Workshop review : Stetsbar, does it work?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2021
- Here is Stetsbar, fitted to a guitar in replacement of a two point trem. Was it better than the trem it replaced, and will it work on your guitar?
www.tonyedwardsguitars.co.uk
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Hi, I have experienced the same issue with my stetsbar. The bridge did not return to its exact place and the guitar was out of tune. I think it's not fair to blame this system but it requires some delicate settings. I figured out that there was a friction problem coming from the screw underneath the bridge, the one they call "transit screw". If you adjust it too tight, it will cause excessive friction with the bridge plate when the tremolo system slides against the base plate (That's barely explained on the manual). There's no need to overtighten this screw. But if so, all you have to do then is to turn a little the transit screw counterclockwise to let the system work as freely as possible, taking care that the bridge plate does not move away from the contacts with the bearings (you can add a little lubricant but I'm not sure it's really necessary). That's what I did and it's ok now, it really works fine !
Cheers,
Phil
Very interesting video! I’ve never seen a stetsbar tremolo in action before. As boring as it might sound I think that Leo Fender with the Stratocaster and Paul Bigsby with his simple system got the tremolo thing right first time , although both of these cleverly designed tremolos have their shortcomings they prove that less moving parts equal less friction which means reliability and a better chance of staying in tune.
Nice honest review 👍
Thank you for this information. I was contemplating a purchase of the Stetsbar, but hopefully they will work out the kinks and I'll get one when and only if that happens. It's looks are cool but performance is everything.
excellent video
I think I do need the trem, or actually any solution to lengthen bridgewise, because my stupid wraparound is way too short to the right and muting is so difficult and painful for my wrist as is now.
Great technical talk on the product, Thanks 👍.
you would think they would put roller saddles in this thing to better maintain tune as well as making them reversable for extended range for intonating problem guitars
Thanks, you’ve totally answered my questions on the Stetsbar….
Hello! I have a luthier-crafted stratocaster without a tremolo sistem. Would you recommend adding this bridge?
I honestly wouldn't like to recommend it at this point. I haven't used one since making this video and I found this one a bit underwhelming. But you may find that if you're fitting a chrome one it may be better - I'm told that the black finish goes on a bit thicker and may be fouling the system, causing unnecessary friction.
This request of installing a stetsbar when the guitar is routed for a tremolo system, so I would not recommend it on this guitar either. There is no point. Do you have a review for a singlecut? Or could you give us your 2 cents? Thanks!
I don't have anything for the singlecut - not been asked to do one. Possibly because the head shape doesn't tend to promote tuning stability with a trem. I've been asked just recently to do another one for a strat - some people seem to prefer the feel of them to the physical motion of the standard strat trem. However, I can't actually get a gold one at present, which is what the customer wanted.
I just serviced one on a Tele, and that really doesn't work too well either - it's too tall, so the pickup has to be raised all the way, the bridge all the way down, and the neck shimmed with a wedge shaped shim to a very narrow tolerance. A real pig to get right. However, it does stay in tune very well and the action of it is incredibly light.
where can i buy this stetsbar?
I'm looking to install a tremolo on my guitar, but it seems like this one is not very good with tuning stability. What should I pick instead ?
I think the big issue is that the design is for 25.5", not 24.75 - so the stabiity may be compromised on this guitar.
However, it realy depends on the guitar and what work you want to do to it to fit the bar. If you want to contact me via Email (see website) I'll try and get some details and suggest something if I can.
@@TonyEdwardsGuitars
How does the Stetsbar know which string length it is attached to and how it affects tuning stability and not issues at the nut and tuning posts?
What gave you the impression that its was designed only for one particular string length?
@@MrJohnnyDistortion Stringing with 9s at 24.75 reduces the string tension a fair bit.
It seems to me that it's not enough tension for the spring settings to be in their optimal position. So to get the spring to constantly be under tension (which it needs to be to work well) I found I had to put it to its highest setting.
There may be a bit more to it than that with the one that I had, potentially some friction in the mechanism that I couldn't isolate - but that was the impression II got in terms of the window of usable tensions. With 11's it may have been much better.
@@TonyEdwardsGuitars
Did you eliminate any possible tuning or stability issues at the nut or tuning pegs?
@@MrJohnnyDistortion Yeah, it really wasn't actually physically returning to centre, you could feel and see that - the spring was entirely closed unless the screws were all he way out and the bridge in the fully tensioned position. That means that even any slight friction would cause instability.
We all have a sound. I like how this bloke modifies his trem to his liking. That said, he hasn't really mastered it. I think most people just pull the crap out of the thing because it has such a range. My sound, I use it more subtly. Then it is silky smooth. And add plenty of nutsauce as is recommended. It's like on the Bigbsy, you don't wail on it like a man possessed. Then it might go out of tune. I think most people understand the bigsby and adjust to it. Same here.
I put in a decent roller bridge, took mine apart and ground away some of the "lever" material for more range, added a tiny support plate for the plastic piece hidden inside, and ditched the roller bearings for light oil. This improved the stability and range even in full float. I now do have a spot where the unit is in a no-load/null force position I can easily feel when releasing the arm, and I do manually ensure I am in that spot when done whammying.
Yeh, so, it behaves after I did quite a bit of handyman rework of this used one missing some minor pieces, which I got for about 40USD.
Would I pay the full price for a new one - nah. I'd get a used Kahler 4300 for tis one axe.
Also, this is only on my black vinyl alligator covered goth/metal/rock guitar where the it looks at home.
My others have merely fine-timed stock whammies suited for the axe's purpose, or are hardtail due to their purpose.
Installing a Stetsbar where a 3 spring Fender trem was isn't a bright idea on the first place.
Stetsbar is for flat top guitars that have no trem system.
The Stetsbar site has an excellent demo video of one installed on a Gibson.
A Super-V system would have been and absolutely better, if not the best choice on this particular guitar.
Tuning problems are usually at the nut with incorrectly cut string slots or incorrect strings widths to string slots widths causung binding, no nut lubrication and no type of locking tuning pegs or locking nut system or, not utilizing the "Gibson Mandolin String Post" post winding method onto non locking tuning pegs with 3 bends per string completely locking y he strings into the post. The last me how excellent.
Lighter strings help also. Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush uses 08-09-12-15-26-38 gague strings with a stock Gibson shortly Maestro Vibrola and performs massive dive bombs with out tuning issues. Listen to his 1978 live album for proof. I've seen him live many times. His SG stays on tune.
I bet the unwound 4th D string is helpful eliminating binding. Clever guy he is.
You should have made a video of your improvements.
You eliminated the roller bearings?
When you say missing parts, where they missing when you got it or are you talking about the roller beatings that you say that you removed?
Mechanically interesting, but it doesn't look too good. Someone should come up with a design that looks better and performs better than a Bigsby. Of course, the "vintage speck" guys would not have any of it, but that's a different story.
I agree - it's visually unappealing.
I think the problem with coming up with something new is that we're quite intellectually wedded to the original 'strat' type design. And of course, the truth is that when set up properly they can be incredibly stable and usable. There's a touch of 'if it ain't broke..'.
Why the hell don't they use a roller bridge.
They would probably maintain that they don't need to, because the bridge is on the moving plate so that as you drop the trem arm, the string break point over the bridge theoretically doesn't move, causing no friction.
For me , if there's any friction its in the mechanism itself, and exacerbated by the shortness of the spring assembly which gives too little adjustment range for my liking.
I did, and it helped enough to be worth it to me.
So basically a Kahler but different.
not at all like a Kahler. but similar.