Running only some strings to tremolo?
Moderator: Ghost Hip
- trace
- experienced

- Posts: 569
- Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:43 pm
- Location: Tappahannock VA
Running only some strings to tremolo?
So i'm considering putting a bigsby on my kramer, which currently has a wraparound bridge. I was thinking it would be fun to run only the 3 high strings to the bigsby and leave the lower 3 hardtailed to the wraparound. Anyone tried this? I think a tele with a bigsby should be able to do it with no mods, and I think I saw someone either here or on OSG who had put thru-body ferrules in a jazzmaster to do it but now I can't find the thread. In my head it seems like it would be really fun but in reality it might be kind of pointless. 
- Achtane
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 14314
- Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:09 am
- Location: under the manchineel
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
My guitar's set up this way. It's kinda cool but I'm not a skilled enough player to reap any huge benefit from it. It's just a different way of making noisy stuff for me 
It will affect the trem movement and tuning stability, so you might have to mess around a bit to get everything set up right.
It will affect the trem movement and tuning stability, so you might have to mess around a bit to get everything set up right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Louy7zH9guw


sonidero wrote:Roll a plus 13 for fire and with my immunity to wack I dodge the cough and pass a turn to chill and look at these rocks...
kbithecrowing wrote:Making out with my girl friday night, I couldn't stop thinking about flangers.


- Twangasaurus
- FAMOUS

- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:14 pm
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
Aw, I thought you were going to make a stereo guitar because you only wanted to put trem on the lower three strings or something. Kind of dissapointed now.
Lobstrosity wrote:Dad-a-chum? Dod-a-chock?
- Pepe
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2014 5:41 pm
- Location: Germany
- Contact:
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
I was also confused at first. Tremolo and vibrato are two completely different things. 
Tremolo (!) on the lower three strings only might sound great!

Tremolo (!) on the lower three strings only might sound great!
- trace
- experienced

- Posts: 569
- Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:43 pm
- Location: Tappahannock VA
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
I know, but it is very common for guitarists to call a vibrato unit a tremolo or trem, even if it's wrong. Probably because of leo fender and his "synchronized tremolo".Pepe wrote:I was also confused at first. Tremolo and vibrato are two completely different things.
Tremolo (!) on the lower three strings only might sound great!
Yeah, I feel like someone who knew what they were doing with it could do some cool pedal-steel imitation stuff, but mostly I think it would be good for freaking out on the bar and going all out of tune but still being able to bang out my dum dum power chords on the lower strings with impunity.Achtane wrote:My guitar's set up this way. It's kinda cool but I'm not a skilled enough player to reap any huge benefit from it. It's just a different way of making noisy stuff for me
It will affect the trem movement and tuning stability, so you might have to mess around a bit to get everything set up right.
Oh and the different-strings-to-different-effects thing is something I've thought of too, I would probably make one of these to do that. http://unfretted.net/loader.php?LINK=/profs/breakout
Or go all Local-H style like this guy

- Twangasaurus
- FAMOUS

- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:14 pm
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
That's... kind of nuts. Awesome though.
I haven't seen it done by individual strings like that before but I have seen a top 3/bottom 3 split using Fender XII pickups a couple of times.
I haven't seen it done by individual strings like that before but I have seen a top 3/bottom 3 split using Fender XII pickups a couple of times.
Lobstrosity wrote:Dad-a-chum? Dod-a-chock?
- Pepe
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2014 5:41 pm
- Location: Germany
- Contact:
- Inconuucl
- Supporter

- Posts: 6407
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:35 pm
- Location: Boston, MA
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
I would do it on alternating strings and then tune to open C (CGCGCE) so only the C's bend, it would create some really wicked sounds.
- snipelfritz
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 11703
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:28 pm
- Location: Milwaukee
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
I know a guy with a custom modded stereo Tele with a pickup that picks up just the bottom strings so you can run the normal pickup through a guitar amp and I'll he bottom three through an octave down.
I'll try to find a pic, it looks really good.
I'll try to find a pic, it looks really good.
BOOM-SHAKALAKALAKA-BOOM-SHAKALAKUNGA
Behndy wrote:i don't like people with "talent" and "skills" that don't feel the need to cover their inadequacies under good time happy sounds.
- Inconuucl
- Supporter

- Posts: 6407
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:35 pm
- Location: Boston, MA
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
Wasn't there a thread about a stone's throw ago about some brometheus that tried to have all that jazz built in?
- snipelfritz
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 11703
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:28 pm
- Location: Milwaukee
Re: Running only some strings to tremolo?
Sorry if this is further derailing thread, but it's cool...


BOOM-SHAKALAKALAKA-BOOM-SHAKALAKUNGA
Behndy wrote:i don't like people with "talent" and "skills" that don't feel the need to cover their inadequacies under good time happy sounds.