Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

Jackson Distortion

Jackson Distortion

New member
I'm a high gain guy (ALL THE GAIN!!!) who exclusively plays pointy guitars (B.C. RICH!!!) and most of the music I listen to is pre-2000s, but I can't stand probably up to 95% of wang bar antics. Please school me on what I'm missing.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

As a loyal user of Floyd rose bridges I find it an invaluable tool to provide me with many additional ways to manipulate the sound I produce on my leads. Having a good solid vibrato is a vital component of a lead guitarist, particularly with (ALL THE GAIN!!!) but so is having multiple ways as of applying it and getting some awesome sounds that are inaccessible without one. Plus it looks cool.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I guess for the best guitarist, you can't tell whether they're using a trem or not.

Having said that, as I work on being the "best" guitarist I'll provide the dumber, guitar nerd reasons why I prefer trem guitars:
-Appreciation of the tonal differences they impart (not that I don't also appreciate hardtails, need at least one)
-I prefer the feel and ergonomics
-Appreciation of the engineering and setup

I have a lot of guitars with "vintage" trems and one Floyd; on top of the above mentioned reasons, usually I do still only use the Floyd guitar when I want to have fun and do something cheesy.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I've heard Steve Hackett going absolutely berserk with vibrato bar use and sounding amazing in songs [many of the non-single songs from GTR, for example]. But many players do seem to smother themselves in cheese whenever they touch theirs. Tasteful, or at least appropriate, use of wang bar antics is a separate issue from technical mastery of it.

There's plenty of songs that just wouldn't work without it. Satriani's "Back to Shalla-Bal" for example. EVH tends to stand out for using it artfully rather than atrociously. Eric Johnson is sometimes hard to tell unless watching a video whether he is using finger vibrato or vibrato bar.

Any number of players with a strat or bigsby using it subtly for chord vibrato. But maybe that use doesn't count as antics?
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I prefer settle uses. Quick slurs and blurps and fast dives, even on the larger wounds for that guttural effect.
Quickly palm-bumping the bar down once or twice (that's what I'm calling "blurping") just sounds amazing on the high grinds.
When it's worked into phrases tastefully it's just one more tool like bends, taps, trills, ect.
 
Last edited:
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

Listen to Pantera and you'll hear great use of the whammy. Or Surfing with the Alien
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

Well, you might not find it in metal.
However, other styles of music can use the whammy well. Check out Allan Holdsworth, or my favorite Whammy user, David Torn. He has used a TransTrem 2 on a Steinberger to mimic a pedal steel (and does it really well). The TransTrem is really unique among whammy bars, allowing each string to travel the same distance (so you can bend chords in tune).
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

Brad Gillis. /End

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I think I sound pretty decent with a Strat trem... and like a complete wanker with a Floyd. I can't explain why.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I love Eddie's whammy work. I think he's the best at making it sound expressive and not annoying.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

I use a floating 2-point Fender bridge like Michael Landau, Scott Henderson, or Jeff Beck.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

All of my guitars are floating, yet I never use a bar really cause it gets in my way. To dive I simply reach back under it and pull up with my fingers, or when raising the pitch I push down on it.

Ive gotten really good at it and it might sound like it would take too much time, but it really doesn't.
I am limited on what I can do because I obviously cant pick at the same time, like some guys who have the bar in their pinky and ring fingers.

8-38's in Eb with 2 springs makes it rather easy to do it.
 
Last edited:
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

The thing that I like best about trems:

-the gentle wiggle
-hitting a note and going down/up according to my ears tastes.

The tricks are cool, but done to death and I don't want to spend my time getting killer at that unless I can come up with something that doesn't sound like "insert name here"

I used to like to flutter, but I'm bored with that now too.
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

Again, I state that you don't need "extreme" examples to get it, but, hey, the OP has some sense............
 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

PFDarkside said:
Holy crap I could never play that... even standard stuff would sound like Kevin Shields. ;)
Click to expand...

Its really not that bad at all, I play with a light touch anyways. Plus the other benefits (to me) are lower action, less friction so I can play faster and it's easier on me and my guitars. I played 10-46 in C# for years, then went to 9-42's in Eb, then ultimately to 8's. It took some getting used to but it wasnt too bad really. Lots of guys used light guages such as Iommi, KK Downing to name a few.

*edit
Who is Kevin Shields? I thought it said Kevin Sorbo at first. Lol
 
Last edited:
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

My favorite whammy God is Steve Vai but he will never be as good as Ralph Macchio. Sweep the leg then sweep the arpeggio.

 
Re: Whammy Bars/Floating trems - What's the big deal?

metalchurch79 said:
All of my guitars are floating, yet I never use a bar really cause it gets in my way. To dive I simply reach back under it and pull up with my fingers, or when raising the pitch I push down on it.
Click to expand...

That's the Head and Munky (from Korn) way to do it, their signature RG's have a bar mounted at the trem unit to make it easier and to keep the chance that you are moving the fine tuners while doing it to a minimum.
I am a complete Floating trem addict, I can live with a good non-locking trem (although I prefer locking ones) like the Wilkinson VS100, but a guitar without a trem system is really not my thing. I just NEED one!
There are a lot of examples of guitarists using the trem bar in a superb way, I'll put out Michael Lee Firkins who has great trem skills, I always liked his sound and playing a lot (especially in the old days when he was playing his Floyd equipped Pacifica).

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Pierre
NGD! KxK project
Replies
8
Views
1K
Pierre
Pierre
Back
Top