Does the Duesenberg Les Trem work as well as advertised on a Les Paul?

Today I am seeing if it's possible to add a good trem system to my old Les Paul without doing any permanent modifications. Will it work as advertised?

[@IamMusicNerd]

I just realized YT compresses the sound on the guitar audio quite a bit. It lost a lot of the low end punch that I hear in the room. I will try to fix that in future videos if I can.

[@mikkokoukkari5687]

Thanks for the insight on the Duesenberg tremolo! Definitely going to consider the roller bridge when I buy mine 👍

[@mortonwilson795]

Thanks for taking the time to do this - really helpful! I'm considering this for my Cantrell 'Wino' Epiphone LP.

[@IamMusicNerd]

My pleasure!

[@Expertex110]

My recipe - Les Paul+Les Trem II+inexpensive roller bridge+inexpensive locking tuners+GraphTech TUSQ XL nut! Everything works great! (without dive bombs) 😎

[@chrismitchellsbfinChrist]

hi stop doing wrong, read the bible, believe in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God only He can forgive you sins & redeem your life & save from hell

[@ElIsraelJijijiji]

​@@chrismitchellsbfinChristget out of here

[@lowly.8776]

​@@chrismitchellsbfinChristBruh

[@TheCoryAyers]

When you dive does it need to be retuned?

[@Expertex110]

@@TheCoryAyers Les Trem II is not a Floyd Rose, but the guitar will stay in tune if you use it carefully. Not for dive bombs!

[@joateon]

Hmmm, I like this idea more than a Bigsby or Floyd Rose, but tuning is always what holds me back. I like that I can try it without altering my guitar though, so I can return it if I don’t like it. Very cool.

[@auntjenifer7774]

I don't believe you can return it after it's been hooked up and strung up.

[@ericsanders5357]

I'd buy it from you tho'

[@IamMusicNerd]

True, however, depending on where you buy it, they sometimes will. I called Sweetwater and told them the first one I tried didn't fit and they let me exchange it for a different one, even after I had tried installing it. I buy a lot from them though, so maybe they cut me some slack. :)

[@chrismitchellsbfinChrist]

stop doing wrong, read the bible, believe in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God only He can forgive you sins & redeem your life & save from hell

[@brokenchains]

What a great video, you really spoke so well and the sound demo was awesome

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thank you for such a kind comment!

[@theoversouls]

I have mine on an Epiphone Les Paul ES (hollowbody) that I installed along with a roller bridge. I'm happy with it. The feel to me is roughly halfway between a strat (which I like) and a Bigsby (which I'm not that fond of). No tuning issues with a roller bridge installed, I'm happy to say. I didn't try it without the roller bridge so I can't comment on that.

[@DSKim-ej5uf]

Thank you for watching your video, which was created with passion and a lot of effort. Your video of going through a mysterious algorithm caught my eye, and thanks to it, my heart was filled with beautiful and good energy. Your video really touched my heart. It made me emotional. This is a video I want to watch over and over again. I would like to give you my sincere praise and support. You have a wonderful talent full of strange charm that makes your videos look like a dream.

[@JJ-fb8sz]

I have these on several Gibsons and they work great (with a roller bridge). Bigsby's look cooler, but the weight added to a Les Paul from a Bigsby takes all the joy out of playing, so I prefer the Les Trem. Great video!

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the insights. I appreciate it.

[@markferguson3745]

I'd argue that the Maestro Vibrola looks the coolest, but that dosent mean it actually works. I have & really like a couple Bigsby guitars, and the visual and function is solid, -but I think I'm going to put a Duesenberg on my SG; break up the lines a bit, and try something different.

[@fririceondabeat1120]

thanks for the review was thinking of putting on mine

[@MarkKunie]

Nice job. Great video. Locking tuners is all I need to say.

[@GuitarNTabs]

The roller bridge is a good idea, as well as a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut, to minimize friction. Thanks for the video!

[@stringmantony]

I have one on my Les Paul studio and it works great! Easy installation too.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Excellent idea, looks like a tone arm from a record player. The pick-ups sound amazing! Don't stop playing, I havd arthritis in my left hand joints and by massaging them under a hot water tap for 5 mins helps a lot with getting the inflammation and pain. As we age we need more time to ",Warm up".

