :*: Greetings from⛾Florida🤳my friend🤓🗣🔊☮✌👍🏾
@@harpethguitar 《☆》I did it back when the FB was new around 2002. I removed the arm & put it in a vise. I think I may have slipped a piece of pipe over it for leverage. Pretty sure I didn't have to heat it🤓👍🏾
These tremolos work best with locking tuning pegs, a string butler to eliminate any binding up, a graphite nut or a well lubed bone nut if you will be using stock timing pegs. With stock tuners I HIGHLY recommend learning the "Gibson Mandolin String Post Winding Method". It locks up the strings completely and your guitars will almost never lose tuning. Especially with a stop tailpiece. Solder up the string windings at the ball end. Replace the wound D string for an unwound D. Who says that it has to be wound? Frank Marino uses 08-09-12-15-26-38 custom gauge with any unwound D and he performs MASSIVE dive bombs with hardly any tuning issues.
Locking tuners do nothing for tuning stability. They just make string changes a bit faster. Put the strings on correctly and stretch them to take out any slack. Tuning stability is 99% dependent on a properly cut and lubricated nut on any guitar.
Interesting... I have none of those things except a bone nut and I have zero tuning issues. the key to tuning stability has nothing to do with your tuners, or a string butler. I did have the nut cut and fit by a luthier however and my tuning has been rock solid with heavy trem use.
Propane. Don't go to crazy, just enough to get it to bend. I would put one end in a vice right where you want the bend, ...have something metal to bend it with, maybe a small steel pipe, apply the heat and keep pressure on it, soon as it starts to bend take heat off. By the way, i read stevie ray vaughans tech did this a lot because stevie was always breaking bars. So he would use the side you hold in your hand, which is threaded the same as other side, and make the side that goes in your hand fit in the trem by heating it and bending it like this.
Hey so I'm a beginner in all this stuff and I wanted to do this with a long maestro on an Epiphone SG. The part thats confusing me is with the ground wire and what to do with it; could you explain what I should do step by step? Thxs
We discuss the ground wire a little more in my long Vibrola video. I hope this helps you decide how to run your new wire. Read the comments too: ua-cam.com/video/1cpDs2WmwZw/v-deo.html
Late to the party: Are you sure this isnt the flange mount version that needs the riser washers under the flange? They're about 3/8" tall, go between the body and the bottom of the mounting flange.
@@harpethguitar Right, cool. There's 3 versions, spring mount and 2 flange mounts, spring mount and one flange mount are flush mounts, spring mount uses same/similar thick wall risers but on top. Google should know the exact height of the risers that go below the flange. A gunsmith should be able to make you something far cheaper than the original Gibby risers.
I'm wondering if anyone has ever tried bending the "fold over" part where the arm sits... in order to get a lower arm height? Seems many of these stick way up in the air. Would that work, even though the spring part won't seem to take new shape? thanks!
I bent the arm on mine. Very carefully, very slowly. The spring steel of the bent part isn’t likely to take a new shape. The arm will. Mind you, I bent it a good bit but not a crazy amount.
How do you like the Maestro Vibrola compared to the Dusenberg Les Trem? I'm contemplating a trem system for my Gibson V, and I'm leaning towards the Dusenberg... but the Maestro is appealing for historical reasons, if nothing else...
Hi, I want to install one of these on my melody maker. What brand vibrola did you buy? I see a big selection on ebay, as well as allparts and wdmusic. There was a pretty wide range of prices. I'm not even sure what to look for.
I have a SG special that I want to do this to. But I have some doubts with the wraparound bridge, because it is meant to sit in place by the string tension coming under and over it pushing it against the two large screws. How stable does the wraparound bridge sit there with just the force of the strings coming behind it from the maestro vibrola going only over it?
This guitar has a bolt on neck with a shim in the neck pocket and a tall bridge. Every guitar is different so if your guitar has good conditions like these the Maestro could work out. I think the bridge does wiggle around a bit.
Anything is possible if your fingers have the magic touch! I wouldn’t be able to compare this with a the tremolo you mentioned but history has proven most of Fender’s designs are superior in function to these things.
