Question by jhaltrman93: Tremolo systems, Floyd Rose and different types of guitar bridges?
I don’t use a whammy bar much as a beginner and I don’t think I will use it much as an intermediate player so I figured I’d buy a guitar without one. Is this even possible? I’ve heard the term “fixed” bridge before, so is that just a guitar with no tremolo system at all? I thought that a guitar without a tremolo system should stay in tune longer, but I’m not sure at all.
What about the difference between a Floyd Rose and a standard tremolo system? I can’t wrap my head around all of that stuff for some reason…
Thanks for any and all assistance.
Best answer:
Answer by neanathaw
1) Tremelo(FLOYD ROSE) systems: they are normally used for metal and hard rock, and glam and stuff like that because they are for people who love the whammy bar and use it alot for techiniques such as squeals and vibrato. floyd rose systems are used because they keep tune much much better than a standard bridge, considering tremelos(FR) systems usually come with locking nuts at the necks and fine tuners at the bridge which give you double tuners…….where as standard bridges do not have neither.
2)Standard bridges suck. they are commonly found on squiers and other strat style guitars. they usually go out of tune when using the whammy, even a high grade guitar will go out of tune if it has a standard bridge and decent tuners. Guitars that don’t have Floyd rose trems usually don’t have locking nuts on the neck which makes it worse when using the whammy. Thats why many people who have normal or vintage strats usually don’t have a whammy bar. those who do usually have good tuners. I guess standard bridges are okay when you remove the whammy bar……they usually hold tune for a good while even when bending, if you have decent tuners that is…….
3)fixed bridges just means that you have a bridge that DOES NOT dive upwards, just downwards like a normal whammy bar does. this is because On Tremelo (FR) systems, you can adjust the springs and make them float, which just means you can use the whammy downwards AND Upwards…….and on most guitars that have standard bridges you can not do that.
4) YES YOU CAN BUY A GUITAR THAT HAS NEITHER……a guitar that has string through body string system to me DOES stay in tune much longer. I’m only speaking through experience though so i’m not sure if its a fact…….but they do because a friend of mine has a shecter hellraiser with a string thru body design that rarely goes out of tune.
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