This Taking The Whammy Bar Too Far?

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[@teerexness]

I don't think he mentioned the fact that, unlike a real trem, this won't throw your guitar out of tune. No matter how much you use it. That's a pretty big feature. Notice the entire demo was on a hard tail guitar!

[@jdemedeiros1]

Agree this is definitely the huge selling point. Whether thats worth adding all the clunkiness to your signal chain/rig is the real trade off.

[@teerexness]

@@jdemedeiros1 I think that once you get the cables neatly tied together and attached to a strap, it would be fine. You could easily spend $200 on a traditional tremolo that could hurt your tuning stability. And they certainly can't do the capo functions. I think this is pretty cool myself.

[@wingsoficarus1139]

I wonder if you can still do all the tricks you could with a real floyd rose. Like when you tap the whammy (no idea what the term is) or hit a harmonic and divebomb.

[@apropostt]

Unless it gets stuck or doesn't return to position consistently.. then it'll still be out of tune... but I guess you could at least just turn it off.

[@etlonjonh]

@@apropostt same issues with a real trem

[@andrew6889-p5c]

I think this design has a much broader future. There is no limit to what that arm can control. It could move a filter, increase distortion, alter eq, deepen a chorus, change a delay wet/dry mix. Expression pedals can theoretically also do this, but honestly they aren’t that expressive. Most people can be way more subtle and precise with their hands than their feet. Other guitars have included touch pads, but having a $400 attachment that converts any guitar is better. If that wireless connection is very low latency, then I think this could have a big future. It probably needs a redesign to reach full potential. I hope it gets there.

[@silvioschurig749]

Agree that was my thought. Taking it a bit more to the limits of a trem system would have been nice for the review though, like dive bomb, flutter and similar. But yea using this as a general controler for other effects would be great, especially if there were options like not having it snap to neutral etc. Also something that would be nice would be an option to install it undeneath a conventional bridge ... I have an upcoming build from a luthier extra route under the hannes bridge, fixed bridge mounted on top ... I would get that right now :)

[@MJ7TheGamesYT]

it needs to be wireless like why have another wire hanging down to where your gonna trip over it

[@MJ7TheGamesYT]

but other then that i like the idea of that

[@MarcusBrannon]

@@MJ7TheGamesYT it can be wireless, he stated it can use Bluetooth

[@nos4me]

This would be awesome with a digitech whammy

[@gr8tnowwhat]

My first thought was...gimmicky....but the more you get into it, its really not a bad idea. I think every guitarist who avoids trems due to tuning issues may take a look at this. Thanks for showing this Phil !

[@47279J]

And the technology has been around, since whammy pedals came out years ago.

[@meroinheroin]

Tbh my Jazzmaster always stays in tune no matter how hard I go on the whammy. 🤔

[@retrovertigo.505]

@@meroinheroin are those jazz Squier or fender?

[@meroinheroin]

@@retrovertigo.505 Fender

[@lathrin]

Or just get a floydrose

[@jdemedeiros1]

Definitely appreciate the shot at some innovation, gear world could use some. This current iteration seems like it has a lot of parts/failure points if using live and looks clunky, but I'm sure it will evolve. Cheers!

[@darthandeddeu]

Good as a prototype, gotta get feedback to see where improvements are needed.

[@ronpopeil7]

I’d like to see it demoed on an acoustic guitar. Not something I need, but always appreciate people thinking outside the box

[@RobertFisher1969]

FOMOFx have videos demoing it on acoustics. Here’s one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnbCdJiobbh5gNU

[@ellsworth1956]

I have used it on an acoustic. it does not to the capo function well as you can still hear your acoustics natural tones. But it can turn your six string acoustic into a 12 string.

[@flekkzo]

Bass guitar :) Too many strings guitars as well.

[@rasputinsbeard3899]

Ian Moss was using one with acoustics on his most recent tour. When I looked into it, it turns out that he was half of the team that made it in the first place.

