Locking tremolo improvements

[Kemono]

I want to be able to lock the bridge in place and change the tuning in seconds, with no tools, and then unlock the bridge.

Which floating bridges provide a “quick lock“ feature?

There should be a way to lock the bridge in place so when you want to do alternate tuning, you can lock and retune. Of course, that would also save us the hassle of trying to find the right block of wood when we want to block off the tremolo. You won’t have the tremolo system when locked but you’ll be able to retune the guitar.

Which bridges offer an alternative to “tension adjustment” other then the claw screws?

I know that the Sophia has a global tuner but I don’t understand completely how it works.
https://csl-sophia-tremolos.myshopify.com/

 

[MaxOfMetal]

A Schaller Tremstop installed will do everything you want it to, with any bridge you want, they're just kind of ugly and to install them solid you have to screw into the top of the guitar.

Tension adjustment wise, a Sure Claw might make things easier for you.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I'd have to try one of those before I could make a recommendation.

 

[BlackMastodon]

A Schaller Tremstop installed will do everything you want it to, with any bridge you want, they're just kind of ugly and to install them solid you have to screw into the top of the guitar.

Tension adjustment wise, a Sure Claw might make things easier for you.

Holy shit that Tremstop is horrendous. Who would do that to their guitar??

 

[SnoozyWyrm]

A tremol-no does what you ask, although some people (me as well) think that it kinda affects the sensitivity-behavior of the trem. Correct installation helps reduce said effect almost completely. If you use no backplate on your tremolo cavity it is also fast enough to be able to engage disengage its modes between songs.

 

[ixlramp]

The Steinberger copy S- or R-trem headless bridges do that. I used to own a Hohner G3T and that trem was a dream to use compared to a Floyd Rose type (but probably a little less tuning stability). The spring tension adjust was an easily accessible knob too. Very easy to change tuning.

 

[odibrom]

About how horrendous that Schaller Tremstop ... and it depends on how tight the trem arm is, to be really functional...

 

[eaeolian]

I have gone back and forth with this, since I want to use a D-Tuna when I need it but a floating trem otherwise, and reached two conclusions:

1.) Have someone mill the pieces for a precision bolt with an adjustable bumper on the end.
2.) Use a Tremel-no.

#2 is winning.

The only trem I know of that would work the way you want it was the Washburn Wonderbar, since it didn't use string tension/spring load balancing for its trem action. Otherwise, the TransTrem could do different tunings, but only across all six strings, but they're finicky and good luck finding one.

The Ibanez ZRT was promising, but built so cheaply...

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Holy shit that Tremstop is horrendous. Who would do that to their guitar??

Function over form.

There's simply not another device that allows for full floating movement of the trem, unimpeded, that is fully accessible from the regular playing position.

The one of the biggest selling points is that it's compatible with any bridge, within reason.

About how horrendous that Schaller Tremstop ... and it depends on how tight the trem arm is, to be really functional...

With the proper install, which includes hard mounting, tightening of the bar, and a slight threadlocker application at the pivot point on the device itself, it's just as solid as most Tremol-no installs.

 

[odibrom]

Not sure if my point was clear, I was referring to the "trem arm to trem base plate" tightness, you know, without looseness/wobbliness...

 

[devastone]

http://www.fu-tone.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=222

http://www.fu-tone.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=219

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Not sure if my point was clear, I was referring to the "trem arm to trem base plate" tightness, you know, without looseness/wobbliness...

That would be the "tightening of bar" I was referring to. With most trems that means making sure the arm holder is tight to the base plate or with trems that the arm holder is built into base plate some PTFE tape around the arm, threaded or non-threaded, will do the trick.

Some cheaper bridges with cheaply made arm holders would benefit from upgrades to Schaller made ones.

I've installed a small handful of Tremstops over the years. Everyone is usually pretty resistant to them until they actually use them.

 

[odibrom]

I trust your word but those aren't for me..

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I trust your word but those aren't for me..

Yeah, they're not my cup of tea either, but then again I'm not trying to have it all with a trem. I just need a single tuning and stability when doing stupid trem stuff.

 

[GuitarBizarre]

Within reason, I don't see why you care what it looks like. Sure, I'm not going to go out and play a wangcaster anytime soon, but if it works it works. Who gives a shit about how it looks? The 2.5 nerdy guitar players out of every 1000 people who see the thing?

Even if you didn't play a guitar with an "ugly" tremstop on it you can guarantee those same 2.5 pricks would talk your ear off about something else they don't like about your choice of guitar anyway. Fuck 'em.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Who gives a shit about how it looks?

Most people apparently.

 

[GuitarBizarre]

Most people apparently.

Just strikes me as attempting to satisfy a group of people you probably don't like anyway.

Even in super image led bands like, I dunno, Immortal, or X-Japan, probably like 2 people in the audience care about this thing being stuck to your guitar: https://www.allparts.com/BP-2012-023-Schaller-Tremstop_p_1039.html

And if you're not the kinda guy who plays to an audience you want to impress visually, then it seems pretty masturbatory to give up functionality that works just so you can post online about how "my rig is prettier than yours".

Given a pretty option and an ugly option that both work, sure, I'll buy pretty, might even spend a bit more on pretty, but otherwise it's just wanking.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

it's just wanking.

That's what almost all guitarists do.

It's just a side hobby for most of us.

 

[Drew]

A Schaller Tremstop installed will do everything you want it to, with any bridge you want, they're just kind of ugly and to install them solid you have to screw into the top of the guitar.

Oh shit, I remember seeing magazine ads for those in the mid-90s, but I didn't think for a moment those things were actually still in production. Couldn't remember the name, and I spent about fifteen minutes one afternoon on Google trying to find an old add for one, but it never even crossed my mind to just look at what AllParts was still selling.

Those things are, in fact, hideous.

And if you're not the kinda guy who plays to an audience you want to impress visually, then it seems pretty masturbatory to give up functionality that works just so you can post online about how "my rig is prettier than yours".

Generally speaking, I like my guitars. I'm not going to intentionally do anything that will cruelly and horribly disfigure them.

I want to be able to lock the bridge in place and change the tuning in seconds, with no tools, and then unlock the bridge.

This is impossible, if I follow you correctly. If you want a floating trem that, for example, you can lock, re-tune from E standard to, oh, Open G, then unlock and use the bridge as normal, that doesn't work. The spring tension on the claw strings has to be carefully balanced against the string tension when the guitar is tuned to pitch, so if you lock the trem and then change the tuning, you need to KEEP it locked, because the spring tension is now no longer balanced to keep the trem floating in position, so when you unlock it, the bridge is going to shift, returning to equiliberum, and either increasing or decreasing the string tension until the springs and strings are in equiliberum again, which will result in your tuning shifting.

A Tremol-no will allow you to pick a "main" tuning, but then lock the bridge down quickly without tools, and retune the guitar (probably involving tools, if it's a double-locking bridge), but you'll need to keep the trem locked and retune back to your "main" tuning before you can unlock the bridge.

 

[odibrom]

I'm with @Drew here about my guitars with trems, I like them as they are and I am not willing to sacrifice their appearance for a gadget that would probably conflict with my vibrato manners... I often do "pull ups" with the bar turned to the back (away from the nut/strings) and with my wrist. I think this would colide very often with that trem stopper.

As for its looks, it kind of looks like another knob or something...

... and what's the point on having everything in one guitar? I kills the argument we commonly say to our other half that "the new one has some features not found on any of the others and I totally utterly need that for my joy time..."... we don't want that, do we?

Now jokes aside, if it works for some and they like it, good for them. Personally, if I want or need different tunings, I'll go the fixed bridge route... or a new guitar...