Locking 2-point Strat Tremolos: Decking, Blocking or Tremol-No?

[alexreinhold]

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some expert opinions on locking tremolos. Since I like the flexibility of changing tunings, I have traditionally decked most of my Strat tremolos - but I never asked myself if there might be a better solution. Having just finished my first build (on which I use a Hipshot Tremolo), I wanted to ask what the pros and cons of blocking, decking and devices like Tremol-No are - should I decide to "hardtail" the tremolo.

Thanks so much,
Alex

 

[Logrinn]

An excellent tremolo is the Falcon tremolo that you'll find on Blade guitars.
While it's decked and doesn't go out of tune when you bend or even break a string, you can actually also pull up on it because of it's unique design.

I'm not sure if it's available to buy from them though (without buying one of their guitars), but you could always contact them.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I have been using the Tremol-No for about 14 years now, and I love it.  I keep it in hard tail mode when not in use or when restringing one string at a time, or when in Dropped D assuming I am not using the bar, in dive only if I am using the bar.  If remaining in standard tuning, then I leave it freely floating, at which point you never know it is there.  I think it adds just a ever so slight amount of resonance when in hard tail mode, which I think beefs up rhythm tracks, and while I understand that this is subjective, I might add that I have this installed on my main guitar of 25+ years and my 7 string of 16+ years, so I am very familiar with how these instruments sound and feel when some things change like a piece of hardware or string brand.

 

[rlefty]

I have been using the Tremol-No for about 14 years now, and I love it.  I keep it in hard tail mode when not in use or when restringing one string at a time, or when in Dropped D assuming I am not using the bar, in dive only if I am using the bar.  If remaining in standard tuning, then I leave it freely floating, at which point you never know it is there.  I think it adds just a ever so slight amount of resonance when in hard tail mode, which I think beefs up rhythm tracks, and while I understand that this is subjective, I might add that I have this installed on my main guitar of 25+ years and my 7 string of 16+ years, so I am very familiar with how these instruments sound and feel when some things change like a piece of hardware or string brand.

Can you still do flutters with the tremel-no installed (obviously not engaged)?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Yes, I have the FU-Tone heavy springs on it too, performs wonderfully.

 

[stratamania]

To me the best solution if you want to change tunings a lot is to use a hardtail guitar dedicated to the purpose. Or if it has to have a tremolo dedicate a guitar to the specific task/ tuning at hand.

But, if you don't have that many guitars and need to occasionally change tunings on a locking 2 point tremolo, use a tremol-no. That way you can have it floating, dive only or fixed.

 

[alexreinhold]

@stratamania awesome, I think I got your post 6,666  :headbang:

Any hard cons of decking vs. blocking (assuming you want to actually keep it locked) as compared to Tremol-No?

 

[swarfrat]

I'm a child of the 80's too but... I still question how it became so freaking difficult to buy a guitar without a tremolo. Option? Absolutely. Have one in the stable? Sure why not. But 99.5% saturation? Ugh

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

To me the best solution if you want to change tunings a lot is to use a hardtail guitar dedicated to the purpose. Or if it has to have a tremolo dedicate a guitar to the specific task/ tuning at hand.

But, if you don't have that many guitars and need to occasionally change tunings on a locking 2 point tremolo, use a tremol-no. That way you can have it floating, dive only or fixed.

I echo this.  If you’re doing standard to dropped tuning, this is great. If you have a guitar in D Standard that you want to flip into Dropped C on occasion, same principal.

If you want to routinely change the entire tuning of an instrument, ala, all strings, take into consideration all of the other things that go into a set up such as string gauge change which changes the tension, which needs a truss rod adjustment, as well as action and intonation.  If I were routinely changing the tuning an instrument from E Standard down an entire whole step, I would use a dedicated hard tail guitar for this and not subject one to the constant back and forth of string tension.

Easy alternative= Get a Variax.

 

[Rick]

I concur with logic of my Vulcan friend

 

[alexreinhold]

But are there any cons when it comes to decking or blocking? Assuming i want to hardtail my tremolo for good, this seems like a cheaper solution than tremol-no.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I've never understood the point of blocking it. No idea why Clapton does it.
If you don't use the vibrato bar, either deck it or play a hardtail.

 

[swarfrat]

My main guitar is in fact a hardtail strat, and I have identical bridge pickups between it and a VS100 equipped trem strat body. The trem body is thinner to a measurable degree - it's about 8db down between 60 and  200 Hz.

 

[stratamania]

@stratamania awesome, I think I got your post 6,666  :headbang:

Congratulations  :icon_thumright:

@stratamania awesome, I think I got your post 6,666  :headbang:

Any hard cons of decking vs. blocking (assuming you want to actually keep it locked) as compared to Tremol-No?

If you deck a tremolo, you can only use it to lower pitch and not raise it. If you block it the thing then can not do what it was designed to do.

I refer back to what was at the time post 6,666 use a hardtail or dedicate a guitar to the purpose. Or if not possible due to funds use a tremol-no.

 

[monchavo]

I've never understood the point of blocking it. No idea why Clapton does it.
If you don't use the vibrato bar, either deck it or play a hardtail.

Clapton stated that he didn't like the tone of a hard tail. I don't remember the precise word he used, but "brittle" comes to mind. Note that Robert Cray has an extremely distinctive tone and is the most high profile proponent of the hard tail strat.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I've never understood the point of blocking it. No idea why Clapton does it.
If you don't use the vibrato bar, either deck it or play a hardtail.

Clapton stated that he didn't like the tone of a hard tail. I don't remember the precise word he used, but "brittle" comes to mind. Note that Robert Cray has an extremely distinctive tone and is the most high profile proponent of the hard tail strat.

Love Clapton's playing, but I think he's full of it. Blocking it would transfer vibration from the bridge to the body just like a hardtail does. I have both types of bridges, and I think the hardtail sounds great.
Jake E Lee is another high profile player who prefers hardtail Strats.

 

[PhilHill]

I've never understood the point of blocking it. No idea why Clapton does it.
If you don't use the vibrato bar, either deck it or play a hardtail.

Clapton stated that he didn't like the tone of a hard tail. I don't remember the precise word he used, but "brittle" comes to mind. Note that Robert Cray has an extremely distinctive tone and is the most high profile proponent of the hard tail strat.

Love Clapton's playing, but I think he's full of it. Blocking it would transfer vibration from the bridge to the body just like a hardtail does. I have both types of bridges, and I think the hardtail sounds great.
Jake E Lee is another high profile player who prefers hardtail Strats.

I believe what Clapton thought was that he wanted the bridge immobilized, but he felt that the springs and block added something to the sound. And the fact that a trem equipped strat and a hardtail one sound different would seem to support that theory.

 

[alexreinhold]

You guys are a bad influence for my GAS....

 

[stratamania]

You guys are a bad influence for my GAS....

Well done. Now you just need a tele and a B Bender  :icon_thumright:

 

[mayfly]

You guys are a bad influence for my GAS....

Well done. Now you just need a tele and a B Bender  :icon_thumright:

Damn straight!  :headbang: