So, you might have heard that guitars sometimes have tremolo bars (sometimes called a tremolo arm or whammy bar, but it’s the same thing): these do not produce tremolo. Its limited instructions can be compensated for by finding better instructions online. The hard to adjust thumbscrews can be replaced with the easier to use set screws. If any of them come loose over time, simply apply Loctite 242 to them. Get a hand drill with a 2-3mm drill bit and drill a slight indent to mark your first screw. Then get one of the screws that came with the barrel-bolt and screw it in with the appropriate Phillips head screw driver. Tremolo and vibrato are both what’s known as “modulation” effects, meaning that they both change your guitar’s signal to produce an effect.

Because there's now a 'stop-point', tightening the springs provides extra tension on that side of the tremolo-scale without being able to upset the balance and pull the bridge sharp—it can't move past the stop. The extra spring tension imparts more 'resistance' to bending and fluttering on the string side. The trade-off is you're now dive-only. It comes from the Italian word vibrare which means “to vibrate”. And that’s exactly what’s happening to both the guitar string and sound. To avoid common pitfalls, however, it is essential to set the device up correctly and apply Loctite 242 to the threads of the thumbscrews or set screws (depending on which screw type you choose to use).I’ve recorded this short clip to show you what this type of tremolo sounds like. Listen to how the tremolo makes the ringing out chords tremble. So happy to see confirmation that this works. I bought a used OG FR with a D-Tuna on it (nice freebie, I thought), routed away without a second thought. Had no idea a floating bridge didn’t work with it, although it seems pretty damn obvious now!

I have installed Tremol-Nos in various guitars and have not run into any compatibility issues so far. All popular tremolo systems are supported, even though you do need to make sure that the Tremol-No model you use is compatible with the tremolo system. More on that later.

Trem Stops

A lot of guitar amps, especially modeling amps aimed at beginner guitarists, have built in effects. To use the tremolo effect, simply select it on your amp and set it to the rhythm that you want. You can also get vibrato effects pedals. These have a more “steady” sound, as there’s an equal time between the pitch bends.

These stops do their job pretty well but they're a set-it-and-forget-it sort of deal. You can remove it easily but it's not adjustable on the fly. The Tremol-No To help you with this, I have created a more detailed post on how you can install a tremol-no system yourself at home. Of course, you can also choose to have a skilled guitar tech/luthier take care of it for you. Using the Tremol-No is fairly straightforward. Switching the bridge from hardtail to floating (or vice versa) is easy and takes mere seconds. Anyone can do it. You can just apply Loctite during installation or later on, so in my opinion this issue is not that big of a deal. AdvantagesOn an electric guitar, vibrato can be used in a few different ways to give different effects to a song. By vibrating the guitar string, either with your fretting hand or a vibrato system, you’re changing the pitch of the sound up and down. What does vibrato sound like