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the tip!

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

@@IamMusicNerd Any-time, have a great day!

[@SDisonYT]

This looks interesting. I was looking at the Stetsbar, but it didn’t get good reviews. I might have to try this, and check some other videos as well. I would love a trem on my LP, but I want to be able to undo it if I want to sell it later.

[@brCharlieNagy]

good demo sir, thanks

[@GertvanderDoes]

I have a Traditional Les Paul with the Les Trem and two Duesenbergs. It's a friggin AWESOME trem. I love them all. It does not need a roller bridge, Duesenberg does not recommend it. No dive bombing but they get a decent amount of downtune. The feel is divine.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Good to know. Thanks for the info!

[@EddieClark]

It really is a great term. I used the stock bridge on the guitar I put a Les Trem on and I have zero tuning issues. I repair and setup instruments for local musicians and I've found that teaching them how to properly string a guitar solves any real tuning issues. Always blows my mind that guys in their 50's and 60's that have been playing for 40ish years don't understand how critical properly pre-stretching guitar strings is.

[@_marcopalomo]

How does the trem on the les Paul compare to the trem in the duesenbergs? Obviously it’s from duesenberg, just wondering if the stock system on the duesenberg is significantly better than their aftermarket retro fit trem.

[@klausfritsch4350]

For the headstock, I recommend a String Butler to get the strings through the nut straight.

[@IamMusicNerd]

I will look into that. Thanks!

[@KozmykJ]

Yup the Nut is the main catch point for all Trem systems. Even the roller nut so favoured by Jeff Beck could stick eventually if or When it gets clogged up.

[@bumblefritz]

I have a string butler on my Les Paul and it made a big difference in tuning stability.

[@timothyjohnson9739]

I have three of these, one Branded Duesenberg on an Harley Benton LP type, and another branded Duesenberg/Goldo on an Epiphone Les Paul, and one on an actual Duesenberg Session Man guitar. They are fabulous and flawless. Absolutely no intonation or loss of tuning problems at all. 5-Star rating in my book. I got the Goldo one on Reverb for less than the Duesy branded, and it came with a bridge. Goldo is the OEM that makes the Duesy branded trem. It looks slightly different (doesn't have the Duesy 3-step details) but performs exactly the same. The seller was Gra8co Music in California. I highly recommend this product for all stop tail Gibson types!!!

[@timothyjohnson9739]

P.S.: My only knock is the way the string ball ends sit in the trem. Makes it kinda hard to string. Should've been holes instead....

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the info! I did not realize they had different versions. Thank you!

[@wayneknazek7362]

Nice job on the video! IMHO...Add a String Butler to that Eppy and you'll LOVE it! It will eliminate almost all "stay in tune" issues, assuming the guitar is set up correctly. The string angles on LPs are horrific! LOL The Butler straightens the angles out. I love the thing. Added one to my Schecter Ultra III. What a difference! And a lot cheaper than the vie mod you just did! Takes about 5 minutes to install, at string change time.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the tip!

[@jamespaulplant4879]

i am 65 having the same troubles, hope the feeling comes back.

[@Mike-iu7ck]

I put one on a les paul I have along with a roller bridge and love it. works great and holds tune good. I did not lose any low end or anything on mine. in fact, I could swear it sounds better.

[@stilllifewithguitar184]

I have one of these on my 335. No tuning issues at all, works great. My biggest complaint is that spring area blocks easy access to the knobs and pickup switch on the 335, and in general gets in the way a bit. For a long time I actually used it without the bar in it, just pushed down on the spring, which oddly kind of works ok. I like it as a non destructive mod that's less complex than getting one of the vibramate things for a real bigsby.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great points. Thank you.

[@darrenlivy]

I fitted one of these on my Firebird and have minor problems with tuning. I didn't think about fitting a roller bridge, now I've seen your video I think I'll upgrade that too.

[@IamMusicNerd]

It definitely helped mine compared to the normal bridge.

