The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
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J
Jessie's ghost
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Re: The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
I've replaced a couple of Floyd-licensed trems with OFRs.
First was the Jackson low-profile trem on a Japanese SL3. The OFR made the guitar brighter and punchier. It stayed in tune better, too. It sounded so much better that, though I had the wrong size block at first, I kept it in until I got the right block because I didn't want to put the Jackson trem back in, even for a week. Once I got a short block, everything fell into place.
Then there was the Ibanez trem on an RG270DX. The OFR made the guitar meatier, with more midrange growl and crunch. It stayed in tune better, too.
I've replaced a couple of Floyd-licensed trems with OFRs.
First was the Jackson low-profile trem on a Japanese SL3. The OFR made the guitar brighter and punchier. It stayed in tune better, too. It sounded so much better that, though I had the wrong size block at first, I kept it in until I got the right block because I didn't want to put the Jackson trem back in, even for a week. Once I got a short block, everything fell into place.
Then there was the Ibanez trem on an RG270DX. The OFR made the guitar meatier, with more midrange growl and crunch. It stayed in tune better, too.
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
I replaced a Fender MIJ trem (zinc block) with a distressed Callaham. Both identical dimension 6-point trems. Same guitar, same pickups, same strings.
The difference wasn't huge but much bigger than most of the minor fiddling like capacitor change. Also bigger than the difference between aps-1 and ssl-1. The callaham sounded rounder, more polished. The Zinc block sounded more driven, raw. I have one of those cheap steel blocks from musicians.... what's the name? for the MIJ so that I can see how much the components other than the block make and how good the cheap steel block is. Not that the Zinc block was bad, just different.
I have also put a 2-point 2008 MIA trem into the same guitar, also everything else the same. This sounded noticeably softer and I didn't like it. But keep in mind that this test had the 2-point rest on two wood screws, whereas such a trem normally rests on two machine screws in metal anchors. Still, I will not get 2-point trem guitars in the future. This should be easy to partially verify by running a 6-point trem on 2 screws and see whether it makes it soft.
I replaced a Fender MIJ trem (zinc block) with a distressed Callaham. Both identical dimension 6-point trems. Same guitar, same pickups, same strings.
The difference wasn't huge but much bigger than most of the minor fiddling like capacitor change. Also bigger than the difference between aps-1 and ssl-1. The callaham sounded rounder, more polished. The Zinc block sounded more driven, raw. I have one of those cheap steel blocks from musicians.... what's the name? for the MIJ so that I can see how much the components other than the block make and how good the cheap steel block is. Not that the Zinc block was bad, just different.
I have also put a 2-point 2008 MIA trem into the same guitar, also everything else the same. This sounded noticeably softer and I didn't like it. But keep in mind that this test had the 2-point rest on two wood screws, whereas such a trem normally rests on two machine screws in metal anchors. Still, I will not get 2-point trem guitars in the future. This should be easy to partially verify by running a 6-point trem on 2 screws and see whether it makes it soft.
IanBallard
New member
Re: The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
I put a Wilkinson "Modern Vintage" trem into my Stratojunker to replace the stock POS bridge it had in it. Night and day, both in feel and sound. The push in arm, properly angled, along with the re-designed knife edge makes this thing a joy to play and doing crazy dive-bombs couldn't be any easier. The tone is brighter and more articulate with better midrange clarity.
This sort of mod should be the first thing a person does to a cheap-O guitar, even before pickups, in my opinion.
I put a Wilkinson "Modern Vintage" trem into my Stratojunker to replace the stock POS bridge it had in it. Night and day, both in feel and sound. The push in arm, properly angled, along with the re-designed knife edge makes this thing a joy to play and doing crazy dive-bombs couldn't be any easier. The tone is brighter and more articulate with better midrange clarity.
This sort of mod should be the first thing a person does to a cheap-O guitar, even before pickups, in my opinion.
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
I replaced a cheapo (non-Takeuchi) JT580LP trem on a Jackson WRMG with an OFR. Brighter tone and more punch on the low end, whereas the cheapo had a loose low end and tinny highs.
OTOH, the Takeuchi-made JT580LP has a more "aluminum" tone (only way I know how to describe it - hollow, yet resonant and vocal).
I replaced a cheapo (non-Takeuchi) JT580LP trem on a Jackson WRMG with an OFR. Brighter tone and more punch on the low end, whereas the cheapo had a loose low end and tinny highs.
OTOH, the Takeuchi-made JT580LP has a more "aluminum" tone (only way I know how to describe it - hollow, yet resonant and vocal).
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: The Trem Thread: Who has swapped them on the same guitar?
I habitually replace the arm supplied with Kahler flatmount vibrato bridges with a vintage Stratocaster-style arm. I notice no huge sonic change. I just prefer the way that the F arm sits relative to the body and strings.
I habitually replace the arm supplied with Kahler flatmount vibrato bridges with a vintage Stratocaster-style arm. I notice no huge sonic change. I just prefer the way that the F arm sits relative to the body and strings.