WTF!!! Are all of these vibratos alike? I mean the trem arm angle is a joke!!! way too wide... i'm afraid to buy one since i don't have the tools to force bend it like you did. what brand is yours?
Truth be told; my bending techniques did not do much. Someone said the arm itself is bendable though. Sorry I don’t know what brand it is (bought it used)
The best one I’ve owned was a long (lyre version) made in Korea. I would think the Gibson/ Epiphone version is available through “Allparts”. Good luck!
@@harpethguitar You may be right - I had an Epi SG with maestro and now I have a 2020 Gibson version and the maestro units were VERY different. Also, you can't get the engraved covers unless you find a used one online that someone pulled off another guitar.
A great, and very useful vid. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, just purchased a short model to put on my non reverse fb and was suprised there was not that much info about installation.
Jussi Jokinen Thanks For Watching! Good luck!
Gonna be doing a iceman build for my birthday this year and I’m gonna be installing a vibrola. This was helpful so I can figure out how to do it
Awesome Scott《☆》I've never taken the vibrola off of my Epiphone Firebird VII. I was concerned about how high the resting position was on the trem arm so I straightened out the bend in the arm. Now it sits in its case without getting depressed by the lid. It doesn't have as much travel as it did originally but it's good enough🤓👍🏾Nice mods on your Kay Brother :*: Greetings from⛾Florida🤳my friend🤓🗣🔊☮✌👍🏾
BDOG JR Awesome 👏 How did you bend it?
Did you unscrew it first?
@@harpethguitar 《☆》I did it back when the FB was new around 2002. I removed the arm & put it in a vise. I think I may have slipped a piece of pipe over it for leverage. Pretty sure I didn't have to heat it🤓👍🏾
BDOG JR Maybe I’ll give it a try. I’ve tried to back those arm screws out to no avail. Maybe I’ll try an impact wrench!
@@harpethguitar 《☆》Ya mine wasn't that tight being a new guitar. Some good penitrating oil like Kroil or PB blaster might help.
Wow you made that look easy.
Every bit as good as a Bigsby. Plus, you can get them from allparts.
These tremolos work best with locking tuning pegs, a string butler to eliminate any binding up, a graphite nut or a well lubed bone nut if you will be using stock timing pegs.
With stock tuners I HIGHLY recommend learning the "Gibson Mandolin String Post Winding Method".
It locks up the strings completely and your guitars will almost never lose tuning. Especially with a stop tailpiece.
Solder up the string windings at the ball end.
Replace the wound D string for an unwound D. Who says that it has to be wound?
Frank Marino uses 08-09-12-15-26-38 custom gauge with any unwound D and he performs MASSIVE dive bombs with hardly any tuning issues.
Locking tuners do nothing for tuning stability. They just make string changes a bit faster. Put the strings on correctly and stretch them to take out any slack. Tuning stability is 99% dependent on a properly cut and lubricated nut on any guitar.
Interesting... I have none of those things except a bone nut and I have zero tuning issues. the key to tuning stability has nothing to do with your tuners, or a string butler. I did have the nut cut and fit by a luthier however and my tuning has been rock solid with heavy trem use.
@@AndreaAustoni
Locking tuners most certainly do increase tuning stability by eliminating slippage at the post and at the gears.
Well done
Propane. Don't go to crazy, just enough to get it to bend. I would put one end in a vice right where you want the bend, ...have something metal to bend it with, maybe a small steel pipe, apply the heat and keep pressure on it, soon as it starts to bend take heat off.
By the way, i read stevie ray vaughans tech did this a lot because stevie was always breaking bars. So he would use the side you hold in your hand, which is threaded the same as other side, and make the side that goes in your hand fit in the trem by heating it and bending it like this.
Cool, I’ll give it a try and film it for my channel. Thanks Don!
🔥
Sounds excellent 🤟
Hey so I'm a beginner in all this stuff and I wanted to do this with a long maestro on an Epiphone SG. The part thats confusing me is with the ground wire and what to do with it; could you explain what I should do step by step? Thxs
We discuss the ground wire a little more in my long Vibrola video. I hope this helps you decide how to run your new wire. Read the comments too:
ua-cam.com/video/1cpDs2WmwZw/v-deo.html
You could buy the new 2020 epiphone with one already on it
@@We-all-watched-the-video
That's not cost effective and not fun.