[@darrenlivy]

@@IamMusicNerd I have one on order now.

[@AlexanderGhezzo]

Les Trem is so good and so easy to install!

[@IamMusicNerd]

Agree!

[@NegdoshaManido]

I use a roller bridge with a Bigsby on my Epi Les Paul. No locking tuners, just some nut sauce for the nut, and it stays in tune really well. Mind you, I am using a genuine USA made Bigsby, not one of the "licensed" ones made in China. Those are junk. Waste of money. Always get the USA made. More expensive, but well worth it, 'cause they work. I really like that Duesenberg. I may have to take one for a drive! Thanks for the video, as I had not heard of them.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thank you for the info!

[@alistairfletcher6187]

Locking tuners did a world of good in my case

[@IamMusicNerd]

Me too!

[@RobTackettCovers]

Now I don't have this trem, but I would think other things used in conjunction with this tremolo would aid in tuning stability, if a person decides to go this route, which would include a GraphTech nut, or some kind of lube nut or roller nut, and locking tuners...ensuring the strings are pulled and stretched, the tuned up to pitch, then repeating the process: pull/ stretch, retune, until the strings show to be not going out anymore when pulling on them...this would all aid in tuning stability if this device is decided on being used...I think it's a cool option if you don't want to wood route/ mod the guitar, and keep it as "return to original" as possible. Thanks for the video!

[@kenyonstewart7120]

So, which bridge did you end up using? I like the look of it

[@metallicmonkey4519]

Which roller bridge was used at the end? thanks for the video!

[@weasel6535]

Thanks for this. I was thinking about adding one to my Epi ES-335 but I will pass, instead put in a better bridge and tail.

[@mr.timebombman2230]

The bridge you ended up using looks better than the one that wouldn't fit

[@IamMusicNerd]

I think so too. The Schallers are not notch, but they do look a lot different.

[@edsultan8699]

Put one on a my Les Paul and one on my Explorer and they work GREAT. Super smooth and hold a tune.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Nice!

[@jimlauck9606]

I have 2 of them on guitars. NO PROBLEMS AT ALL!

[@IamMusicNerd]

Good to hear! I am hoping to have a similar experience.

[@alanjacob8542]

You can try nut sauce or replace the nut with a graphtech.those options can really help it stay in tune.keep playing with that bad hand,gotta keep it moving.thanks for the vid!!!

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the tip!

[@jonnyhafer7376]

ps i dont have locking tuners, i dont have a roller bridge just an abr1 and a Graphtec regular nut. i play live and my stuff stays in tune. i through you a sub, i know hand damage when i was a heroin addict i shot up and passed out with my arm over a char it cut my circulation off and my hand was completely paralyzed from the wrist down i had no wrist or finger movements it was very scary alot of the time it will come back but it took me 6 months to get and movement or feeling in it, luckilly its totally fine now after over a decade of shooting up heroin and coke and pills i cleaned up and haven't used for 11 years now, just smoke a heavy amount of weed. anyways i enjoyed the video and through a sub your way

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!

[@rickgledura3194]

I have the less tremendous 2 on 5 of my guitars and I decided to try the one listed on Amazon for half the price and it's pretty much identical.

[@jonnyhafer7376]

ive played jaguar for 20 plus years now, the trem on a jag especially vintage units with good grade metal prings i use the shit out of my trem live and my guitar stays in tune like magic. the jaguar trem is the best trem ever, i use a gibson no wire abr1 bridge with grover keys and a custom neck that matches a gibson radious. i trem the shit out of it and its great. i have an old junior ive been thinking about putting a jag trem on. after 20 years of playing my 63 and 64 jaguars when i play my junior i go to grab the bar all the time and its not there. most people just dont know how to set jags and jazzmasters up leo nailed it with that trem

[@IamMusicNerd]

Good to know! I may have to check out a jaguar soon!

[@miahconnell23]

Johnny Marr has a signature Jag, and Kevin Shields (from My Bloody Valentine) likes ‘em too. [and there ain’t NOBODY who uses the Jag / Jazz trem more than Kevin Shields !! ]

[@miahconnell23]

Are those p90s placed into space where humbuckers used to be ?

