Fixed bridge on tremolo guitar.

eric.s. · #1 10-06-2008, 10:36 PM

So I bought a used '91 ibanez r540 LTD guitar a while back for around $600. It's a great guitar, but I was wondering if there was anyway I could put a different type of bridge on the guitar without too much work. I don't know all of the different types, but basically I want something that stays in tune better and stuff. Right now it has a licesned floyd rose. I was looking at the Kahler site, and their hybrid systems seem to imply that they would fit a floyd rose-routed body. Does anyone know for sure? Also i was looking at "wammiworld," and the site says that they have a plate or something that would help to fit a fixed bridge or something on a floyd rose guitar. So basically what i'm asking is, can i get a more stable bridge on my guitar, and if not, what's the next best thing? Thanks for the help.

GuitarBizarre · #2 10-06-2008, 10:41 PM

Buy a tremol-no is the quickest option.

As for staying in tune, do you mean staying in tune while playing it, or while changing tuning and stuff? Because a well made tremolo will stay in tune through a bomb blast as long as its locked down and the strings are stretched.

Racerx2k · #3 10-06-2008, 10:51 PM

Well, if you don't plan on USING the trem, you can go with the Tremol-no, OR, if you wanna go on the cheap, you can wedge a couple wood blocks in there, which will keep the trem from moving at all. At least with the Tremol-no, you have the option of disengaging it, allowing the trem to float, as it was intended.

eric.s. · #4 10-06-2008, 10:59 PM

I was thinking of using the tremol-no, but i'd rather replace the whole bridge if i could. I like to palm mute, and I can't seem to get the right feel for it with my floyd rose system, i don't know what it is, but i can't seem to get the right sound. So if there are other options let me know, but if i have to use the tremol-no or nothing else, i guess i would do that.

GuitarBizarre · #5 10-06-2008, 11:06 PM

What bridges are you used to palm muting on? Because frankly, if its something like a strat bridge or TOM, a Kahler will be further away from what you want. They feel quite odd.

Also, those plates on the Wammiworld site are for the older type Kahlers. The hybrids aren't available for general purchase, and while they're supposedly great, they won't fit those plates I don't think.

Any bridge replacement will require Routing or other modifications like filling in the wood without something akin to those plates btw.

And also, if its the palm muting that is the main problem, why do you want a fixed bridge in the first place? The problem is much more likely the height of the trem off the body, which can be fixed just with a change in the neck shim and a setup of the action...

Hell, I'm surprised you have any issues at all actually... those guitars should have an original Edge IIRC, and I haven't had any problems with any of my experiences palm muting those.