Stetsbar

[0v3nm4n]

Hi guys,

I was wondering about the Stetsbar. Since there is no evidence of a Stetsbar review in the forum, I decided to start one

How does the Stetsbar:
compare to your TOM or w/e hard-tail (tonally and tuning stability wise)
did it fit the axe you used it on
compare to other trems (bigsby, fender, floydrose, schaller etc)


and what [other] comments do you have about it?

Thanks!

Oven-Man

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Stetsbar

Bump. Because this interests me too. Anyone with any experience with one?

 

[Chad]

Re: Stetsbar

Never used one myself, but I've heard they are nice trems. But I'd personally pass because of the aesthetics.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Stetsbar

I like the stetsbar better than routing or the bulk of a bigsby.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Stetsbar

I like the stetsbar better than routing or the bulk of a bigsby.

no need to route for bigsbys anymore with towner and vibramates around.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Stetsbar

It sure is pricey.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Stetsbar

I tried it on a 336 and watched a guy try it on another guitar. The aesthetics are not my favorite, like previously mentioned, that said it is an engineering marvel. The action is crazy smooth due to all the parts rolling on ball bearings so it has an almost Kahler smoothness to it. The range is more than a Bigsby but not quite as much as a Fender 6 point. The return to pitch is great too.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Stets at summer NAMM and mess with them. He's a machinist by trade and that's the kind of mind you need to come up with something like that.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Stetsbar

They've been around for about 30 years, so they must be doing something right. They're not an alternative to a double-locking system, for sure. They're intended for those who want a simple Lyre or Bigsby style vibrato but don't want the expense, hassle, or irreversibility of a traditional unit (i.e. big ol' bolts in the face for a Bigsby or trying to find the right length Lyre for your particular guitar).

While they do look funky, IMO they look much better than a Bigsby (what was that originally, a medical device?), though IMO the Lyre is classy. Gives you something to look at behind the bridge when a highly-figured top isn't there to do it.

If I had to have a trem on a stopbar'd guitar, and was too cheap/worried about "protecting my investment" to get a Kahler or Floyd, and couldn't find a quality Lyre, and couldn't/wouldn't just pick up a guitar that was already geared for bar work, then the Stetsbar would be the choice.