[@Danielallanz]

I agree the Jazz/Jag trem is superior in my opinion too....I use plumber tape around the bridge pins so it doesn't pivot and it stays in tune with chronic whammy bar abuse..I have bigsby equipt guitars that I also like but the jazz trem is solid,it beats the strat trem and bigsby imo

[@IamMusicNerd]

Yes. They are Seymour Duncan P-rails, which is their classic P90 with a hot rail next to it, and you can switch back and forth.

[@javier8218]

Hi, do you know if there is a way to tighten the tremolo circle so it doesn't spin so easily?

[@williamerlewein3983]

Tell you what buddy you still seem to have some pretty good control there. I have neuropathy from chemo treatments and I can barely play at all like somebody just three lessons into their playing career it's horrible. I feel you man. I resorted to kind of tinkering on building some guitars and modifying some others but my playing days are over

[@IamMusicNerd]

That’s a tough situation. Praying for you. Good luck, and thank you for the comment.

[@Pandamasque]

Does the arm get loose (by rotating in its hole) like the Get Offset demo suggests?

[@peterfalahee]

Will it fit your Gibson case ??😊

[@jesguitarist]

I bought a knock off version of this, the brand is Guyker. It can actually do 2 way, adjusting the middle circle (i don't know what it called 😂) with an allen wrench clockwise so it will stay in the middle position. Then you can do dive and up 😊

[@ukutiki]

Maybe I missed it- What's the weight? Thank you for this demo!

[@SteveMeiers]

I have several authentic Les Trems and several Alibaba unofficial ones that were half the price. They're all great IMO.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Nice!

[@AlchemyMusicConcept]

What brand is the roller bridge?

[@franksmith6871]

I put a Duesenberg Les Trem II on an Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy. I like it, but I'm trying to figure out a way to take a little off of the spring so that the arm sits a bit lower. Yes, I know the arm angle is adjustable, but it still sits too high for me when it's adjusted to be level or parallel with the guitar's top, and I don't want to adjust it so that it tilts downward. I've searched and cannot find a spring with the same specs but shorter, so I'm thinking about grinding off a bit of it. I wonder if anyone else has attempted this?

[@kentl7228]

Cool and informative video. I just wish that Fender knew the difference between Tremolo and Vibrato and it didn't erroneously affect the lexicon. I'm jealous of the P-Rails. I want to try them with all the wiring options.

[@IamMusicNerd]

That’s a great point. It’s technically not a tremolo, it’s a vibrato. But it has become such a common reference point within the Guitar community, that everybody just calls it a trem now, and 90% of the community has just followed along with their incorrect nomenclature. Lol

[@kentl7228]

@@IamMusicNerd thanks for the gracious reply, I didn't want to sound critical and I catch myself saying it too. If Gibson caused this, it would be less forgivable to the public )

[@plenaryverbalist]

@@kentl7228 Leo gets a pass for, you know, creating the mass produced electric guitar with the Broadcaster, maybe perfecting it with the Strat, creating the bass guitar and crafting some of the best amps ever made. It’s a word. You let it slide.

[@kentl7228]

@@plenaryverbalist Electric bass guitars pre-date Fender. The words are wrong. It's annoying ))

[@ericsanders5357]

..if you were to want more up action-pre load(hold it down) the bar as you tune to increase tension on the spring(compressing it more)...roller bridge-a must...roller nut-not a bad idea(with a string butler to keep strings in their slots)...locking tuners-sure...hardware stores sell graphite powder you can put on all string contact points to further reduce friction...

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great suggestions! Thanks!

[@chairmankaga101]

I’d assume locking tuners and an upgraded nut would help tuning stability?

[@IamMusicNerd]

I did upgrade to locking tuners and a bone nut, which helped a little I believe.

[@aitken1965]

Will it fit on my Yamaha RSE20?

[@rabadooda]

How do I adjust the arm to stop it from swinging around loosely? I know how to adjust the arm length but I can't figure out how to adjust the tightness of the arm itself.

[@scotts653]

There's a locknut under the pivot. Loosen strings, then big Allen screw on top. Take out spring and tension the nut. U can also take out the nylon washer where the arm holder swivels to increase friction.

