Tremolo-no vs. Freelok

[thetick]

Which one looks better?

http://www.tremol-no.com/

http://freelok.com/index.htm

[AirGuitar]

Isnt the Freelok just a cheap rip-off of the tremol-no?

[mi2tom]

I don't know but the freelok looks much more solid

[JTM45]

From what i've seen and read the Tremol-No looks like a much better quality piece of hardware.
It's made from Aircract-grade aluminium as opposed to the freeloks' soft brass construction which has to be an advantage.

IMO there's no question of which one is better.

[vaijem777]

I'm really not a fan of drilling a bunch of holes into the bodies of $3K+ guitars, so I think I'll pass on the Freelok. But...I suppose that if you want a less-reliable product that's made out of a weaker material and requires permanent alteration to your instrument, then the Freelok is the way to go!

[dragsternj]

think also considered should be how the installation is. I received my tremolno 3 days ago and i must have been under the impression it installs pretty quickly without tools. I think i was mistaken.

Quite a lot of pices, extra screws and shims of which i have no idea for what they are as of yet. Directions are written not too well. No images on directions to help show how its been installed. Not happy with them.

Website doesn't help much either.

[EL-CeeDee]

No Dive only mode on freelok?

[vaijem777]

I've had my Tremol-no for nearly a year. It came with instructions, but I never even looked at them. Didn't need to. It's a pretty user-friendly unit and install is more intuitive and common-sense than anything. Looking at a picture of the thing pretty much tells you how it should be installed. But...to each their own

[moro]

I have to agree with dragsternj--the Tremol-no instructions are terrible. They do a really poor job of telling you how to install the thing and there are *zero* instructions on how to use it.

For example, the "Deep-C" isn't mentioned at all. (It seems to be the part that sets the bridge to dive-only mode.) Also, there are two screws on the arm, but I don't know why. I'm guessing that a single screw wasn't stable enough, but I really don't know.

It seems to be a nicely designed, well built widget, but the documentation is awful.

dragsternj, PM me if you have problems. I seem to have gotten mine installed properly. :P

[dragsternj]

@vaijem777

You must also have that thing properly grounded, because thats one thing i would have not just done without instructions. And even with instructions it talks about supplied ring terminals, which my unit came not with.

But i assume since you have it a year you must be closer to the developer than others, thus i can understand the defense, but am not sure how unbiased it is.

THX moro

[darren wilson]

I've been following Tremol-No development almost since the beginning, though i haven't been on Kevan's prototype/development/test team, and i haven't had a tremolo-equipped guitar until recently. I've recently recieved my production unit, and i'm just awaiting the special adapter plate needed to install it on my Music Man JP7 (because of the way Music Man bevels the bottom of their trem's sustain block).

The Freelok and Tremol-No are very similar solutions the same problem. What sets the Tremol-No ahead in my opinion is that it seems to be a more "complete" solution in that you don't have to drill holes in your guitar to install it, and the "Deep-C" adds the dive-only functionality with ease. The Tremol-No is also made of superior materials.

But i agree with the assessment of the way it's packaged, and the weakness in the installation instructions, and i've passed along my thoughts to Kevan.

1. There's nothing identifying the parts included.
2. There's no mention made of the tools required for installation.
3. A step-by-step photographic or illustrated installation guide would be much better. If not in the package, at least on the Web site.
4. There isn't even a photo on the package or on the Web site of the unit installed, so unless you know what it is, what it does, and where it's installed, it's a bit of a mystery.

[moro]

Originally Posted by dragsternj

And even with instructions it talks about supplied ring terminals, which my unit came not with.

Ah, mine neither. I thought they just forgot to include it in mine. I guess they forgot to include it in all of them. Lol.

I just wrapped my grounding wire around the allen screw.

[darren wilson]

They opted to eliminate the ring terminal after the instructions were printed. There's a revision to the included instructions coming in the next run.

[vaijem777]

My defense is completely unbiased. The unit wouldn't even work on my favorite guitar (PRS Navarro model). I couldn't get it to work on my EB/MM LUKE either (a problem that's since been rectified.)

The grounding issue was never an issue for me. I've spent plenty of time messing around with guitars and common sense has taught me that if you take a wire OFF of the tremolo claw, you'll most likely need to put the same wire back ON to whatever is replacing the claw.

Kinda like tires on a car: if you take the tires off of your car, you'll hopefully put new tires back on before driving it

Like ANY product, there will always be ways in which the Tremol-no can be improved. That's life. But, when compared to the Freelok, the unit is simply superior. You're not paying for the instructions...you're paying for the product.

Besides...the instructions (of lack thereof) should be something that you might want to ask AllParts about since they're the distributor.

[Rich]

Bottom line, the website should have complete installation instructions and FAQ to answer any of the simple questions that might arise, from those with no common sense to those with an overabundance, but no practical aplication thereof