"New" Takes on Trem Lube?

S

SJ318

New member
Hi there,
Read a lot on trem lubes a couple years ago. Lots of different "for sure" lubes out there.
So let's start like this , if you don't mind, I would be very thankful on updated opinions. Only one rule really- all things are even:
1. Locking tuners, most are staggered-no string trees.
2. Very well cut perfect nut, bone, tusqXL, graphite, your choice, but assume nut is cut to
perfection. LSR fine also.
3. Trem Bridge is of Top quality, Gotoh, etc. All tight, no loose saddles, sideways or anyways.
4. Floating bridge. Assume we've all read and heard Fradua's vast knowledge.
O.K., now with all things being equal in 2015, anybody have new favorites, or still like what they have always used? Graphite? Nut Sauce? Gun oil? 4in1 oil? Butch wax for those old enough to remember butch wax? You'd have to be at least 55 for that one, I think.
I have never used any but want to use some on the 2-piece fulcrum and saddles.
I appreciate any input, Thanks,
SJB
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

I have never used locking tuners but I would not mind tryng some out someday.

I have grown to dislike graphite nuts a bit even though 2 of my 3 guitars have them. They are ok but I do not think they work as well as a nut using nut sauce. I used to use big bends nut sauce on a strat without a graphite nut and it worked slick as hell. Never really had tuning issues with it anyway. Of course this is just my opinion.

That being said, it is my understanding you are not supposed to use trem lube on graphite nuts. I used to put a little on my saddles on my guitar with a graphite nut equipped with a two point trem. It seems the strings still bind a bit at the nut. Sure the nut is about 8 years old now but it was like that even when it was new.

IMHO I like lube, it gets the job done.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

Oh and my trem is a wilkinson two point with locking posts, locking saddles all set up by a luthier and checked again by a different luthier 18 months ago. The nut was also well cut by a luthier.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

Chapstick or graphite dust/pencil shavings still work just fine for me.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

I use G&Ls with Leo Fender's Dual Fulcrum Vibrato. I use the Big Bend's Nut Sauce on every guitar's nut, be it bone, Tusq, or graphite.

IME, locking tuners do little to help with tuning stability. Their advantage lies in the speed of replacing strings. A properly wound sting will be essentially locked to the post anyway. That said, I have guitars with both Sperzel and Schaller tuners, locking and non-locking.

I also used the Nut Sauce on my Gibsons with stop-tails and tune-o-matic bridges. A little dab on the saddle slots can be a life-saver.

I love the Big Bend's Nut Sauce.

And the DF Vibrato is the best.

Bill
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

Thanks, guys,
Short, sweet, and educational.
Believe I will get some BigBends Nut Sauce. One problem- unfixable-I feel embarrassingly silly asking anyone for " Nut Sauce". Especially the mainly women staff at GCenter accessories.
Thank goodness for Amazon!
SJB
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

I have used the super-vee's super-glide, and it *is* good. It almost brought my Ibanez ARZ800 (single cut) stock graphtech blacktusq nut back to life. Highly recommend it.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

I have been using Tri Flow for about 10 years , it is teflon based lubricant that doesn't collect dust and gunk. Used on many different kinds of trems including a two point with locking tuners. I strip my Floyds down to pieces and soak them in it too.Cleans and lubricates never seen anything better.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

Being embarrassed about asking for Nut Sauce??

Are we in a Beavis and Butthead cartoon? (Snicker....)

I'm sure the maker enjoyed naming this product immensely. But it's an old joke. Time to move on and at least PRETEND we're grownups, lol.

Bill
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

B.Bill,
I've been pretending to be a grown up for forty years now.
Lake Placid Blues, greekdude, and Oinkus, Now I am over educated, maybe the best thing is get one of each and mix them together in equal amounts. I am sure I would get extra credit from Professor Snape in Potions Class!
I love all this positive feedback. Thank you all again. A thread with no harsh or sarcastic posts!
Boogie Bill, I don't know why, but I would actually feel less embarrassed to ask for "Dick" Sauce. Call Dr. Freud. or Dr. Suess!
SJB
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

SJ318 said:
I've been pretending to be a grown up for forty years now.
Click to expand...

