New Model

[NighthawkChris]

Well, had a nice experience with my FR on one of my guitars.  Problem is that once I use the wiggle stick, the guitar strings go sharp which indicates that it is getting caught up on something.  And that something is the locking nut clamps - not some masochistic device BTW, haha!  I need to replace the clamps because I can feel the strings near the tuning machines vary their tension once I use the trem.  So another thing that is annoying with FR trems that happens over time.  I can see grooves that have been made in these and they aren't clamping as good as they should.  Another thing about these is it is important to make sure that the clamps go back with the same strings they were on if they ever get removed for string change or whatever.  That's what I was taught at least.  Either way, not an expensive fix necessarily, but a necessary fix if I want this trem to be able to at least be used.  But I still feel that setting these things up takes more time than I'd like it to.  But once it gets a good setup and same strings are used for a change, setting back up isn't as time consuming with the tools I have to do this kind of work.  

Another thing I wanted to add is I am pretty sure it is the clamps being the issue because well, the grooves are bad that aren't grabbing the solid core strings (G, B, and E) mostly, and once I release the clamps by unscrewing them, the guitar goes back in tune and trem balances out again...  These clamps BTW are on a guitar that was made in 1997, so there's some years these have been just smashed down on the strings.  

Edited March 15, 2021 by NighthawkChris

[mihcmac]

3 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

Well, had a nice experience with my FR on one of my guitars.  Problem is that once I use the wiggle stick, the guitar strings go sharp which indicates that it is getting caught up on something.  And that something is the locking nut clamps - not some masochistic device BTW, haha!  I need to replace the clamps because I can feel the strings near the tuning machines vary their tension once I use the trem.  So another thing that is annoying with FR trems that happens over time.  I can see grooves that have been made in these and they aren't clamping as good as they should.  Another thing about these is it is important to make sure that the clamps go back with the same strings they were on if they ever get removed for string change or whatever.  That's what I was taught at least.  Either way, not an expensive fix necessarily, but a necessary fix if I want this trem to be able to at least be used.  But I still feel that setting these things up takes more time than I'd like it to.  But once it gets a good setup and same strings are used for a change, setting back up isn't as time consuming with the tools I have to do this kind of work.  

Another thing I wanted to add is I am pretty sure it is the clamps being the issue because well, the grooves are bad that aren't grabbing the solid core strings (G, B, and E) mostly, and once I release the clamps by unscrewing them, the guitar goes back in tune and trem balances out again...  These clamps BTW are on a guitar that was made in 1997, so there's some years these have been just smashed down on the strings.  

Oh yea, take me back to my FR days in the 90's. I had a few Ibanez with FR's on them. Clamping down would raise the pitch a tiny bit so for most strings I always had to have enough Fine Tune adjustment on the bridge to compensate, Also I started to tune a tiny bit flat so when I clamped down it would be a lot closer. 

I also started putting the ball end of the string on the headstock tuner with a few extra wraps, which allowed me to just unravel a bit when I broke a string and reclamp at the bridge. (Oh I had to enlarge the E string hole on tuner a bit to fit the fat E string ball end.)

I later decided to go to solid bridges and started playing Gibsons, but I found I missed my dive bar so I got a Digitech Whammy Pedal and got the best of both worlds... For a while anyway.

Edited March 15, 2021 by mihcmac

[NighthawkChris]

57 minutes ago, mihcmac said:

Oh yea, take me back to my FR days in the 90's. I had a few Ibanez with FR's on them. Clamping down would raise the pitch a tiny bit so for most strings I always had to have enough Fine Tune adjustment on the bridge to compensate, Also I started to tune a tiny bit flat so when I clamped down it would be a lot closer. 

I also started putting the ball end of the string on the headstock tuner with a few extra wraps, which allowed me to jut unravel a bit when I broke a string and reclamp at the bridge. (Oh I had to enlarge the E string hole on tuner a bit to fit the fat E string ball end.)

I later decided to go to solid bridges and started playing Gibsons, but I found I missed my dive bar so I got a Whammy Pedal and got the best of both worlds... For a while anyway.

Yeah those whammy pedals aren’t the same thing IME. I have this feature on my multi-effects board - old Digitech RP7 valve. I like using actual trems time to time to do some slight detuning to give a note or two some flavor. But again, I don’t dive bomb haha! Nah just messing 😂 dive bombing isn’t bad if done tastefully. But when I think of diving I think of some dork just exhausting the hell out of this sound with mega high gain distortion like a gimmick. 