[@mal2ksc]

@@ellsworth1956 You could also use it in a Frippertronics style, and feed the shifted output to a delay so every note you play is followed by an echo of the same note unless you start playing with the bar, in which case the echoes get bent. That way you don't have to deal with the cognitive dissonance of the acoustic and shifted sounds.

[@dennisrohm6372]

They should of put the power plug at the bottom, so the cords are closer to bundle them.

[@bobdelair02]

Include the power in the guitar cable… or better, battery power the unit.

[@mal2ksc]

@@bobdelair02 Put _everything_ in a single cable that _looks_ like a guitar cable in terms of thickness and slackness. The guitar's audio should be routed from its output to the unit, then on to the stomp box over the single cable. If the output was going somewhere different, there might be a case for using two cables, but it's not. Everything is attached to the stomp box. So consolidate the whole connection between guitar and stomp box into one cable. Also if using Bluetooth, there should be more than enough bandwidth available to put the raw guitar audio out over the same connection, rather than requiring two separate transceiver setups. Why have two parts that could fail when you could do it with just one?

[@bobdelair02]

@@mal2ksc Right... though talking about things that could fail (using it on stage), is the attachment of the trem arm unit to the body IMHO ... especially after putting it on and off a few times.

[@BigislandEJ]

They should just not build such a monstrosity actually, especially for $500

[@princeoinkins8408]

@@mal2ksc the term arm doesn't do anything with the audio tho, it's literally just an expression pedal

[@reiddillashaw2383]

I'll never buy one, but really appreciate knowing about it and hearing it in use. Enjoyed the video, Phil. Gracias.

[@markthomasnoonan]

I’ve got one of these and I like it a lot. I think my favorite effect is the blend mode (that wasn’t in the demo), where your original signal is blended with the altered note, it can be a “slightly off unison bend” sound or a more spacy “strange detour in the background”. I don’t like that the blend mode needs an external foot switch to activate. But I like a little unexpected extra note wandering around every now and then as I’m noodling. The other thing I like is capoing down to baritone range when looping, and then going back up to normal to play over the loop.

[@BrianMark75]

I got one of these for my son for Christmas last year. He really likes it, and it seems to be the only option for a whammy on a 9 string that isn't controlled by the feet. It's had a few issues (power supply was bad, bluetooth disconnects, etc.), but overall seems pretty decent for a first offering. I'm interested in seeing what they do next.

[@StormBurnX]

An expression pedal to control tremolo while the whammy bar controls the vibrato would be super interesting.

[@iotxipi]

Very grateful you reviewed this. I've had Virtual Jeff and now the Pro version. It's amazing, freeing, and the guitars stay in tune. Strings last longer. Bends feel weird, using the bar, but you get used to it, like anything, the more you do it. Phillip's review pretty much covers all you need to know. Good job, in my opinion. About the Bluetooth: it works. I don't notice any delay, either. It's great not having the extra wire.

[@bobwallace9814]

I personally have a Floyd Rose on mine but I can see someone with a hardtail who wants to add a tremolo system but not to potentially screw up when adding a traditional one would be interested in this.

[@enzozeb]

DOUBLE TREMOLO!!!!

[@suzannecoholic1467]

well now, I've seen it all. interesting bit to me was the capo ability seemed pretty cool for detuning, etc. (like an octivizer-thingy) as well as the variability for the amount of whammy pitch detune up and down. thanks for sharing Phil!

[@JohnnyGuitaristOfficial]

At 1st, I was skeptic but after getting into it more. It seems like a pretty cool addition to your rig. Especially when using that guitar that you dont want to mod due to Collector/Valuable/rarity.