Bwahahaha. I think there comes a time when one can finally shake off the need to pretend to be an adult. I mean, have you seen what adults do ? They lie, cheat, manipulate, and bomb the poop out of each other. Absolutely no shame in stepping away from that.

Steve, you should contact Stevie Bees and ask to be the next subject of 'The Well'. I suspect you'd have all kinds of interesting and fun stuff to tell us, and i'm sure you'd have some fun with it.

In the vague interest of having something to (not) contribute on-topic ... I've never sauced-up my nuts with anything, but i did notice on my main Strat that my original string slotting used to cause a little gripping, and thus tuning problems, but with a little use, it became much better behaved and now stays in tune well.

(* insert some kind of comment here about rubbing nuts with guitar string to reduce friction, perhaps*)
 
Last edited:
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

crusty p.,
I have no idea of "Stevie Bees" or the "Well". Pray tell, at 62 years of age, I am 50% all ears.
Got a good nut story for ya though. I took my tusqXL nut, which I love above all other nuts, filed away most of the material behind the string as I could, leaving enough to keep the string in place, so contact was only about 2mm on all plain strings, and where I use a .009, I used a .0095, with graphite under it, and tuned it till it broke, got up to B almost.
Thus I had a nice "bed" for my .009 E string to settle into. Teflon or not, the graphite got crammed into the nut and now stays in tune better than before. I did .0115 for my .011, and .016 for my .015. On the wound strings I went .026 for my .024, and the other wound strings, but without any graphite. I only did 1 string at a time so as not to hurt the finger board. On the wound strings, I just tuned the D to G, not to the breaking point. same w/the rest of my wound strings.
Thought someone might like the physics of that. It seems to have worked. Even with my floating trem, it seems I need to fine tune even less after playing hard for an hour or so.
And I agree with your "pretending to be adults" theory, by the way, or BTW, as you young people like to say. True story, to answer your "insert something here" statement. This is so off topic it is barely speech, but once, young and very very very drunk, I took a dare, a vague dare to do something "outrageous", so I thought about it, and tried to use my "thing" as a slide for my guitar. It did not work. The stage was low, (thank god), and there were no cops (thank god). End of story. Dare to to top that. I hope, sincerely, that you can not.
SJB
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

^ Stevie Bees is one of the forum administrators. 'The Well' is a question-and-answer session thread in the Off-Topic room where one forum member holds court for about a week, answering questions from other forum members .... basically a 'get-to-know' kinda thing. Of course there will be a wide range of questions, from deep and perceptive to plain weird or stupid, but they give the subject a lot of scope to answer (or not) in any way they choose. They can be a lot of fun. Once an individual's 'Well' is complete, the thread is moved to The Vault for posterity.

Your slide playing ... will certainly be one of the few things where nobody posts "Pics or it didn't happen", hehe. It could certainly be a new addition to the 'tone is in the fingers' argument perhaps.
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

SJ318 said:
B.Bill,
I've been pretending to be a grown up for forty years now.
Lake Placid Blues, greekdude, and Oinkus, Now I am over educated, maybe the best thing is get one of each and mix them together in equal amounts. I am sure I would get extra credit from Professor Snape in Potions Class!
I love all this positive feedback. Thank you all again. A thread with no harsh or sarcastic posts!
Boogie Bill, I don't know why, but I would actually feel less embarrassed to ask for "Dick" Sauce. Call Dr. Freud. or Dr. Suess!
SJB
Click to expand...

TOO funny!

Bill
 
Re: "New" Takes on Trem Lube?

Well,
All I can say to any of this is- there is NO TONE to be had in the phallic approach to slide playing, other than I definitely needed a hand to "pull" that one almost off.
Do not try this at home, or anywhere else. I can hear it now, "Hey Dad, can you help me get out of jail, the fine is $1,000.00 dollars and on my musicians salary, I have 10 dollars." "Well, OK, but what did you do?" (me): "aaaahhhhhh, wellllll, uuummmmm, y'knoowww, I, ah well, it's kinda hard, er, I mean soft, er, I mean hard to explain.........uuuuuhhhhhhhhh, so OK?"
I'd still be there.
I did get a STIFF warning. Later. But that was from some 20 minute wild love affair that lasted almost 20 minutes. They seemed to come quickly in those days.
I'll let Stevie Bees decide.
I think Jailhouse Rock would have meant something Elvis did not intend!
SJB
 
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