Originally Posted by: musicgu7... I actually started this thread with the electric guitar in mind, thanks for your tips there too (and Dr Riffmachines tips too) but what do you mean by

Originally Posted by: Lordathestrings... Tremolo setups are tone-suckers. Avoid 'em unless you expect to be using a lot of effects.

(sorry, am a total newbie)

Thanks,
Ryan

[font=trebuchet ms]I've played, bought, and sold, a lot of guitars over the years, and I have come to the conclusion that all tremolo tailpiece/bridge designs reduce the integrity of the connection between the body of the guitar and the the strings. [u]No[/u] exceptions. The resulting loss of tonal richness and detail is unacceptable to me. I find I get the most satisfying tone and response out of guitars with 'hardtail' or bridge & stop-bar hardware. If I want a note or a chord to slur or tremble, I make it happen with my hands.

Probably the most startling example of the tone loss due to tremolo hardware that I've experienced personally was the MIJ '62 Re-issue Fender Stratocaster that I bought new in 1986. It sounded merely OK, not wonderful. I bought it because the fit & finish was typically Japanese (which is to say excellent!), and it felt really good in my hands. I decided to remove the tremolo setup and lock the bridge to the body by filling the cavity under the bridge with a machined brass block. I tapped holes in the brass to allow me to screw the bridge down very solidly. The result was very gratifying! What had been a slightly lifeless guitar came alive, and started singing.

I was one of the unemployed victims of the recession in the early 90's, and I sold my lovely blue Strat to pay my rent, but that's one of the guitars I wish I still had.

If you use a lot of pedal or preamp distortion, or you bury the true tone of your guitar in layers of effects, then the tone loss imposed by a trem becomes insignificant. But if your rig and your style are such that people hear you through your guitar, then a trem becomes an obstacle IMO.

Your Mileage May Vary, as they say.[/font] :cool: