And Speaking of tremolos...PSA

maxtheaxe · #1 12-15-2016, 11:25 PM

The thread about Strat tremolos reminded me that I've been meaning to ask if anyone here has run across a guitar with a 'Stetsbar' tremolo? I bought one a while back with the intention of mounting it on my Ibanez Artist re-issue. I haven't mounted it on there yet, as the guitar lacks a stop-bar tailpiece. The idea is to drill into the top and install the bushings, which are needed for this design (although they have another design for Teles and Strats).

I need to plan & execute this perfectly, since I only get one chance to do it right or the guitar will be screwed. In the meantime, I got tired of waiting to get around to it and wanted to try the bridge, so I mounted it on my Gibson SG 'Classic'...a drop-in fit for Gibsons with stop-bar tailpieces.

I gotta say, this thing works very well and sounds great! The way it moves the bridge is that it slides back & forth on spring loaded rails (sort of) rather than pivoting on a fulcrum like a Fender. The action is very smooth, has a lot of range and I think it's unique because you can actually change tunings without re-adjusting the set-up/spring tension...AND if you break a string while playing, the rest of the guitar stays in tune! All in all, gotta say that the engineering on these things is top notch.

http://stetsbar.com/index.html

One other benefit, for those with SGs or Artists is that they weigh just enough to off-set the annoying neck-dive tendencies of those instruments. My SG now cradles in my arms on a strap, perfectly balanced, and I'm no longer chasing the dang thing around trying to keep it in position. My old Japanese Ibanez Artist from the late 70s didn't have this problem, but the new ones sure do.

Now if I can just get my nerve up and sit down & focus on drilling bushing holes into the top of my Artist, I'll be set! The only problem is that I'll probably want to get another one for my SG too, and they're pretty pricey.

Steve DeRosa · #2 12-16-2016, 09:34 AM

Try a Vibramate instead - lets you retrofit a Bigsby in about 30 minutes with no drilling whatsoever, and completely reversible if you decide it's not for you; see if they have one for your instrument...

maxtheaxe · #3 12-16-2016, 01:04 PM

Vibramate won't work for the reason stated...the Ibanez doesn't have a stop-bar/bushings, which is what both the Vibramate and the Stetsbar bolt down to. That's what I have to drill.

moon · #4 12-17-2016, 05:42 PM

Drilling should be pretty straightforward. Measuring will be the critical step.

Another trem unit to consider for the SG could be the Jazzmaster/Jaguar (requires a rout). It's a good trem so long as you don't do any extreme bending and I think the Classic Player Jazzmasters have it set up with a tunomatic bridge.

Be careful to double check the geometry of your own guitar though. The height of the bridge and desired break angle must have a trem placement solution which works with all the hardware.

maxtheaxe · #5 12-18-2016, 12:31 AM

Yes...the single biggest issue will be to get the bushings in exactly the right place. The solution I'm considering is to create a template out of clear 1/8" acrylic, that matches the size & shape of the base of the Stetsbar, including holes. Once I'm satisfied that the bushing holes are correct on that, then I can use it as a drill guide.

After trying the bridge on my SG, I feel pretty confident that it will be worth the trouble to add it to the Ibanez. The old Ibanez Artists had conventional studs along with the screwed-down tail plate, as do the higher-end contemporary Japanese-made Artists. It would be a simple drop-in on one of those guitars, but the newer re-issues just have the Gibraltar-type plate that screws to the top. I never even noticed until I decided to look into putting a trem on it.

Incidentally, they also have a version that is pretty much a drop-in fit to a Telecaster...I might have to snag an inexpensive MIM Tele, upgrade the pups and put one of these on

Northward · #6 12-19-2016, 12:47 AM

This sure looks interessting. I've never seen a tremolo look so 'right' on a Tele and not least an SG! That Gibson Lyre Tremolo doesn't get much praise as far as I understand. And I've never seen a Yamaha like SG with a tremolo. I want a new guitar for Shoegazy stuff and will look into this.