[@kicksareforribs5156]

Thanks Phil. Great stuff as always. It's so refreshing to see someone who cares about the consumer and not just their own profit margins. We need more people like you in this world and we need to support them to show how much they matter. ❤️

[@princeoinkins8408]

I've played exclusively hardtail guitars live for years for many reasons, tuning stability being the main reason. I just picked one of these up 3 weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying it! I do alor of ambient pad type stuff, so I usually find myself using it for that as some extra flavor. But the more extreme options can be pretty cool to, it'll dive bomb. the capo function is useful, as I do find myself playing in D# or D standard regularly. I used to get use a polyphonic pitch shifter on my helix (copying a patch and setting each patch for different tunings) but it's seed me from having to create double patches/ running into the issue where I want a certain sound but I didn't think ahead and set a drop tuned patch All in all I think it's a great product, and I hope they come out with more! I think there's even more potential to use the whammy bar as a regular expression pedal And BTW, to my ears it tracks perfectly. which I can't say about some of the other pitch shifting options out there

[@DandamanV]

It's a pitch shifter pedal, but with a great interface! I think the hand-operated interface has a great deal of potential!

[@stevesalazar9658]

I could see this being useful for the working player for the capo feature. Also you can have a whammy bar when you need one without worrying about string break on a floating strat bridge or tunning issues as the trem gets out of adjustment. Curious if it will do open tunnings as well? That would allow you to do slide without switching guitars. Drawbacks are definitely the digital sound. I'm sure it will leave a mark just like your pickgaurd does over time from no direct light compared to the rest of the body. Wouldn't put it on that vintage strat, tele, or LP. The other downer is the need for extra stuff to have to haul & pedal board real-estate. Curious about how the trem feels? Does it feel like a normal trem arm to you?

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I love it! If nothing else that capo function would be very useful when you use open tunings. Can't wait to play around with one

[@1rwjwith]

I think it’s a good idea seems to work better for the trem arm function than a whammy pedal can do . I have a whammy dt it is good but I am glad there is new technology working on this idea for the electronic capo.

[@xrainymondayx]

I love this so much. My only gripe is that it's an item you slap onto a guitar. I'll wait for the day these come built into guitars. It would be so nice to have a trem system without all the of pain having one comes with.

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

Or, get a Floyd and a Whammy?

[@thestan2941]

@@KelticKabukiGirl and then deal with the maintenence

[@liam___.]

@@thestan2941 not even that bad once u figure it out, and if you really don’t like it that much take it to a shop to get it installed, or just don’t get one 😭

[@thestan2941]

@@liam___. I'm a guitar tech for a band, luckily none of them use Floyd roses.

[@HenritheHorse]

@@thestan2941 Why not? Good quality floyds stay in tune great and are even easier to finetune once you lock the nut.

[@c.l.5199]

At 3:40..."And that's not very pleasing to me". LOL! I love the understatement. Thanks Phil, nice demonstration.

[@danmorrison8746]

I was initially like "ugh, this cannot be what i think it is" and to my dismay, it was exactly that. And then i was surprised by how cool it was. I feel like this would be best for a jazz player looking to wiggle the bar, but stay in tune.

[@Nick-ul2nu]

Darrell Braun made a video about this glad to see your take on it

[@Jim-yc7zb]

I have a line 6 variax, because I can change tunings on the fly. With the virtual jeff, I also have the automatic capo. This gives me over 100 different tunings without touching the tuners or a capo.

[@ellsworth1956]

Love my Virtual Jeff! I like to set it up so it turns your guitar into a 12 string with the blend mode.

[@AdrianChazz]

When you spend thousands of dolars to get one of these and people only ask for the Better Call Saul intro... 😂😂

[@daleonov]

Cool! Definitely closer to those digitech pedals than actual mechanical tremolo, but that's what makes it cool

[@picksalot1]

I've known about this Tremolo for a while, and think it's a cool idea. They should partner with a company that can pre-install the unit into the body of a guitar so it is fully integrated as advanced guitar tech. Remove the kludgey element of it being stuck on with tape and unsightly wires running out of it. That could make it more acceptable, and perhaps even a necessity for contemporary guitarists.

[@gsxerwhite]

I’d use it on recordings because I only have one guitar and it’s a hard tale. The wires wouldn’t bother me but I’m sketchy about the tape. Actually screw that I just heard the price.

