Whammy Bar, or No Whammy Bar

[ThrillsNSpills]

Looking through the latest guitar catalogs, I see fewer guitars have them these days than years ago.

I noticed a strange one on the Angus Young SG. I really don't get the point there. If you can't dive bomb and can only go sharp you can just as easily push down on the string near the bridge.

Personally, even though the locking nut string changing episodes can be a pain in the ass, a smooth acting tremolo bar can certainly give you more phrasing options (obviously).
I gotta have 'em. :)

[Nitro Express]

I'm still an original Floyd Rose man and some of the best sounding guitars I've ever heard had a whammy. So, why not just have one? I put mine down on the deck Eddie Van Halen style so tuning isn't a bitch. I really like the Super Strat as invented by Eddie. Give me a one piece swamp ash body, an original Floyd, godd pickups, and a nice U shaped maple neck and it gets no better! You can wear that guitar all night comfortably, it's bullet proof, and sounds as thick as a Les Paul with more tone options. I love it!

[jhale667]

Ah, you had me up until the "U-shaped neck" part...:rolleyes: :D but yeah...

[DeadOrAlive]

Gotta have it. I like having a nice Floyd Rose on my guitar.

[Don Corleone]

Nah, it's not essential.

[Coyote]

I can live without it if I'm playing a Les Paul.

Any other guitar, I'm reaching for the whammy bar. :D

[rustoffa]

Kickstands look like shit....to me. I'm a below average bicyclist.
:(

[Nitro Express]

Originally posted by jhale667
Ah, you had me up until the "U-shaped neck" part...:rolleyes: :D but yeah...

The brilliance of Leo Fender's design is the neck bolts on and you can have any shape that gets you off my son. LOL!

[jhale667]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
The brilliance of Leo Fender's design is the neck bolts on and you can have any shape that gets you off my son. LOL!


So true. :D I'm more into, say a Warmoth Standard Thin contour...though I may try a wizard-type thinner profile for the next one..:D

[col5150]

i gotta go with the floyd, even though i dont use it all that much. Its just far more comfortable for tuning. never understood the people who moaned about lack of sustain on guitars with floyds

[indeedido]

It's been "uncool" to have a floyd for the last ten years. Now it's coming back in vogue and cool again. got to love those cycles.

I've gotten used to not having one. I've been a les paul guy lately, but am getting back into the floyd fun lately. I can take it or leave it. I agree with the comment above though, if I'm on my Paul, don't miss it, but any other guitar I am reaching for it.

[indeedido]

Originally posted by jhale667
So true. :D I'm more into, say a Warmoth Standard Thin contour...though I may try a wizard-type thinner profile for the next one..:D


I love the Warmoth standard thin also, but you have to try their wizard contour. My last two I've built have had it, and I got to say I love it. Easier to play and no hand strain.

[Hardrock69]

I find it not necessary, but nice to have.

My all-time fave axe is the Gibson Flying V, and I love the way it plays without one.

But yes, having one seriously increases your guitarbulary.

I have 3 guitars with Kahlers on them.

Not that I prefer Kahlers, it is just that the 2 JB Player neck-thru-body strats I have both came with cheap imitations that BROKE because they were made of cheap steel, so I replaced them with the real deal, Kahler Pro setups.

And then my Fender Lead I had a Kahler Pro on it when I got it.

So I use them by default. They work just fine, requiring the standard maintenance of any locking tremolo set-up. And I have no need to go out and buy a guitar simply to have a Floyd Rose.

So I have 4 electrics with no whammy bar, and 3 that have one.

Hendrix would not have been able to do half the amazing stuff he did back in the day if he did not have Leo Fender's great invention to mess with!
:cool:

[cdwillis]

I have a couple guitars with locking trems and one without it. Personally I use the trem a lot and when I'm on the guitar without one i miss it a lot. Even if you don't use the bar it helps the guitar stay in tune perfectly.

[Matt White]

I have 2 guitars with Floyds....

4 without................

All depends on the music......

Though...I play the ones with the Whammy more often........

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by Matt White
Though...I play the ones with the Whammy more often........

I do as well mind - but as you say Matt it depends on the music.

I wouldn't really use my Ric for say playing Van Halen music - now for playing Who, or Jam tunes it's perfect, Like wise I wouldn't play Tube Station by the Jam on my Frankie.

[MERRYKISSMASS2U]

I love Floyds, but the guitar I want to get now (Jenna Jameson King V) does not have one. It will be a big adjustment, but it also depends on what is being played.

[ELVIS]

it's beyond me why anyone would actually want a "Jenna Jameson" guitar...

It's like a bad joke...

[Matt White]

It could get a guy VD...with all those pointy ends & such:p

[kentuckyklira]

Floyds are cool and I couldn´t live without having a few FR equipped guitars.

Whammy bars have been working fine for the Fender Strat for over 60 years. In fact, to me a strat without one is like a dog without teeth!

I´ve been getting into Bigsbys lately, of course not without a roller bridge mod.

[MERRYKISSMASS2U]

Originally posted by ELVIS
it's beyond me why anyone would actually want a "Jenna Jameson" guitar...

It's like a bad joke...

I might not want the Jenna model, but at least a King V of similar quality.

[DLRdelight!]

i have to have one.

[Eddie's Booze]

Whammy Bars are a tool just like your Guitar/Amp/Speaker Cabinet/Rack/Multi Fx.

I like Floydd Rose trems but the can be a pain in the arse when you break a string etc. plus alot of the time when I use a Floydd the string/note goes flat.

Floydds are good when they work properly.....not floating.

The best Trem is a Strat Trem....Easy to set up and easy to keep in tune(If they are set properly).

[jhale667]

Originally posted by Eddie's Booze

Floydds are good when they work properly.....not floating.



A properly set up floating Floyd works just fine.