Trem for my les paul

phil_104

phil_104

Cheesesteakologist
Hey guys.

I bought a les paul vintage mahogany studio last week, and I have been playing the daylight out of it since. I absolutely love that guitar, it has instantly become my number 1 axe, but there is one improvement I would like to bring to it. I absolutely require a tremolo for my guitars. With the psychedelic rock I play, and my style, I really miss it when I don't have one.

So, wich trem would be the best option for my lp? There is no way I am willing to route. I might concider the 2 required holes for a bigsby though, if I don't have a choice. So far, here are what I have as options :

- The Les Trem system
- The stetsbar
- Bigsby
- I also hear Kahler makes a bridge that doens't require routing.

So what do you guys think?
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

i just can't see adding a trem to a real Gibson LP..... i could see making a Gibson style Warmoth designed to take a trem.....
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Lol. Yeah, I was expecting that to be one of the first things to come up. I know some people concider it a crime to trem up a lp, but that is why I don't want a system that requires any mods to the guitar besides the bridge itself. I want something reversable, like the les trem system.

I just need to know if someone has tried any of these options with success.
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

ya i hear ya.... i can't see any non-locking trem working too well with the standard Gibson headstock design... lots of friction for the strings at the nut....

i own a smashed up Epi LP and oddly i was thinking of sticking a floyd on it for the hell of it... the neck has been snapped in half and the body has some damage... i figure it would be a cool guitar to crave up for a Trem....
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

The only Trem that should be on a Les Paul is a Bigsby. Anything else would be terrible to do.
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Avoid the Les Trem thingy...
You're welcome.

I'd say Stetsbar,provided it's an easy install...
 
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Re: Trem for my les paul

Why avoid the Les Trem? Just because you can't bend notes up or because it really only has about a 3/4 step travel? Still a sweet, sweet trem system for a LP!!
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Just didn't care for it.Felt cheap,& yes,not enough travel for me.
I pulled it up & the spring shot across the room...
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Yeah, it's definitely not a Strat trem, you definitely don't wanna be pullin up on a Les Trem.

I hear ya though, I thought maybe you broke your LP or something!! haha.

The Les Trem is not a Strat trem, but if you go into it with the expectations that you can add some vibrato to your LP; well then it's all good!!
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Measured, reasonable response:
Keep in mind that any trem you add is going to change the sound of your LP.

Opinionated, unhelpful response:
DON'T DO IT!
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Nah,no horror stories.
Just didn't care for it.Plus,this was a much older model(10+ years ago,at least),maybe/hopefully they've tightened up the design.

OK,the horror story is I'm standing there after the spring goes flying & my friends are laughing their asses off while they're trying to find it.
Meanwhile,I'm standing there with the guitar's strings all floppy & after returning the spring,it was out of tune...:)
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

I've not tried any of those, but my LP has a Floyd and it works fine, but really, the guitar as a whole would make you guys want to throw up.
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Kahler makes a stud mount that retrofits tune-o-matics. Check it out here: http://www.kahlerusa.com/home.html under products/tremelo bridges/2200 series. You will have to mount a string lock behind the nut though. In my experience kahler makes very high quality products, but, if you need a guitar with a trem, I'd say get a guitar with a trem. I wouldn't sacrifice a nice LP.
 
Re: Trem for my les paul

Levantin said:
Kahler makes a stud mount that retrofits tune-o-matics. Check it out here: http://www.kahlerusa.com/home.html under products/tremelo bridges/2200 series. You will have to mount a string lock behind the nut though. In my experience kahler makes very high quality products, but, if you need a guitar with a trem, I'd say get a guitar with a trem. I wouldn't sacrifice a nice LP.
Click to expand...

With a 2200 Kahler trem you'd still have to route the top of the guitar, which is not very reversable. I've just bought an SG with a Kahler trem fitted (pics in my other thread!). It kicks ass, but I'd think twice before fitting one myself to a perfectly good LP.

+1 for the "Don't do it!" opinion, but either way, I don't think a Kahler is the option for you...

Just my 2 cents.

:)
 
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Re: Trem for my les paul

JimmyQ said:
With a 2200 Kahler trem you'd still have to route the top of the guitar, which is not very reversable. I've just bought an SG with a Kahler trem fitted (pics in my other thread!). It kicks ass, but I'd think twice before fitting one myself to a perfectly good LP.

+1 for the "Don't do it!" opinion, but either way, I don't think a Kahler is the option for you...

Just my 2 cents.

:)
Click to expand...

I thought the 2200 was a flatmount requiring no routing. My bad.
 
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