How To Set Up A Floating Tremolo Guitar

[@JustinGoogle-fr5bq]

I made a reusable tool to use in place of post-it notes. I used a 3D printer to make a cube with tapered sides to wedge in the back. Then I adjust it the opposite way, loosen the springs a bit first, then use my wedge to bring the bridge down so it’s parallel, tune to pitch. Then slowly tighten the spring until my wedge comes loose. You could make a custom wedge out with whatever tools you have available, a small scrap of wood and a pocket knife could work just fine.

[@TheGuitarCurator]

The studio looks great! Awesome video. Thanks for sharing!

[@lisan_al-ghaib]

Nice of you to shoutout FruduaTv. The video on this was 12 years ago.

[@willswanderings6912]

I adjust my tremolo so that when the bar is pulled up to where the tremolo bottoms against the guitar body, it has a set amount of upward pitch, in semi tones. This way it will always move the same exact amount of pitch up when it contacts the body. More precision, less over-stretching of strings, and the same amount can be set on multiple guitars, or it can be set different from one guitar to another if desired. It is nice to know that any tremolo equipped guitar you own can be picked up and played and you know it has that same pitch change. If you like it so extreme that you sometimes break a string when pulling up, then you can set it up 1 semi tone less at a time until you find that setting that doesn't break that brand of strings, giving you the widest range possible and not having to worry about breaking a string during a gig. You can also find the limits of different string brands. Again, precision to dial it in. Everyone I see uses a measurement at the back of the tremolo to set it up. Different people measure at a different point on the tremolo. This measurement set by pitch up amount, removes this inconsistency in measuring points. It also allows for more consistent set ups for specific likes of customers.

[@thetonycooper]

Dude…AWESOME new studio!!!!

[@shanewalton8888]

Digging the new studio background. Sound is coming through nice as well.

[@nicholasaragon4126]

The studio is looking dooooope

[@cameronsliger7301]

?? Dylan, would you do one of your "How To" videos on neck shimmimg. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@iromanovsky]

What about the truck you showed some time ago about tuning specific strings to specific pitch to set the trem angle. I beleive it has some relation to floyd rose guidance.

[@charleswallace5818]

This is very helpful. Thank you for all you share

[@robinmastre8642]

Some great tips here! Thanks mate!

[@monmac1165]

Hello Dylan.....what if i set up my 2 point trem higher than parallel to the body.....would it make any difference from a parallel set up? I do this because I use a wound G, and I need to pull up a bit more on the arm to get that 1 1/2 tone rise.Your advice please....Cheers from Vancouver.

[@Seastone84]

Dylan, thats one hella of room. A cigar should be a requirement when sitting on that couch. Congrats on the new place. Moving is stressful.

[@Jay-fp4ii]

Nice new diggs!

[@iromanovsky]

PRS changed their guides from setting plate parallel to body to parallel to strings. Any thoughts on this?

[@DylanTalksTone]

It’s the same if the guitar is flat

[@iromanovsky]

@@DylanTalksTone as i have a number of core and se prs guitars, i see the neck angle is not exactly flat, so the strings are not exactly parallel to the body. Thats why I’m curious what is should use as a reference for setting up my floating bridges.

[@DylanTalksTone]

Definitely strings.

[@gordonplatter9162]

A business card will work for neck relief

[@DylanTalksTone]

Common business cards are about .015” which is way too much IMO

[@gordonplatter9162]

@DylanTalksTone you're right and it is a old school way and works better for bass and a way I was taught before I had feeler gages

[@ramencurry6672]

Stewmac sells a relief gauge. I’m thinking of buying one. It might be give some other information

[@gordonplatter9162]

@ramencurry6672 that thing is or was expensive to me

[@richardhagerty6811]

It's NOT a tremelo!! It's a vibrato! Tremolo is variation in amplitude. Vibrato is variation in pitch. Why can't musicians get that right?

[@wyldeslash2003]

Someone pooped them selves.

[@gordonplatter9162]

Vibrato is effect that was on a fender pro reverb

[@DylanTalksTone]

Do you feel better now?

[@richszmal1653]

Instead of people using the term tremelo or vibrato, just use the term bridge, and everyone is happy.

[@ramencurry6672]

I’ve used the term whammy bar to a guitar tech before and he understood

[@markparadis8029]

You almost sound like you know how instiments work

[@squirelova1815]

Hat? You've been wearing a hat all these years? I thought that was just your head or haircut.

[@ramencurry6672]

Back in the early 2000s, piercings were more common but I don’t think he was into that though

[@markparadis8029]

Internet star that thinks you know

[@DylanTalksTone]

Feel better?

[@markparadis8029]

Use a real straight edge fk sakes