Hi everybody!

[fabien]

I've been lurking around here for quite some time now, gathering info, and thinking maybe one day I'll get a G&L but I don't really need one... and about 2 months ago, not scouting at all but just surfing for nice guitars, I come across that Legacy Deluxe clear red mahogany body which I couldn't let pass, so I bought it . I'll post some pics in the G&L porn section.

I live in the Netherlands and play mainly jazz-rock fusion now in a trio guitar/bass/drum and just started to play in another band with excellent musicians, keys/guitar/sax/bass/drum.
Look at my signature for some links to recordings/video.

See you around! (well not exactly but you catch my drift as they say across the channel )
Fabien

[Fumble fingers]

Welcome to the madness !!

[Case24]

Welcome to the forum Fabien! Looking forward to the pics.

[Salmon]

Hello Fabien,

Love the fusion. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to a few of your recorded performances today. What guitar were you playing in the Soundcloud recordings? In the Youtube video linked in your signature you keep the vibrato arm in hand and in use throughout your playing. What are your impressions of the G&L vibrato compared to your other S-style guitar experiences?

[MAP70]

Wecome!!

YMMV, but I think the G&L tremolo is probably the BEST non-locking tremolo I have played...

That said, when I first started playing I really OVERUSED the tremolo for a lot of vibrato things,it was just easier.... then I just quit using it for about a year and must say it helped my vibrato while bending and not bending.. I use it sparingly now but the G&L one is pretty smooth for a non-locking system...

Mark

[fabien]

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words.

@Salmon: the Soundcloud recordings are made with a Suhr ProSerie S1, CS Strat and a custom made guitar by dutch luthier Sander de Gier (http://www.degiergitaarbouw.nl/) but I don't remember which guitar on which recording. You can see some pics now in the porn section.
The G&L vibrato is very good, though I have some tuning stability issues right now but probably nothing that can't be fixed by a good setup and a bit of lubrication. It is the smoothest of the three. The Wilkinson on the Suhr creaks and crackles a bit (some lubrication could help) but works very well too. On the Strat I put a Calaham block with a short arm, the original Fender had too much wiggle in the arm. The G&L arm is the longest so is also the most sensitive, I've got to get used to it and hold it lighter than I do the others.
Like Map70 I have to watch out not to overuse it and sometimes to just let it go and use fingervibrato only.
Sometimes when I pick up my custom made axe (with fixed bridge) I find myself grabbing thin air with my right hand as a reflex looking for the vibrato arm, looks silly .

Fabien

[Salmon]

I believe you use the vibrato arm similarly to the way David Gilmour sometimes does. It introduces a modulation like having a pedal on all of the time, except it is controlled and expressed as an extension of what you happen to be playing. But I do think people can overuse the bar doing dive bombs or if it is a substitute for fret hand vibrato.

[MAP70]

Like Map70 I have to watch out not to overuse it and sometimes to just let it go and use fingervibrato only.
Sometimes when I pick up my custom made axe (with fixed bridge) I find myself grabbing thin air with my right hand as a reflex looking for the vibrato arm, looks silly .

Fabien

Yeah I overused it alot,I think when you are first learning to play it is WAAY easier to not use finger vibrato and use the bar. I too have grabbed for thin air before!!

I still keep trying to improve my vibrato, There are so many varied kinds that t takes time to find your sweet spot...

Mark

[fabien]

I like the vibrato bridge setup for floating because you can modulate up AND down, as opposed to finger vibrato where you can only go up.
It's actually like the classical vibrato technique only with more depth.
Jeff Beck is a big influence for me for subtle use of the vibrato. Scott Henderson is another big influence for the use of vibrato... and much much more

Fabien