Evertune Bridges?

[PFDarkside]

Is anyone rocking an Evertune Bridge? I’m way behind the times on these, only really learning about them recently. I feel like it’s something Securb would have. Very interesting concept, although I wonder how long it would take to get used to bending.

It seems like Warmoth used to rout for them but they don’t anymore. Even with a routing template I think I’d still want a luthier to do it just to make sure it’s precisely installed. That’s a lot of cost and commitment to just try it out tough.

Those that have played them, impressions? Any that own one, any regrets?

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I'd like to get one, or at least an axe equipped with one. But....spendy,

 

[Mincer]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I'd love to try one, but haven't yet. I think it is a good idea, though, short of a software (Autotune, Variax) solution, both of which have their own problems.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I also must be out of the loop, what is it supposed to be doing?

 

[Diego]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

Devin Townsend swears by them. If he says they're good, then to me they're good.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I also must be out of the loop, what is it supposed to be doing?

Basically it uses springs, cams and levers to keep each string at a constant tension (pitch). There are three adjustment screws, intonation, height and tension. As more and more force is applied pulling the string, the cam rotates the saddle toward the nut keeping the tension at the set amount. Once it bottoms out on either side, it drops below or raises above the set pitch. Basically no matter what you do it’ll hold pitch.

 

[Diego]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

A very good explanation from Devin regarding the Evertune function. Tons of engineering on that thing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

Reminds me a little of a TransTrem, which is a *very* complicated engineering feat that keeps the strings in tune with each other as the trem is used- bend a G *chord* up to an A, or an E down to a Bb, perfectly in tune.

 

[frenster]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I've installed probably 150 or more of these, including the one on Devin's guitar in the video. I'm way jaded when it comes to guitar gear, but this is an incredible product. Set up properly, it responds pretty much like a standard guitar, bends and everything, and will literally stay in tune for a month at a time. The trade off's are a slight decrease in sensitivity and sometimes sustain, but for the right guy, it's a godsend. Great for touring/working guitarists and producers. Any questions, I'll be happy to answer.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

How much sensitivity is lost with bends and vibrato? Also, how does bending work if it keeps the string at a constant tension?

 

[frenster]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

How much sensitivity is lost with bends and vibrato? Also, how does bending work if it keeps the string at a constant tension?

The way it works is that there's a "sweet spot" where the note stays the same when you turn the tuning keys. When you get to the end of the "sweet spot", the note begins to go sharp. You want to adjust it right to the edge so that when you bend, it goes out of the sweet spot and acts conventionally. Turn the tuner a half turn down and when you bend the string, nothing happens. Right on the edge, though, it feels conventional. Slightly less sensitivity with vibrato, but set up right, it's barely noticeable.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

Slightly less sensitivity with vibrato, but set up right, it's barely noticeable.

Interesting. Prior to now, all the demos I've seen are a bunch of djenting and not much in the way of subtle or nuanced anything. In fact, one of them was showing how you could bend without changing the pitch. I just saw a guy playing something bluesy with one.

 

[Silver]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

In fact, one of them was showing how you could bend without changing the pitch. .

That could be useful if you needed to play a passage that didn't have any string bending and you absolutely wanted it to be perfect (like for a recording).

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

I briefly had the ESP LTD EC1000 that came stock with one. The 1000 series LTDs that come with them stock are the most cost-efficient way to get into the Evertune thing.

The Evertune performed as advertised. It never, ever went out of tune, no matter how violent the bend or how much temperature changed in the room.

What I didn't like was the slight decrease in sensitivity mentioned above. In order to bend strings - since you can set the Evertune so that pitch doesn't change even if you bend strings - you have to set things up at the precise point between "can't change pitch at all" and "Evertune is off, guitar can go out of tune like a normal guitar". Finding that point can be fiddly, and for a player like me who's way into vibrato and microtonal bends, it was frustrating. I never found the mythical point where bending acted 100% like a conventional guitar.

What was also oddly disconcerting was how in tune the guitar was, intonation-wise. What I mean is that probably most of us have gotten used to the sound of electric guitar as a slightly out-of-tune instrument in terms of intonation, since perfect intonation is impossible on a conventionally made guitar. I don't know if Evertune is actually a true temperament system; if not, it's much closer to one than a conventional guitar. It was strange playing all over the fretboard and having unusual/wide interval chords be in tune completely and precisely. You would think that's not a problem, but I felt like I was playing a piano, not a guitar. The whole vibe changed.

I can see Evertune being great for certain applications, like tracking rhythm guitars in the studio or some kinds of live rhythm playing (power chords, stuff with not much nuance). Psychologically it's powerful never to worry about falling out of tune, but it's also psychologically detrimental to feel like one has condoms on one's fingers.

A better solution for me personally would be a blocked (or fixed) double-locking bridge. I'm used to ye olde hex wrenches with Floyd saddles and nuts, and if the bridge is fixed/blocked, then it's simple to lock stuff down. This method won't yield "never gets out of tune" like Evertune, but it yields "stays in tune 90 or 95% of the time", which is good enough for me.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

Thanks stratguy23, that is very helpful.

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: Evertune Bridges?

How does the Evertune system affect the resonance and sustain of the guitar? One thing I'm worried about is that it will sound less powerful and punchy compared to a fixed bridge (string through body). What is your experience with that?