How to Avoid Damage from Tremolo on Pull?

Even when I change strings, the Tremolo touches the body. I've tried blocking to avoid an over zealous pull from digging in, but the block becomes a new pivot and the gap around the posts allows the tremolo to touch further back on the guitar. Very nervous about anyone else pulling the whammy on my beautiful G&L.


Tremolo Diagram by Doug L., on Flickr

Update: Modified the title and question slightly to emphasize the Pull concern. Swapped out the image to one with a dark background instead of the blinding white background. Complied with Flicker's Community Guidelines by using their generated BBCode.

Last edited by dougl on Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

I use a couple credit cards for the trem to rest on the body when I take off the strings

Yea, that works for string changes I was thinking a popsicle stick... if I can remember... but what about protecting against over zealous pulls?

You could change them one at a time. Or put a piece of gaffer tape under there to prevent damage resulting from people from pulling your wang bar too far (hehehe...)

But really, I wouldn't worry too much about the trem damaging the finish. The poly they use is virtually bombproof. I've mishandled my guitars several times and you'd be hard pushed to find scratches or marks on any of them.

I have a small stack of business cards that I slide under the back of dual fulcrum tremolos. They keep the tremolo level while changing strings. Retuning is a lot faster since you're not slowly pulling the tremolo up to level as you tune it! When I restring a Floyd Rose style tremolo I slide an eraser under the bridge.

I cut wine corks to size and use those. Doesn't hurt any finish I've ever encountered, and if you cut them to a size that keeps the trem all the way forward, helps avoid windings on the posts when using locking tuners.

Brother, I just keep my chopsticks after a Chinese food dinner. They're very soft wood and are perfect for sliding under your trem for string changes. I also use them in pieces for various things like holding a string(s) back while I work on something. They have never made a mark on any guitar. Oh yeah, I'm not an expert on anything, especially chopsticks, but the ones I took are exactly to spec in bridge height. Go figure.

On your whammy pull problem. When "showing off" my G&L, I literally play into a crazy wiggle stick thing, then pick up my guitar by the whammy bar holding it level right in front of whomever. I play with it a bit, then come right back to my tuner. Perfect. Every damn time. Freaks them out too. Kinda fun. You should try it. If it's set up correctly, it should never hit. Brother, sometimes I recheck my measurements many many times and eventually find a small error from something I did in a rush, tired, drunk, whatever.

Have some fun today.

Thanks Zippy. I did get some playing in today, which always makes it a good day.

You say if it's set up right, then it can't touch, but mine is level under string tension and I could, if zealous, pull that tremolo back enough to touch and there's nothing stopping it.

I'm encouraged by Jamie from down under who attests to the durability of the finish. I just keep having visions of ending up with a Steve Vai custom job after a whammy pull really digs in. (Steve carved out one of his early Strats to be able to do pulls before he got Ibanez to build to his specs.)

Lots of good ideas for blocking above the body for string changes... if I can remember to do it before loosing the strings... Do you guys all block for string changes? Or just let it go? Without damage?

Doesn't sound like anybody worries about it though. I guess if it were a problem, there would be a bunch of crushed bodies on eBay, although most don't have the tremolo bar in the photo. So either they are a lot more durable than I imagine, or most people just don't use the whammy bar? I'm not much of a whammy bar fiend, but I can imagine a friend picking it up and saying: Wow, check this out, crush



Any more testimonies to the durability would be comforting. This one was blocked up when I got it so I don't think the tremolo was ever used on it. Seems to resonate better unblocked though.

Jamie is correct in that the poly finish is very hard and durable. That is especially true on an ash body. I have a pine asat and would definately put a cardboard shim under the trem on a pine body. I use a very specific piece of cardboard under the trems when I do string changes. I make one from paper between the 2 layers in a Special Export Light 30 beer can pack. It is a paper that will compress (I fold to a double layer and cut to size.) I have backup paper as this always comes in a new 30 pack which I pick up at the local bottle store. I also use it to protect the body when taking things apart. I would be shocked if someone used the trem that hard on one of mine but you never know! I have not done Larrys trick and will probably not try it -- Darwin

Thanks Zippy. I did get some playing in today, which always makes it a good day.

You say if it's set up right, then it can't touch, but mine is level under string tension and I could, if zealous, pull that tremolo back enough to touch and there's nothing stopping it.

I'm encouraged by Jamie from down under who attests to the durability of the finish. I just keep having visions of ending up with a Steve Vai custom job after a whammy pull really digs in. (Steve carved out one of his early Strats to be able to do pulls before he got Ibanez to build to his specs.)

Lots of good ideas for blocking above the body for string changes... if I can remember to do it before loosing the strings... Do you guys all block for string changes? Or just let it go? Without damage?

Doesn't sound like anybody worries about it though. I guess if it were a problem, there would be a bunch of crushed bodies on eBay, although most don't have the tremolo bar in the photo. So either they are a lot more durable than I imagine, or most people just don't use the whammy bar? I'm not much of a whammy bar fiend, but I can imagine a friend picking it up and saying: Wow, check this out, crush



Any more testimonies to the durability would be comforting. This one was blocked up when I got it so I don't think the tremolo was ever used on it. Seems to resonate better unblocked though.

When changing strings, first I just push the trem bar a bit which raises the tail, then slide my chopstick under the back of the tailpiece at a bit of an angle due to the trem bar holder chingadera. Now let go. The tail is now held up by the chopstick suspended across the routing. Do your business, chopstick doesn't leave the scene of the crime until enough tension is on the strings to keep it in a fairly stable position(close to wherever you tune). The trick is with locking tuners.

Doug, back in the old days they called this the "toothbrush method". Basically somebody discovered that their toothbrush worked great to hold up the ass end of the tail during string changes. It even used to be part of the published maintenance guide. Anyway, eating one day I got a square chopstick and thought it might work better than a toothbrush. This is how technologically advanced we are. By the way, round chopsticks are not guitar friendly. I took it home, it matched specifications perfectly allowing me to tune until the tail actually releases the chopstick itself by just a smidge. Again the wood they use is way softer that anything on your guitar but strong enough to hold up the tail against the springs and I promise will never leave a mark.

I use Gerlitz #1 to polish when I'm done and it looks better than new.

This is just your first child. By the time number 3 comes along, you'll be a chilled dad.

I've never had finish damage from the back of the trem touching the paint during normal use.

Proper setup geometry is a must on these guitars...that will eliminate 98% of any problems with up-pull. And I use 9-42 Fender Super Bullets with three springs, so there's good tension on the arm.

Bill

And it's kinder, and actually quicker, to change strings one at a time.
You can get each new string in tune with all the others right away, and not be endlessly winching away over and over as you take up all the slack in the trem with 6 flappy strings on.
It won't stress the setup at all either, no resettling time.

And it's a definite should-do with acoustics too.

But it doesn't let you clean your fingerboard or frets properly. Plus, when using locking tuners as I do with all my DFs, I use cork to push the bridge all the way forward while pulling the strings tight through the tuner holes and locking them to prevent extraneous winds on the posts.

I've never done anything at all to "avoid" smacking the finish with a pull up on a DF, and the finish on my first G&L looks new after 21 years so there you go. Also my action is crazy low so the back of the DF is quite close to the body, still, no issues.

Short story: I wouldn't sweat it.

Ray, great idea on the cork thing for restringing. For years I've done this crazy thing I'm too embarrassed to tell y'all.

Zippy