The Stetsbar Tremolo Dave Montalbano Mar 2, 2014 1
The Stetsbar The Stetsbar tremolo system (yes I know technically it s a Vibrato) is a worthy replacement or OEM for any guitar. I have installed 2 now and I am impressed with the stability and range. It does not require routing and in most cases there is none to minimal woodwork. On Fenders with the micro-tilt adjustment neck you don t even have to shim the neck to set the tremolo up. Bigsby: Compared to a Bigsby style system it has more range, an easier to use tremolo arm and is more stable. Unlike the Bigsby, you are locked into using the supplied bridge which is very good but a roller bridge would be better. Like the Bigsby, the Stetsbar is a linear tremolo system. The strings move across the bridge saddles in the Bigsby so that becomes the friction point. A roller bridge helps this on a Bigsby and makes it more efficient. The Stetsbar 2
is linear but unlike the Bisgby, the bridge itself moves on glide bearings. This is a moving bridge design. Stratocaster: The Stratocaster Tremolo is a fulcrum design that is balanced with spring versus string tension. Because the whole bridge assembly moves this is a floating bridge design, but the movement is the arc of a circle around the fulcrum point (non-linear) so it is inefficient in terms of movement to pitch change and less stable in terms of tuning. This design does allow use of heavy strings by changing number of springs and the adjustment. The Stetsbar is linear in the bridge movement (the movement is parallel to the strings) but is limited to maximum of 11 s. Jazzmaster/Jaguar: I mention this system only because Leo Fender tried to develop a system where the bridge would move hoping to make the system more stable and efficient. The infamous pivoting bridge on the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge was an attempt to allow the bridge to move with the strings when the tremolo arm was moved. This actually was less stable for return to tuning than the Strat fulcrum design and so rightfully it never became popular. Floyd Rose: I am not a Floyd Rose fan personally but this was an attempt to bring tuning stability by locking down the strings at both ends to the fulcrum design. The trade off was the creation of a system that required a much more complicated system to setup. This was also the first time a solution was offered that included the nut. This is important because all tremolo guitars need a nut solution. Most manufacturers still don t address this. The Floyd Rose is the king when it comes to pitch change range. The Stetsbar cannot match this range but it is better than most tremolo systems. For me, the Floyd Rose makes sense only if you need the range for the music you play. It is a trade-off between setup difficulty for the increased range or using an easier to setup Tremolo. Kahler: Similar to the Floyd but with a cam type action. Kahler lost a lawsuit for infringement against Floyd Rose and was later licensed for a period. The Stetsbar: The Stetsbar design moves the bridge to change the pitch with good range sharp and flat. It uses a cam action with bearings and once setup is very smooth and stable. This design does not require any routing for an OEM or replacement installation but sits on the top of the body like the Bigsby. Unlike the Bigsby, it generally does not take up as much real estate and require woodworking to install. The NUT and Tuners: In most discussions of Tremolo systems the Nut and Tuners are usually left out. In the ideal system, the attachment points for the vibrating string (Nut and Saddle) would perfectly reflect the energy along the string. How efficient the reflection is 3
depends upon the hardness of the attachment points. The more efficient the reflection the longer the sustain and the more dynamic the sound. Soft materials absorb some of the energy and thus reduce sustain and dynamic range. Guitar makers have sought a hard material that would also allow the string to move across the surface without binding. In the early days, metal nuts like Brass were used and the instruments had a distinctive sound. Brass is still an ideal material for hardness but metal nuts can produce a slight buzz depending upon the string tension and tuners. After metal, Bone and some artificial materials were used for Nuts and Saddles (acoustic designs). These materials absorb some energy and at some frequencies can make the string sound dead. Compared to Brass they were easier and cheaper to produce and they appear on even the most expensive guitars. Unlike metal, they can bind the string. During normal playing and especially during tremolo use, the binding can affect the sound and return to pitch. The Locking Nut solves this by not allowing string movement past the nut. It contributes to better sustain and really is a locking tuner nut combination. The problem with the locking nut is that the string is damaged when locked and cannot be retuned at the tuners without risk of breaking. Thats why they are used with the Floyd Rose design that allows micro (small range) tuning at the bridge after the guitar has been macro tuned and the nut locked down. Metal Roller nuts (like the LSR) provide a low friction path for the strings and coupled with a roller bridge and locking tuners (like Schaller), form an ideal system both for Tremolo 4
and Non-Tremolo guitars. There are non-metal roller nuts that use a hard plastic roller and may not offer the advantages of a hard metal nut. Another option used by many luthiers (particularly in past) is the zero fret. This high fret is the contact point and properly designed is ideal provided the string guides are properly made. Mosrite is an example of a guitar that used a roller bridge, zero fret and metal string guide. The Mosrite Tremolo system was like a Bigsby design. Locking tuners have come into more widespread use recently and are the final part of the string tune stability equation. They also make string changes easier and for that reason alone should be considered on every guitar. It always amazes me that musicians and luthiers think they should only be used on Tremolo guitars.. another example of this linear thinking is that roller bridges should only be used on Tremolo guitars. Anything that reduces the string friction and aids tuning stability and ease of string change should be considered by every luthier Roller bridges need to be well made and not have a lot of slop in the movement. A cheap roller bridge will lose energy like a bone or plastic saddle. Installation: Stetsbar makes one to fit Strat, Tele, solid body Gibsons and similar and a OEM version for building from scratch. Installation is straight forward because the most you might have to do is install new bushings. There are YouTube videos and all adjustments etc and even one on how to shim the neck but a Guitar Repair Tech or a Luthier will use his/her methods. For a Telecaster, it is my choice of tremolo as long as you have a single coil bridge pickup. A humbucker will require some woodwork and the use of a different Stetsbar but is easily doable. The Fender American Deluxe Telecaster in the pictures also has an LSR roller nut and locking tuners. This is the best combination you can have (my opinion). The instructions state that it is pretty much setup for 9 s and they don t recommend the tremolo for gauges above 11 s. I set mine up for 10 s and had no problems. Intonation is pretty standard. Summary: Very easy to install and setup and a good Bigsby alternative or OEM Tremolo for the builder. 5