[@oldasrocks9121]

Nut Sauce or Super Lube. Or pencil graphite. Have your tech work on the nut. If the strings are buried in the string groove they're more likely to bind. A beefier Bigsby spring can help if the DLTii won't return to zero.

[@njgbush8652]

can you do the same with a start

[@rayfromvegas]

Here’s a silly question? How does it fit in a case? Just asking….

[@pharmerdavid1432]

"Music nerd stuff" is a different channel, different person, different vibe...

[@IamMusicNerd]

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up.

[@conordyer2307]

Get a string butler v1 that straightens the strings and replaces the truss cover and a roller bridge....those 2 combined are great.. £35 for a string butler and £15 for a wilkinson roller brIdge which is seriously top notch! although i think they only come in silver.. . Locking tuners are overrated and expensive but if you string the guitar in a certain way so it latches to itself you can achieve the same effect. Also top winding them so the string is coming from the top of the tuner post rather than the bottom when your tuned up reduces friction and straightens the string out with the nut to minimise break angle. I do this with strats and it helps alot but for gibson style the string butler really helps as it has built in rollers and straighens the strings to the nut similar to how fender headstocks guitars work On an epiphone es and sg that i did the roller bridge + string butler combo and it works a treat....some guitars might needs the nut slots slightly finessed just to reduce friction but my 2 guitars didnt need it as i play with 9's and they came with 10s on it so they were cut well enough.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great info! Thanks!

[@conordyer2307]

@@IamMusicNerd no problem at all, after years of struggling with strat trems staying in tune those few tips helped significantly to where I rarely have tuning issues anymore and it saved alot money buying locking tuners etc as I have too many guitars lol hope your nerve issues improve in your hand so you can get playing again, I'm having similar issue with my back and arm so it's been 6 months since I could last play without it getting fast so I know what it's like when you cant pursue your hobbies..... So good luck and I hope things get better soon.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Ya, it sucks. I just started learning to play last year, and was loving it. Now I am trying to learn all over, and my left hand just won't cooperate. Oh well, could be worse. :)

[@monmixer]

I would use a roller bridge with the Les Trem

[@IamMusicNerd]

I agree!

[@kmoecub]

1. The roller bridge was invented by Brian May and his father, but never patented. Thank him for that if you have the time. 2. once you decide where you want the tremolo arm to be set at, use a drill that's slightly smaller than the minor diameter of the set-screw hole to put a divot into the arm. Do one side at a time and the arm will never move out of place. 3. The tuning stability can be improved by adding a zero-fret. One of the tings that works against keeping a tremolo fitted guitar in tune is friction, and the break angle at the nut is about the highest friction zone n the guitar. A zero-fret will mitigate that, though a shallower break angle is preferable.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great ideas. I have thought about using a roller nut as well, but it’s working pretty well as is.

[@BarDog57]

I learned a trick from Phillip McKnight that helps mitigate the break angle problem - wind the strings UP the post instead of down. It really works, especially on the bass side.

[@peterfalahee]

So if you break a string will it go completely out of tune

[@Eric-qi1wy]

Has anyone tried Les Trem+ roller bridge+ nutbuster string lock?

[@IamMusicNerd]

I haven’t, but I’ll look into it

[@warrenmoreno928]

In my experience, the dusenburg would break my strings way too easy. Even minor jazz bends would snap my strings at the ball end and it would always happen within a week of putting the new strings on

[@IamMusicNerd]

Thanks for the insight! If I experienced the same thing, I will just revert back to my Hardtail.

[@jfo3000]

Floyd Rose. I've had strings on 1.5 years...

