Members guitar247 Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 Guitar Heroes using a Fender style Vintage Tremelo (Versus) the artists using a Floyd Rose Tremelo! Is there a difference between the overall playing and tonal qualities delivered by artists using Vintage Fender Tremelos versus those that use a Floyd Rose system? Obviously the Floyd Rose stays in tune due to the sheer mechanics of a locking tremolo.However, does the Vintage tremolo and its inferior mechanics help to create a superior guitarist or does the Floyd Rose achieve the latter? FYI: Van Halen used a vintage tremolo on the first VH record of which seemed to capture his best playing. Here is a list of a few great guitarists that predominantly use either a vintage tremolo or a Floyd Rose. (Of course there are thousands of players, but we just grabbed a few names we usually associate with either tremolo) The Vintage Tremelo users !Hendrix = Vintage TremeloEric Clapton= Vintage TremeloEddie Van Halen = First two VH Records SRV = Vintage TremeloEric Johnson = Vintage TremeloRitchie Blackmore = Vintage TremeloRory Gallager= Vintage TremeloRhandy Rhoads= Vintage Tremelo on both Jackson V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 The Vintage Tremelo users !Hendrix = Vintage TremeloEric Clapton= Vintage TremeloEddie Van Halen = First two VH Records SRV = Vintage TremeloEric Johnson = Vintage TremeloRitchie Blackmore = Vintage TremeloRory Gallager= Vintage TremeloRhandy Rhoads= Vintage Tremelo on both Jackson V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sk8centilli Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 olo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zemmy Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 i was about to say Jeff Beck was a glaring omission...thanx csm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitar247 Posted February 15, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 Huh?Clapton doesn't use ANY trem on his Strats, and never has. Neither did Rory Gallagher. Both discarded the arm and locked or blocked the bridge/spring assembly.Jeff Beck, on the other hand, wrings amazing sounds and effects from non-locking trems -- technically, they're not really 'vintage' because he's used a modern Fender 2-point trem for the last twenty-years, as opposed to Leo F's original 6-screw trem. That is correct, But none the less Clapton used a vintage tremelo for his bridge even if he did not use the functionality. FYI: The feel is completely different on a Fender Vintage Bridge than that of a Floyd Rose even if you do not use the bar capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 That is correct, But none the less Clapton used a vintage tremelo for his bridge even if he did not use the functionality. FYI: The feel is completely different on a Fender Vintage Bridge than that of a Floyd Rose even if you do not use the bar capabilities.You might as well include Tele players or even Gibson players with that line of logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 The tragic flaw with this theory is that if you look at the timelines of the players in question they didn't have an option; it was the vintage tremolo or perhaps a Bigsby. Given the option of a floyd it's really hard to say what they would have used. I will say that I've heard that the vintage tremolo has better tone; but like anything tone is extremely subjective and we all know that guitarists are flakey as hell when it comes to embracing technology. Sometimes it's warranted and sometimes it's just caveman mentallity. I like both types; completely different vibe and both have their place. One other thing about Beck is that he uses a roller nut and perhaps locking tuners. I am sure that CSM knows for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slvrsrpnt Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 I think Jimi would have loved a FR if he was around long enough to see them invented Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 does not compute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 One other thing about Beck is that he uses a roller nut and perhaps locking tuners. I am sure that CSM knows for sure. Yep -- a Wilkinson nut on his personal instruments (tho' production models of his sig use an LSR because it'll take higher low-struing gauges than the Wilkie) and lockers -- Schallers on the regular production guitars and Sperzels on the Custom Shop edition, plus the American Standard 2-point trem. Non-locking, though -- which is the point. Incidentally, mention of Bigsby suggests another (off-the-cuff and necessarily incomplete) list: Neil Young Brian Setzer George Harrison (in early Beatle days) Eddie Cochran Chet Atkins Duane Eddy Merle Travis Lonnie Mack Billy Zoom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitar247 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great Point about Hendrix! He probably would have enjoyed using a floyd, but would that have effected the way he played and his tone?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members humbuckerstrat Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great Point about Hendrix! He probably would have enjoyed using a floyd, but would that have effected the way he played and his tone?? Yeah, he would have stayed in tune during live performances:idea:Plus his divebombs would have been much more awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great Point about Hendrix!He probably would have enjoyed using a floyd, but would that have effected the way he played and his tone?? what tone? he used far too many effects to make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 what tone? he used far too many effects to make a difference. Fuzz, wah and UniVibe. And not necessarily all at the same time. Yeah, a veritable rackful ... less than you'd find these days in an entry-level Zoom FX unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 I just don't think he was an Eric Johnson Golden Ear type...The coily cord alone affected his tone more than what bridge he would have used not to mention echoplex, octavias, fuzz pedals, wahsFuzz, wah and UniVibe. And not necessarily all at the same time.Yeah, a veritable rackful ... less than you'd find these days in an entry-level Zoom FX unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Special J Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 AT's got a good point though. I own both a floyded strat and an AVRI. It sounds just like me whichever one I play, and the tonal differences are minimal once you apply some gain and/or effects. The difference is mostly in the feel (and the function). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitar247 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 The tone seems to be maximized when using a vintage bridge -- due to the fact that the string travels through the block. In addition, the string vibrates past the nut and into the tunning pegs which seems to increase the sustain of the open strings. Do you think the tension is better on a vintage bridge versus a locking tremelo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 All that can be said is that the tone of each style bridge will be different. No one can say which is better.Tone is in the ear of the beholder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deadllama Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 I just don't think he was an Eric Johnson Golden Ear type...The coily cord alone affected his tone more than what bridge he would have used not to mention echoplex, octavias, fuzz pedals, wahs Well, and his setup was so sensitive to RF interference that multiple bootlegs (especially Isle of Wight) have instances of the organizers' walkie-talkies actually playing through Hendrix's amps louder than the guitar. That said, he also had Roger Mayer working for him modding stuff, and he also switched from rosewood to maple fretboards at some point in 68-69, so I think maybe he just got more tone-conscious as he went along--something I think we all do as guitar players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cephus Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great Point about Hendrix!He probably would have enjoyed using a floyd, but would that have effected the way he played and his tone?? To be honest, I think you can make way weirder noises with a vintage trem than a floyd. For one thing, I have heard hendrix strum the strings above the nut and then dive the trem. It makes the coolest noise. I don't think he would have been a 100% floyd guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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