Quote: "do you like tremolos or not? I know there's always that song you need it in but generally speaking, do you prefer it or not? Do you use it a lot?"
I found this to be a compelling question.
Really, I can't understand why it's not asked and questioned by Guitar Owners far much more than it is.
It's as if the Design Choices involved with various Instruments have been so firmly defined in the minds of consumers, that they simply accept the Status Quo and don't really consider too deeply what features they do and do not need.
I think it takes some time and depth of experience, perhaps even Ownership of a Wide Variety of Instruments for everyone who Plays, to genuinely and properly understand what will Facilitate their Fundamental Playing Style, and what will impede their Fundamental Playing Style?
Beyond that, there is the fact that it takes even more time, depth of experience, and Ownership of a Variety of Instruments for everyone who Plays, to genuinely and properly understand what are the varying Strengths and Weakness of the many disparate Brands and Models of Vibrato and Tremolo Systems available, to which Guitars and Pickups they are best Suited for Sound and Playing Style, and what are the associated problems that will cause definite difficulties if they Retro Fit Guitar A with Tremolo X.
Without venturing too far into the pedantic, it's probably worth mentioning that through the march of time, although it has become, settled into a kind of traditional understanding amongst Guitar Owners. Marketing Men are responsible for the false illusion that the terms Vibrato and Tremolo are entirely interchangeable and refer to what is basically the same thing. In reality, Vibrato refers to modulations in Pitch, Tremolo refers to modulations in Volume. For Composers, Producers, Designers and Engineers this difference in function is Critical. But it seems that Marketing Men and their Consumers alike are staggeringly able, to brilliantly meander their thinking, around these Cardinal Points.
When I started out with Electric Guitars, Movable Pickups that could be added to what were Fundamentally Acoustical Models were the Staple Order of the day.
Gradually, Solid Body Electric Guitars took over Amplified Performance on Stage and brought New Sound and Tonality to Recordings. Because my first Electric Guitar had a Trapeze Type Tailpiece, and as I migrated to Solid Body Instruments, Les Paul Style Models were what I moved too, I was well used to laying the Edge of my Hands Palm on the Strings behind the Bridge.
This was easy to do, because of the way the Instruments had been Designed. Legendary Players like Les Paul and many Notable others were skilfully adept at moving from a Clearly Sounded Tone, to a Muted "Pizzicato" Style of Sound Effect and back again with tremendous ease. They added an additional dimension to the usually available Guitar Tones, and with Echo and Reverb these, Muted Playing Styles became compelling draws to the Ear of the Listening Audiences. All this was great, until I finally purchase a new type of Guitar, and moved over to a Stratocaster.
Because of my habit of resting the Edge of the Palm of my Hand, directly behind the Bridge by now was very firmly established, and because of the new type of Combined Floating Tremolo Bridge/Tailpeice was completely unfamiliar to me, I simply could not keep the Instrument in Tune. In fact, Tuning Problems bedevilled me constantly between Songs in Performance, and although I could understand that the problem was with my Established Playing Style and the Bridge Design, I was at the time, unable to make the switch. In fact, I moved from the Stratocaster to a Gibson 335 at the behest of those who Played with me. A 335 with a Trapeze Type Tailpiece similar to which my first Electric had, and that solved the problem.
Today, and for many, many years, happily I am able to Mute a Stratocaster on its Bridge/Tailpiece; but find I need Stratocasters, that are essentially Fixed Bridges for some Playing Styles, whilst others have Floating Bridges for others. I fully accept that the problem is a Lack of Versatility and Flexibility on my Part, rather than a Design Fault with the Instrument. But as these Instrument Types have become Absolutely Fixed Stars in the Guitar Gazers Constellation it's very easy to forget the Intense Struggles in Performance that some Players were faced with by the Development and Evolution of these New Styles of Instrument. And although some New Players, clearly took to the Combination Vibrato Bridge/Tailpiece like a duck to water, its completely lost to Time and History, the Great Difficulties that some Players had to cope with. Not only with Stratocasters, but Bigsby's, Gibson's Maestro System and many other types, each bringing a different problem, often specific to the Particular Guitar to which they had been fitted. Just adding a Vibrato System to a Guitar is not the way to do it. The Entire Guitar Design, must be taken into account, and many factors and adjustments Optimised for everything to work well in a Professional Performance Context.
Was I alone in my Struggles?
Well I think it's significant, that.
Eric Clapton for one, has used a Fixed Bridge/Tailpiece on his Stratocaster!
It goes back to how you really learnt to Play, what your learnt on, or how your Guitar is Setup now.
But I remain convinced that one of the enduring factors concerning the ubiquitous popularity of the Fender Telecaster.
Despite a couple of what could be considered Design Flaws, but what were essentially Design Choices by Leo Fender for Cheaper and Cost Effective Production, is because Very Many Players simply find Fixing Strings to an Unwaveringly Reliable Point at Either End.
That's the "Real Thing" for Great Players and Getting the Sound they want, Directly from the Touch of their Fingertips and the Strike of their Plectrum or Fingers, is where the "Essence" and "Magic of Sound" really "Happens", and "Lives", and can find themselves most at Comfort and at One with their Instrument, when it works that way, Completely Reliably.
As the Original Poster asked, and others pointed out.
There is always a Particular Song or a Specific Genre of Playing Style that Demands Pitch Modulation.
Most times, with Popular Recordings, a small degree of Touch on the Vibrato Arm is enough to do the Job. In general, Aspiring Guitarists completely Over Cook all their Effects, which are always Most Effective, when they are used in a Limited Way and with Great Musical Taste in just the Right Place.
But they are Some Great and Notable Players to whom the Vibrato Arm is a Strong and Intrinsic Part of their Guitar Performance, their Signature Sound, and their Personal Stage Presence. And there are yet Others, for whom Extreme, Way Out, On the Edge Sound via a Long Suffering Vibrato Arm is Part and Parcel of what their Audience Expect from them, and both the Former and Latter are another matter entirely.
What I have found Most Significant. Over many, many, many Decades of interest. Is the High Number of Very Successful Recording Session Guitar Players, that have Played on a Huge Number of Top Chart Hits, behind very many different Artists, that Favour, and Choose to use as their Basic, Working Tool. Extremely Simple, Straightforward and Utterly Reliable Musical Instruments, that have Fixed Bridges, Separate Tailpieces and Most Significantly No Vibrato Arm.
For sure there are plenty of Stratocasters about, but how many have their Combination Vibrato Arm/Bridge/ Tailpiece Flat to the Instrument Body, Fixed with a Solid Wood Insert, or Supplied with a Fixed Tailpiece, as opposed to Floating as the Design was Originally Conceived?
I think it's a very Interesting Question.
And the History behind and underlying the question, a fascinating subject, too long ignored, and that is too little genuinely understood, by most Guitar Owners.
There is no doubt, that some people like the Look and Style of a Bigsby Vibrato Arm and Tailpiece on their Instrument, and that for Some Players, a Vibrato Arm is an Essential Part of a Signature Sound.
For me, the Absolutely Essential Thing, is to place a Sticky Dot over the Hole in the Main Stratocasters Combination Vibrato/Bridge /Tailpiece, so the Spring that holds the Vibrato Arm, which isn't ever fitted, doesn't ever fall out!
Here's something that might be enlightening to a few folks.
http://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topic...laws-and-fixes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig5PeUIlYZM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWyGMfb243Q
P
10-22-2014, 06:12 PM