[@w1zard0f0h]

The bar will even out with strings

[@IamMusicNerd]

You are correct

[@rowbags3017]

I got a Les Trem II at Christmas and made it fit my 1978 Gibson "The Paul" with a little filing. My initial enthusiasm at having a vibrato soon began to fade when I hit constant tuning issues. So I bought a cheap roller bridge from Amazon - which didn't fit... hmmm... lesson learned there... and carried on trying to get it to settle in. It was fairly hopeless and it wasn't long before I broke a string at the bridge in the manner another poster has described. So, I was all set to write it off a bad idea... But, I'd originally strung it up with a set of 9s - the only spare strings I had at the time. I gave it another chance and risked wasting a set Elixir Nanoweb 10s... and, touch wood(!), it's behaving pretty well at the moment. One thing I'd like to see Duesenberg include as an option is a much stiffer spring with less travel (I can deck the stock spring setup much too easily), so I find I often swing the arm back and use the stub for subtle shimmers.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great insights! Thank you!

[@rowbags3017]

@@IamMusicNerd Cheers for your reply. To give further credit where it's due, my Les Trem has got better by the day as the new strings have settled in and is pretty rock solid now. Fitting 10s was the answer in my case. As I say, though, I wish there was a choice of springs to set the tension - I find the stock spring a bit too sensitive and (on The Paul) it's quite easy to hit the body of the guitar with the tip of the arm unless I twist it to an angle that's awkward to use.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!

[@sethb1059]

“Lay” Trem? 😂 I don’t think it’s French, I think it’s named after a “Les” Paul. Thank you for the video.

[@Danielallanz]

Couldnt you have just swapped out the saddles from the roller to the tune o matic..also im not sure you really need the roller brigde..i have a gretsch with a bigsby that uses a standred tune o matic...really there no issue's

[@IamMusicNerd]

You’re probably right. I have a Gretsch w/ a similar setup. But when I tried it on the LP with the standard bridge, there was noticeable drag and tuning issues. The roller bridge seemed to help. However, that could also be because the bridge and guitar are 25 years old. A newer guitar may not need it.

[@cavernetblack9037]

La verdad es que si no se le va a dar el uso que se debe es mejor no hacer el gasto es decir . Si te gusta tocar al estilo de steve vai con sonidos locos usando el floyd entonces si . De lo contrario no lo instales por que para tocar un miserable acorde y bajarlo medio tono cuidando el minimo desgaste del puente y con miedo a desafinar pues es mejor que no lo instales

[@superstarmagic3]

Wow that was actually really really bad when you think about it, it was way out of tune actually, so much! Basically no it doesn’t work as advertised, it’s absolutely terrible! Well said, staying in tune is more important!

[@SakoSohn]

Les Trem for Les Paul. Not “Lay” Trem for “Lay” Paul😂

[@IamMusicNerd]

😂

[@jimgray774]

That totally ruined my day

[@mvp019]

Just buy a Duesenberg guitar and screw the LP.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Lol, I will look into that.

[@miahconnell23]

Tempting !! I’ve seen a Dusenberg model that’s mostly empty inside, and THAT’S MY JAM !! 🙌

[@CaddebostanRdr]

KZbin just does not let me watch this wtf

[@narcisaxinte3522]

Drink some water man! You sound dehydrated. Do not recomend listening with headphones. Cool vid tho

[@IamMusicNerd]

Lol, sorry. I’ve been struggling with some medical issues. I’m working on it. :)

[@wesleyc.4937]

A les paul with a trem is like a guy with a shirt and tie... not that there's anything wrong with it.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Lol

[@jurgenesser5514]

Drink more water ...

[@dragonbleu2128]

blablabla. ..plat and demo!

[@chrismitchellsbfinChrist]

stop doing wrong, read the bible, believe in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God only He can forgive you sins & redeem your life & save from hell

[@randyrandle399]

Gibson style bridges and nuts arent meant for moving strings. Pass

[@IamMusicNerd]

That’s fair. I would not do it to my Gibson either, but on this old Epiphone it worked very well and is a nice change of pace for something different

[@jeromewagschal9485]

You're not entirely wrong... I do have several Gibsons and Epiphones with Les Trems, Bigsbys or other types of tremolos but every time I had to add a roller bridge, tusq nut and locking tuners...And it works... Unsurprisingly the most stable guitars are the ones with a straight string pull like the Firebirds or the Epiphone Wilshires ( with the batwing headstocks ) that said, 80% of my Gibsons, Epiphones and similar guitars do not have trems on them...