Trem for your LP Sir?

axisus

Just found this by accident whilst Googling. Interesting. Anyone know if it's any good?

Schaller Tremolo SC&DC C

Schaller 13070200 Tremolo SC&DC C, custom-designed tremolo for Single Cut & Double Cut type guitars, suitable as original thomann bridge and for subsequent conversion, no extra routing work required, complete with springs and grounding sheet, can easily be fitted as a replacement for a Tune-O-Matic/tailpiece combination. The dimensions and threaded sleeves match the measurements of the classic designs, post spacing: 74,5 mm, thomann total string width: (e1 to E6 string) 52,5 mm, string spacing: 10,5 mm, overall dimensions: (W) 90 mm x (D) 34 mm x (H) 32 mm, finish: Chrome

axisus

I guess it's just me that found it interesting!

longi

If I owned an LP of any brand, unless of course it was rare I'd take a punt on one. One could always sell it on if it didn't work out. At least it's fully reversible.

mart

axisus said:

... suitable as original thomann bridge and for subsequent conversion, ...

You know you've been ordering too much from Thomann when your autocorrect starts randomly inserting their name in everythomann you type.

Seriously tho, that does look interesting. A bit less hassle than fitting a Bigsby and probably a good deal cheaper.

Phil_aka_Pip

It would certainly do less damage to your guitar than a Bigsby, and it looks a lot more elegant, too.

Corvus

You'd have to leave a tailpiece on but doing nothing, is that right? No overly keen on that, would be interested to hear if it's good though. I went Les Trem because it replaces the tailpiece, half the price doesn't hurt either.
Bigsby can be installed with a Vibramate so no drilling needed.

Bogwhoppit

I was going to fit one of these to my Gibson, but I ended up selling it.

ICBM

Phil_aka_Pip said:

It would certainly do less damage to your guitar than a Bigsby

But possibly more than a Bigsby with a Vibramate.

What's really bad about this design is that it uses the *bridge* posts and not the tailpiece posts. Given that some of the similar ones that use the tailpiece studs can sometimes work the post inserts loose in the body, using the smaller bridge ones sounds like a recipe for damage to the top.

Phil_aka_Pip said:

and it looks a lot more elegant, too.

Er… no. Leaving the two tailpiece stud holes visible is not elegant.

Unless you have an illogical pathological aversion to Bigsbys , a Bigsby with a Vibramate is by far the best mechanical tremolo solution for a Les Paul, *and* it looks right...

Bogwhoppit

ICBM said:

What's really bad about this design is that it uses the *bridge* posts and not the tailpiece posts.

I was intending to put one on a LP special replacing the wraparound compensating bridge.

ICBM

Bogwhoppit said:

I was intending to put one on a LP special replacing the wraparound compensating bridge.

It won't fit - it's designed for tune-o-matic spacing not stopbar spacing, which is different. (74mm not 82mm)

Stupid and pointless. If it was designed to fit stopbar spacing it would be OK, because then it would have a real application for guitars that can't take another type, like yours.

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

Bogwhoppit said:

I was intending to put one on a LP special replacing the wraparound compensating bridge.

It won't fit - it's designed for tune-o-matic spacing not stopbar spacing, which is different. (74mm not 82mm)

Stupid and pointless. If it was designed to fit stopbar spacing it would be OK, because then it would have a real application for guitars that can't take another type, like yours.

Even if it did fit stopbar spacing, I wonder if the fact the LP Special bridge studs are not in a straight line would make the trem feel weird?

(Edit:  If it's one of the modern 2015 style LP Specials, then the studs are in a straight line.  I was thinking vintage.)

Bogwhoppit

^^^ Good job I didn't buy one lol

FelineGuitars

I disagree with ICBM about it not working as a friend had one on his flying V for years and it worked really well, although he may have added a dab of glue to the body bushings to help them be solid as a rock

I have one sat here not being used - only because it was bought in for a Carvin Holdsworth guitar that it wasn't actually suitable for as the Holdsworth body was too chambered for the bushings to be fitted well.

ICBM

FelineGuitars said:

I disagree with ICBM about it not working as a friend had one on his flying V for years and it worked really well

I didn't say it didn't work, just that there's a risk of it working the posts loose in the body and possibly damaging the finish around them. That might not happen with all guitars, but I've seen it more than once with the similar Bowen Handle and Les Trem versions which fit onto the stopbar posts. Anything which puts a back-and-forth rocking force on posts which were not intended to bear that is potentially a bad idea.

It's also debatable if working right includes not being able to use the full range it's capable of, since it says in the user instructions "Tremolos without a sustain block are constructed with springs that lie at a very flat angle; aggressive tremolo playing, which places excessive strain on the springs, should therefore be avoided!"

It just seems like a poor bit of design to me, for many reasons.

FelineGuitars

ICBM said:

FelineGuitars said:

I disagree with ICBM about it not working as a friend had one on his flying V for years and it worked really well

I didn't say it didn't work, just that there's a risk of it working the posts loose in the body and possibly damaging the finish around them. That might not happen with all guitars, but I've seen it more than once with the similar Bowen Handle and Les Trem versions which fit onto the stopbar posts. Anything which puts a back-and-forth rocking force on posts which were not intended to bear that is potentially a bad idea.

It's also debatable if working right includes not being able to use the full range it's capable of, since it says in the user instructions "Tremolos without a sustain block are constructed with springs that lie at a very flat angle; aggressive tremolo playing, which places excessive strain on the springs, should therefore be avoided!"

It just seems like a poor bit of design to me, for many reasons.

Point taken - to be fair Chris used his on his V for a bit of a wobble or adding vibrato rather than whammy bar excesses.

Phil_aka_Pip

ICBM said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

It would certainly do less damage to your guitar than a Bigsby

But possibly more than a Bigsby with a Vibramate.

What's really bad about this design is that it uses the *bridge* posts and not the tailpiece posts. Given that some of the similar ones that use the tailpiece studs can sometimes work the post inserts loose in the body, using the smaller bridge ones sounds like a recipe for damage to the top.

Phil_aka_Pip said:

and it looks a lot more elegant, too.

Er… no. Leaving the two tailpiece stud holes visible is not elegant.

Unless you have an illogical pathological aversion to Bigsbys , a Bigsby with a Vibramate is by far the best mechanical tremolo solution for a Les Paul, *and* it looks right...

Points taken, except that I do have a pathological aversion to Bigsbys (you can also call it illogical if you like, I don't care), such that no Bigsby on an LP will ever look "right". (Neil Young's is an abortion and so is his playing)

Dave W

FelineGuitars said:

I have one sat here not being used - only because it was bought in for a Carvin Holdsworth guitar that it wasn't actually suitable for as the Holdsworth body was too chambered for the bushings to be fitted well.

Forgive me for re-activing an old thread, but... I have a Carvin HF2 and would be interested to receive any shared wisdom on ways of retro-fitting a trem that isn't a Bigsby (nothing wrong with them, but I need slightly more travel than that - I've grown up on Strats!).

RandallFlagg

Trems are the work of the devil and for people who have poor finger vibrato.

Avoid

alanchanxd

Forget that schaller vibrato, only pros use floyd rose and it's for badass guitarists. I suggest you route your body and put a floyd rose into it.

Alex Lifeson approves this comment.

octatonic

Better than a Bigsby but still wrong.

olafgarten

Just fit a Kahler, not much routing needed.