[@mackbower9681]

I think I remember hearing about these (or something really similar) like ten years ago and I assumed it was dead in the water. Got some cool features, good to see it's actually in production

[@toms5951]

Honestly I liked it this way more than I thought I would, dialed in just right had a great Bigsby effect. Very innovative.

[@ACoustaDC]

Phill... what is the tension like on the wiggle stick? Is that part adjustable? I like my trem to be hard to push... I strum hard and use 11s so I like that tension.

[@atin8996]

Seems pretty awesome. Especially for those who don't want to harm their expensive hardtail guitars. My question would be if you have the ability to change the tension/sensitivity on the arm. Thanks for the video, Phil. I really appreciate your opinion and look forward to what's next as always.

[@Urmyrx]

That's exactly what I was wondering = can the tension be changed? Some ppl like a lot of springs in their strat, others loose.

[@Urmyrx]

That's exactly what I was wondering = can the tension be changed? Some ppl like a lot of springs in their strat, others loose.

[@noahherne4626]

Great idea, but looks more cumbersome than I would mess with. I love seeing companies innovating and try new stuff.

[@DrayWizarde]

Almost had me at the beginning there, i thought you were gonna play the Better Call Saul theme!

[@adumb6217]

For real!

[@pablomartinez9995]

fr

[@3kil0w4tt]

Thanks, Phil, I always look to you for advice on things of this nature!

[@DevilMayAsian]

Love the idea. Curious if it can hold pitches, like how the Transtrem functions.

[@peterwalker7862]

Yes, it does exactly what a Transtrem does - perfect polyphonic pitch shift on chords... all completely in tune. Cheers

[@matteomidas638]

Hi man great video! Just a question. When the pedal is in "capo" mode do you feel the attack on the strings is immediate or is there a certain latency? Thank you.

[@TravisAlanHall]

is the bar just acting as a type of expression pedal? or is there some fancy circuitry in the box on the guitar? Could you use a 1/4" adapter to use an expression pedal instead? or split that cable to have both?

[@chrisdurham6517]

I dig the randomly cool stuff you bring to my feed.

[@WardWickford]

Another great video! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@DanielPoznerMCNE]

I use my capo to reduce string tension by tuning 1 one step down on my 12 string and putting the capo on the first when playing how could I do that with this?

[@allenmitchell09]

Expression pedal seems like it would be an easy integration. That would be cool I agree.

[@briane.paulson]

Brilliant Design. The foot operated whammy does not have the the finesse that the Virtual Jeff has. The hand is quicker than the toe. It can be used with anything and sounds great. I wish it could flutter although I think they are working on it. At the sale price of $399, it is a good buy. A nickel or aluminum bar would look cool but it is not a deal breaker. Instant baritone very cool. I am saving up to get one. Incorporating Bluetooth into the bar would be nice. Great product!!!!!

[@nathanjasper512]

Not in love with the sound but it does open up some new options like compound bends while pitch bending, or super accurate bending of chords. I'd have to hear it in a song though. Sometimes a thing can sound pretty digital but in a song sometimes you can't really tell.

[@landofahhs_1]

Interesting device. I would love to hear a short Jeff Beck style phrase or two and see how it compares to a well setup tremolo. Thanks for the demo and info.

[@rickjason215]

Jeff Beck actually picks out notes with the whammy bar. It would be interesting to see if he could do that with this device. I couldn’t tell on my IPad how it actually sounds.

[@lancomedic]

I like the capo feature. Is there a product that does that without the tremolo bar?

[@prsmantse1]

This thing is pretty cool. It'd be interesting on a les Paul I think

[@joshSspicer]

It I’d love to see what it’s like since I have used a bigsby on mine and it was a bit of a hassle to get the tuning stability decently reliable even with decent lube on the nut and locking tuners

[@op-z]

Adam Jones from Tool uses one of these on his Les Paul, saw it on Bernth youtube channel

[@prsmantse1]

@@op-z that makes sense. I'll have to check it out

[@aStranger_]

anyone know what song uses the chord progression @ 04:24 swear its same sound and everything, its doing my head in.