[mihcmac]

6 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

Yeah those whammy pedals aren’t the same thing IME. I have this feature on my multi-effects board - old Digitech RP7 valve. I like using actual trems time to time to do some slight detuning to give a note or two some flavor. But again, I don’t dive bomb haha! Nah just messing 😂 dive bombing isn’t bad if done tastefully. But when I think of diving I think of some dork just exhausting the hell out of this sound with mega high gain distortion like a gimmick. 

The original first gen Digitech Whammy Pedal was very good, I always moved my hand over the guitar like I was using a bar which would help me simulate how the bar would sound. The first ones were mechanicaly actuated , the ones that came later were totally digital and had a lot of problems.

For me I have always had a great time Dork Diving.. As a Guitarist I have always played in Original Music Bands, so being one of the main compoisers I could do what ever I wanted .

Edited March 16, 2021 by mihcmac

[Whitefang]

Whammy pedal, whammy bar, what the hell.   I never could get into the term "whammy" bar.  Not even back when  Lonnie Mack made the term popular.  Sounds too much like baby talk to me.   Kinda silly.    And I'm not too sure what "dork diving" is too, but my guess is it may mean pounding on the tremolo bar rapidly, and way too much to be bearable.   Hendrix did that thing from time to time, but never really overdid it.   Then again...

It might mean something different to other people.

Whitefang

[mihcmac]

7 hours ago, Whitefang said:

Whammy pedal, whammy bar, what the hell.   I never could get into the term "whammy" bar.  Not even back when  Lonnie Mack made the term popular.  Sounds too much like baby talk to me.   Kinda silly.    And I'm not too sure what "dork diving" is too, but my guess is it may mean pounding on the tremolo bar rapidly, and way too much to be bearable.   Hendrix did that thing from time to time, but never really overdid it.   Then again...

It might mean something different to other people.

Whitefang

I always preferred the term Tremolo or Dive, but sometimes you gotta call it what it is.

This is the first gen that I found the most reliable. I still have one but now I just use Duesenberg's or my StetsBar.

Edited March 16, 2021 by mihcmac

[merciful-evans]

On 3/15/2021 at 4:37 PM, NighthawkChris said:

Well, had a nice experience with my FR on one of my guitars.  Problem is that once I use the wiggle stick, the guitar strings go sharp which indicates that it is getting caught up on something.  And that something is the locking nut clamps - not some masochistic device BTW, haha!  I need to replace the clamps because I can feel the strings near the tuning machines vary their tension once I use the trem.  So another thing that is annoying with FR trems that happens over time.  I can see grooves that have been made in these and they aren't clamping as good as they should.  Another thing about these is it is important to make sure that the clamps go back with the same strings they were on if they ever get removed for string change or whatever.  That's what I was taught at least.  Either way, not an expensive fix necessarily, but a necessary fix if I want this trem to be able to at least be used.  But I still feel that setting these things up takes more time than I'd like it to.  But once it gets a good setup and same strings are used for a change, setting back up isn't as time consuming with the tools I have to do this kind of work.  

Another thing I wanted to add is I am pretty sure it is the clamps being the issue because well, the grooves are bad that aren't grabbing the solid core strings (G, B, and E) mostly, and once I release the clamps by unscrewing them, the guitar goes back in tune and trem balances out again...  These clamps BTW are on a guitar that was made in 1997, so there's some years these have been just smashed down on the strings.  

When I sold my Jackson Soloist last month. The buyer asked me to remove the blocks I had decked it with. That meant setting the FR up from start again. Man, I hadn't done that in 30 years! 

It was satisfying to achieve though. I had it down to low action and full FR function within a couple of hours. The buyer was very happy. As well he might be, there is a new (also MIJ) version out now going for 4 times what I asked. 

[rct]

1 hour ago, merciful-evans said:

When I sold my Jackson Soloist last month. The buyer asked me to remove the blocks I had decked it with. That meant setting the FR up from start again.

I would have canceled the sale and quietly put that thing in a dumpster somewhere.

rct

[NighthawkChris]

Lol @rct and @merciful-evans I think after this thread I’m considering selling my Soloist too haha! Or quietly placing it in a place considered where trash ends up haha!