What's the best trem out there?

That90'sGuy

That90'sGuy

DyzaBoyzologist
Hey guys. I'm starting to build ideas for my dream guitar (which I have every intention of saving up for this summer). I really want a trem, but I don't want something that will give me more hassles than joy.

I take it Floyd Rose is pretty bad?

How are the new Kahlers?

The Wilkinson look great.


Has anyone tried the PRS trems? They always looked good and I haven't heard any problems with tuning stability, so they must function great.

I'd be interested to hear what trem is the best out there. :14:
 
it's all personal preference really. ALOT of guys swear by the original Floyds. I've tried most of them and I liked the wilkinson and i really like the yamaha 2 point trem on my rgx820z but my favorite..... none of them. I really dig hardtails.
 
The whole block thing with trems kinda throws me off.

Is there a simple, easy, effective trem out there that doesn't throw my strings outta whack?

Right now the Wilkinson is in the lead.

Also, if there's a kind of trem I haven't mentioned, feel free to tell me.

My next guitar will be customized so well that it will be my main guitar for a long long time.
 
it also depends on the tremolo use you intend to make.With hard tremolo usage with a lot of dive bombs e.t.c an original floyd rose is essential whatever people say there is NO other tremolo unit that can keep tuning stability under those circumstances like an OFR.For light tremolo use( little vibrato movement) you can get away even with a strandard trem block.Wilkinson is a good compromise....much better than a two pivot trem like the ones on fender's american series but it won't held tuning the way an OFR does under heavy duties............
 
humphreybear said:
Why has anyone not mentioned Kahler?
...
Click to expand...

Read the first post carefully ;)

The Old Kahler 2300 are my personal favorite, the new ones are supposedly identical, but I haven´t gotten my grubby mitts on one yet ;)

That said, properly set up an Original Floyd won´t give you any hassles either, I still wonder who teaches people this stuff sometimes. Salesman at GC? :rolleyes:

The Wilk VS-100 is also a great unit, but a Kahler or OFR will mape it look like a party trick during heavy whammy usage ;)
 
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Many years ago I had an old mid-60s Strat, which could stand divebombing. The set-up and stretching of the strings was the secret, but I´ve never succeded so well with other Strats. Now I have a Strat with a Kahler trem, guess it´s a Spyder deluxe something, and it´s completely perfect. I can pull the strings down so they just are hanging loose, and when they come up again they are in perfect tuning by ear - if I check it with a electronic tuner they need sometimes just a minor adjustment.
 
Can the Kahler do those divebombs as well (you know, all that crazy stuff ;) ) and still keep in tune? I see so many new models, I guess the 2300 is good?

The thing is is that I want a trem, but I'm not sure what to do with it yet, because I'm a newbie to them. I always thought they looked cool and I'm thinking with some work, it could definitely add to my solos and overall playing style.

Say I were to get a Floyd Rose. Do I have to worry about all those blocks underneath? Also, which model do you guys prefer?

How are the Bigsby ones too? I forgot to mention them. I thought I read a while ago that there were major tuning issues with them.

What's the difference between locking and non-locking trems and flatmounted vs. stud mounted?

This is all Greek to me :eek:
 
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I do the same thing as Adrian, stretch out your strings when you first string up to break em in. You also need a good set-up because tuning will never stay without proper intonation. As for trems, I prefer blocked Floyds and Original Floyds. I've never tried a Kahler, but the store down the street has a guitar with one on it, I'll have to try it out; it looks like it might not divebomb too far though, it seems it's construction goes off of Bigsbys, am I wrong?

To stretch your strings:
Fret down the first fret and yank 4 times at the 4th fret, continue up the neck; repeat to the rest of the strings. This is also a good thing to do even if you have a hardtail bridge.
 
I'm well acquanted with stretching strings, but thanks anyway :)

Can anybody fill me in from my last post?

Thanks for the replies so far :D
 
I think Kahler's "The Steeler" looks like a killer trem (ran a search and someone on another forum commented that it blew away all the other trems in existence, including FR). I may have to check that out. Anyone know where I can purchase one?
 
I hate Floyds due to the total pain in the butt restringing is, but Floyd has a new design out which is unbelievably cool. Check out www.floydrose.com. All the tuning stability but with record breaking string changing speed. You have to use the special strings, but man is it coooooool!

Mike
 
the_Chris said:
I think Kahler's "The Steeler" looks like a killer trem (ran a search and someone on another forum commented that it blew away all the other trems in existence, including FR). I may have to check that out. Anyone know where I can purchase one?
Click to expand...

Lol, the Steeler was one of the trems they were sued over :D :D

You won´t find them new very easily ;)
 
Oops... :D... didn't realize that.

It does look awesome, so maaaybe if I cross my fingers and look hard enough it'll appear ;)

The other models looked decent. Like the Spyder or the Killer...
 
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