[@papasteve7376]

Thanks Phil, very informative

[@kunaiman346]

With that first note I thought you were about to play the theme to Better Call Saul. For the memes.

[@nathax8174]

It's so ironic because I got this video on my recommended after watching better call saul theme memes and covers lool

[@nickspencer2207]

I've wanted to see a review of this for a while! Great job brother

[@blakeanderson7906]

I enjoyed the video as always. Interesting product 🤔.

[@57stratkat]

Regular tremolos drop some string pitches more or less than others so chords go sour. The Streinberger Transtrem was the only trem that could bend chords in tune. Will this thing drop chords in tune for pedal-steel effects?

[@peterwalker7862]

Yes, absolutely! Check our RJ Ronquillo's review on our website - he's a big Transtrem fan.

[@CanItAlready]

The sound of this device reminds me of the sound of the whammy bar on my old Suzuki Unisynth XG-1.

[@boomerboi9642]

The very first second I thought you were playing the better call Saul intro lmao

[@Kenya_Sokdeez35]

Same dude, i got excited there for a second there lol

[@robhamilton5057]

thats a great guitar sound, is that coming from the amp? if so what is that little amp?

[@ruckussful]

i could see this being useful for instruments that dont normal get the whammy treatment. mandolin family/basses etc.

[@JesseLeeKing]

Will it replace the digitech whammy pedal though I highly doubt it but it's cool to have another option to just add a whammy bar onto a hardtail because there isn't many options out there.

[@philemonholmes9283]

It's real power is when you slap it on a guitar with an evertune bridge

[@Hikaru109Ichijyo]

nice like knowing stuff like this exists . . . and not too bad on the tone.

[@ryant3600]

Will it flutter? and I play through a Headrush can I still use it w/ my headrush?

[@ACWraith]

I've been wanting one of these for a while. With a decent trem system costing hundreds of dollars, I'd rather have one good product I can use for any guitar and then play more stable hardtails. That said, what interests me more tends to be the bar interface rather than the pedal. I'd prefer a cheaper whammy bar interface that I could use in the place of any expression pedal. Right now the only on-guitar option is an expression knob.

[@NicklausSIR2]

Great concept, as some people pointed out, you get the advantage of a floating trem without the hassle of messing up the tuning or annoying string change process. I do think the layout can be improved. Having 2 cables and the extra pedal, isn't super practical. I'd rather have it connected between the guitar and the rest of the signal chain (like with a small jack female and male connector inserted between) and have everything on board. Then with an extra remote for those who do want to change the settings during a gig, but for the user who only wants to use it as a trem with constant settings, they could just have the onboard trem and nothing else.

[@HumbleHeartMinistry]

Just the capo feature makes me want it! Think it’s pretty cool!

[@drdoom8793]

Seems like a really cool concept. The possibilities of what you could do with it seem only limited by programming. I see it almost as a midway between a manual trem and like a midi control.

[@peterwalker7862]

Hi... VJP has 14bit expression data MIDI OUT to control other devices!

[@saulgoodman5213]

I was summoned for a second

[@phillyadam26]

Love the Shijie guitar - I’m way more interested in your review of that!

[@tomghiley]

I’ve purchased 2 teles and a strat from Shijie…they’re so so so stupidly good

[@RobertFisher1969]

They tell me that the unit with the bar has a MIDI output that puts out standard MIDI expression messages. I’m hoping to find something that will turn those MIDI messages into CV so that it could be used as expression for other pedals.

[@astrofreq]

Hey man, what is that blue sparkle guitar behind you?

[@marklamorder3743]

That’s a nice kickstand

[@rearden3820]

I like the guitar! What branding is it?

[@cloudshad0ws]

So it's like an expression pedal but in the form of a trem... If that's a TRS cable, I wonder if you can plug it into EXP input of other pedals to control parameters.

[@Hozzle1138]

I have this a few months and I love it in the live situation....

[@johnnolan4312]

Good video! Neat , piece of gear but something I could not see myself using

[@delegelata8033]

Did anyone else think that Phil was playing the "Better Call Saul" intro at the start of the video for a second?