Late to the party: Are you sure this isnt the flange mount version that needs the riser washers under the flange? They're about 3/8" tall, go between the body and the bottom of the mounting flange.
I don’t know but I just installed a new WD short version on an old Gibson and I like it a lot better. Lower profile etc.
@@harpethguitar Right, cool. There's 3 versions, spring mount and 2 flange mounts, spring mount and one flange mount are flush mounts, spring mount uses same/similar thick wall risers but on top. Google should know the exact height of the risers that go below the flange. A gunsmith should be able to make you something far cheaper than the original Gibby risers.
I'm wondering if anyone has ever tried bending the "fold over" part where the arm sits... in order to get a lower arm height? Seems many of these stick way up in the air. Would that work, even though the spring part won't seem to take new shape? thanks!
I bent the arm on mine. Very carefully, very slowly. The spring steel of the bent part isn’t likely to take a new shape. The arm will. Mind you, I bent it a good bit but not a crazy amount.
what size are the screws that go into the body?
Check with the manufacturer. WD Music, Fl
How do you like the Maestro Vibrola compared to the Dusenberg Les Trem? I'm contemplating a trem system for my Gibson V, and I'm leaning towards the Dusenberg... but the Maestro is appealing for historical reasons, if nothing else...
Duesenberg Len Trem II all the way bro.
I have the Les Trem II on both of my Flying V’s.
Cheers
@@harpethguitar Thanks!
Read my past above.
Either go with this or the Stetsbar.
Hi, I want to install one of these on my melody maker. What brand vibrola did you buy? I see a big selection on ebay, as well as allparts and wdmusic. There was a pretty wide range of prices. I'm not even sure what to look for.
Sorry but I’m not sure. I bought it second hand for $50.00 and it was never disclosed. I recommend a Korean made one if you can find one
String tension pulls it down
maybe try bending the bar. that spring is just gonna spring bak.
I have a SG special that I want to do this to.
But I have some doubts with the wraparound bridge, because it is meant to sit in place by the string tension coming under and over it pushing it against the two large screws.
How stable does the wraparound bridge sit there with just the force of the strings coming behind it from the maestro vibrola going only over it?
This guitar has a bolt on neck with a shim in the neck pocket and a tall bridge. Every guitar is different so if your guitar has good conditions like these the Maestro could work out. I think the bridge does wiggle around a bit.
I had an original sg special with the vibrola and the wraparound bridge many years ago. Never had a problem with the bridge staying put.
Can't you replace it with a saddle arrangement?
Use heavier gauge strings to increase downward force on the bridge.
Why didnt you just heat the bar itself in a vice and bend the bar?
What kind of heat do you recommend?
@@harpethguitar
Preferably hot heat because it's much hotter than cold heat by a wide margin.😆🤪🤣😂
🤣🤣🤣
@@harpethguitar
Don't laugh. Haven't you ever heard of "Icy Hot"?🤣
Oh my 🥴
Just a question. Is this good for shoegaze
Is it as good as offset bridge jazzmaster?
Anything is possible if your fingers have the magic touch! I wouldn’t be able to compare this with a the tremolo you mentioned but history has proven most of Fender’s designs are superior in function to these things.
yess! the magic touch within the fingers and heartt ; )
Thanks!
WTF!!! Are all of these vibratos alike? I mean the trem arm angle is a joke!!! way too wide... i'm afraid to buy one since i don't have the tools to force bend it like you did. what brand is yours?
Truth be told; my bending techniques did not do much. Someone said the arm itself is bendable though. Sorry I don’t know what brand it is (bought it used)
It's complete BS that Gibson doesn't sell the official maestro. Things break. Anyone should be able to buy one straight from Gibson.
The best one I’ve owned was a long (lyre version) made in Korea. I would think the Gibson/ Epiphone version is available through “Allparts”. Good luck!
@@harpethguitar You may be right - I had an Epi SG with maestro and now I have a 2020 Gibson version and the maestro units were VERY different. Also, you can't get the engraved covers unless you find a used one online that someone pulled off another guitar.