Which Guitar had the first Whammy Bar ??

[Panamark]

I dont know the answer. But I was wondering which guitar had the
first ever whammy bar fitted ? And who manufactured the system ??
And who was the first famous guitarist to actually use it ???

[kentuckyklira]

Merle Travis (spelling?) built one in the 1930s.

[The Scatologist]

That was more of a vibrato bar wasn't it?

The first real whammy bar as we know it today, was built by Leo Fender, on a stratocaster, at the request of some country musician, that I forgot the name of. It's intention was to mimic the pedal steel sounds using a electric guitar. That country musician guy was the first big name to use it too I believe.

[Panamark]

So big a name, we cant remember him !! Hhehehe

[Panamark]

Cool that Fender was behind the first real whammy !

[Nitro Express]

YES, the first tremelo was made for Merle Travis by Mr. Bigbsy who also made a solid body guitar for Merle that was way ahead of it's time. The famouse Bigbsy tremelo or vibrato was a result and they are still being put on guitars to this day. I think people just think they look cool.

Bill Carson was the musician who inspired Leo Fender and Freddy Traveres at Fender to work on a vibrato/tremelo of their own. The result was the famouse Fender Stratocaster tremelo that many players still consider the best for tone.

[Nitro Express]

Freddy Traveres was the main designer of the Fender tremelo system. He was Hawaiian and was a slide player. He's the guy who played the slide guitar intro to the Looney Toons Cartoons.

Freddy said there was a lot of trial and errot getting that trem right. He said he thought they nailed it by putting a big block of metal under the bridge to help keep the sustain and using pressed saddles for tone.

Many of the world's greatest players still use that trem. My Yngwie Malmsteen signature strat has one that stays in tune great. Oh it will still go a little sharp after a while but it's a simple tweak of the tuning pegs to remedy. It plays great and the bar is so balanced you can't beat it. I play the Floyd on my Wolfgang and it feels really stiff in comparison.

I still like the original Fender trem. It's lasted the test of time. They still will be making the things for years to come for sure.

[Nitro Express]

Bill Carson is also responsible for inspiring the contoured body on the Stratocaster. Bill complained to Leo Fender that the Telecaster dug into his ribs and was uncomfortable. Leo was not a mucisian himself and was really good at listening to musicians that used his stuff. I think that's what made Fender such a pioneer and why he got so many things right in early designs. Leo also wanted to keep his instruments as affordable as possible without compromising quality.

Fender not only back cut the guitar body but reduced the wood where the picking arm came over the body. He borrowed the horns from the Precission Bass to hel the guitar hang more comfortable and to balance it.

Bill Carson also wanted four pickups for more tones. Leo experimented heavily with pickups and their placement. Leo decided three pickups is what was needed because a fourth didn't make much difference and three simply looked better. Fender experiemented with the flux gap and the windings. Many including me, think he nailed those old pickups. I've tried newer humbucking pickups but they seem to lack the tone the originals had.

What can you say, they got the Stratocaster right to begin with. Other than a five way switch and the shape of the neck, it's still the same today.

[kentuckyklira]

Originally posted by The Scatologist
That was more of a vibrato bar wasn't it?

The first real whammy bar as we know it today, was built by Leo Fender, on a stratocaster, at the request of some country musician, that I forgot the name of. It's intention was to mimic the pedal steel sounds using a electric guitar. That country musician guy was the first big name to use it too I believe.

Bigsby´s were also around before Fender designed his first!

[UGS]

Technically, a tremelo bar doesn't exist. Tremelo is rapid fluctuation in volume, vibrato is a rapid fluctuation in pitch.

When in doubt, nothing beats calling it a whammy.

I've heard people call it a wang bar. Kinda odd in the context of "I'm going home to play guitar and jerk on my wang bar"

[BrownSound1]

The Bigsby was the first, and no it didn't stay in tune worth a fuck. Neither did/does the Fender bridge either.

A vibrato is the correct name...some marketing genious mislabled them when they called them tremolos. A Bigsby deserves to be called a whammy bar as much as the next one...it's all the same principle. Push or pull the arm to change the pitch, that's it.

All I have to say is, THANK GOD FOR FLOYD ROSE!!

[Panamark]

I love my Kahler !!!

[Nitro Express]

I always liked the look of Bigbsy's but yeah too many friction points to stay in tune well. Yup vibrato is the correct term but Leo Fender used the term tremelo for some reason and it stuck.

Some original Fender whammy bridges stay in tune amazingly well and others don't. I have found using the Fender "bullet" strings help. Also the nut has to be cut correctly and the string retainers can't put too much tension on the strings. You also have to play the whammy bar like it's an instrument in itself, you kind of have to jerk it back to nuetral. It's not really a trem designed to go ape shit wild with. There deffinately is a place for locking trems for sure. I love the Floyd Rose as well, especially an original German made one. Not the Asian shit they are selling now.

[Panamark]

Man, the kahler is so underrated, I can go ballistic on mine, and the
guitar never goes out of tune. I can dive and pull up.. Makes no
difference... Mine is a mid 80's model. Dunno if they were shit after
that, but I wouldnt swap mine for a Floyd Rose if you paid me..

[BrownSound1]

I hated Kahlers...just not my cup o' tea. They looked cool as hell though, and had a lot of great ideas, but any of the ones I've ever played weren't quite as stable as a Floyd tuning wise. However, they were loads better than a stock Fender.

Any of you guys remember the Washburn Wonderbar? It didn't have springs like the other vibratos do...it had a torsion bar. Still sucked though.