[@Urmyrx]

Can the bar be rotated so that it is pointing towards the back and used in that direction? Some people like to use the whammy bar that way.

[@peterwalker7862]

Yes, the bar is factory set to stay in whatever position you put it, but can be easily adjusted to be completely floppy or full fixed in place.

[@kevinconroy2583]

Enjoyed the review. Cool product for sure. Really thinking outside the box.

[@rutiger6901]

I REALLYlike this thing. Nice sound and guitar never forced out of tune by the traditional whammy bar which is built to fail. But I won't buy one. Too expensive. I'll stay with gentle use of the original because the w. bar is something we should use sparingly anyway to avoid "overdoing" it. Like too much reverb. Thanks for showing me this Phil.

[@Dottytherealtalkingkitty]

Cool video thanks!

[@grene1955]

I was skeptical, but I like it! Might have to try it out!

[@kyotokof]

what guitar you using, sounds so cool😍

[@tditomswweks310]

I think Manson guitars did something quite similar for one Matthew Bellamy's stage guitar a few months ago (the "fake" whammy bar controls directly a built-in Digitech Whammy pedal)!

[@stevesnuffer3210]

What kind of Hardtail Strat is that? Whatever brand it looks pretty cool for sure. Love your videos Phil keep up the amazing work my friend!!

[@DandyDoesIt]

I like it a lot. Especially for being able to get a baritone guitar sound.

[@editname8536]

What is that peham blue prs in the right? Is that a video for it?

[@disseve__]

who else thought of better call saul in the beginning?

[@johnmac8084]

Great demo Phil. It seems a bit expensive to me for a casual user. I guess if you were a serious whammy guy it might be good. Another thought: Do they do extra base plates so you can slot it onto various guitars instead of buying several units?

[@MrLawrence1950]

I wonder if this would work on a Wurlitzer electric piano, or any other mechanical electric keyboard?

[@bluesthing7490]

I doubt that I would ever buy this product but I do think it's neat and will keep it in mind. Great video Phil, Thanks

[@aidancraig1903]

Who else thought he was gonna play the better call Saul intro when he played that first chord

[@achaarpickler]

Great video. Hopefully this gets a few upgrades

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

I just mentioned this device to a luthier that is fixing up a solid tail Razorback. Talk about timing

[@tomflynn2912]

Wow, something to think about! Sounds like fun!

[@dougtodd9184]

Can you program drop D or alternate tuning? That would be nice.

[@bmft3010]

what kind of guitar is that? i know ive seen him review it but cant remember or find it

[@DamnedEyez]

From what I can see...placement is just for convenience, not a requirement to be where it is. That could mean someone could make mounting options that could put it into a pedal, or hook it on the back into a belt loop, etc. If they made a model that is essentially an expression pedal in this format, you'd have even more options.

[@steveoneal5257]

great demo Phil

[@deztruct0823]

I love this idea a lot, I like to play telecasters but I miss having a tremolo so this would be perfect if it well, looked more aesthetically appealing lol.

[@JohnKelly2]

Yeah, but for that price, you could have a Bigsby or other trem installed on your tele.

[@deztruct0823]

@@JohnKelly2 Yeah exactly it's a cool idea and everything but between the aesthetic, having to make room for the big pedal, another chord etc just getting a guitar with a trem or installing one just seems better unless it's in like a recording setting I guess

[@8stringwrshpleader]

Phil, even for just a short, I need you to hook this guy onto an acoustic guitar. I love the idea of an acoustic with this trem plus a chorus pedal and abit of light reverb. Touch of delay for those chikin pickin runs. I think this could be a game CHANGER for instruments that only come with hard tails. Also for those pricey guitars in someones collection that they play often but definitley do not want to route out a cavity for a trem. I definitely hear the digital tone but I think if you throw an EQ right behind it you could compensate for any shift in tone. I love the idea for sure! (also I agree about them needing to add an optional footswitch input)