All in all, the Tremol-No has relatively few shortcomings. The ones it does have are fairly easy to solve. Its limited instructions can be compensated for by finding better instructions online. The hard to adjust thumbscrews can be replaced with the easier to use set screws. If any of them come loose over time, simply apply Loctite 242 to them. With a Tremol-No on your guitar, you can expect better sustain, easier guitar setup, the ability to switch between tunings without hassle, better tuning stability and more. Switching the bridge between floating, dive-only and hardtail modes takes mere seconds. The build quality of the Tremol-No is okay. There are things that it does well, but also things that can be improved upon.

If used to its extremes, vibrato can create a thrilling effect that can really draw attention to a note and make it stand out. Vibrato systems, like the ones seen on Fender Stratocasters, can apply vibrato to all of the guitar’s strings. This can be used to add some “shimmer” to chords, like in the following recording. Using the vibrato system is a great way to make these long chords more interesting.

Tech Specs

The Deep-C clamp (pictured on the left with the thumbscrew in it) is equally easy to use. Position it up the sliding arm to allow dive-only movement of the tremolo, or move it out of the way (as pictured) if you want the tremolo to have its full range of motion. Compatibility Then, with the bar above the guitar strings, play a chord and move the bar up and down. You don’t need to press it down hard, a little movement will give you the vibrato effect. Again, it provides a rhythmic element to the music, but it’s often a lot more rapid than the tremolo effects. It’s mostly used to give a sense of excitement and urgency to a guitar part. It’s used to add movement and interest to a guitar part, and can help give a stronger sense of rhythm to a song.

Simply connect your guitar to the pedals input and your amplifier to the pedals output, and you’re good to go!

Floyd Rose Tremolo Stop Lock Features:

When combined with other effects, like pinch harmonics, you can get an effect that would be at home in any heavy metal solo. Remember, tremolo is to do with rapid changes in volume. A “tremolo bar” (more accurately called a vibrato system) actually produces vibrato. To help you with this, I have created a more detailed post on how you can install a tremol-no system yourself at home. Of course, you can also choose to have a skilled guitar tech/luthier take care of it for you.

I’ve also recorded this clip of me playing my guitar using vibrato. Here’s me playing another guitar scale, but with vibrato. It’s a lot subtler vs tremolo. Like tremolo, vibrato is a technique that alternates a sound up and down. But, instead of volume, it’s an alternation in pitch. If you’re using vibrato alongside other guitar pedals, I recommend putting it towards the front of the signal chain, before any distortion pedals. But again, try it out for yourself and see what works for you! Summary: Tremolo vs VibratoI was thinking of some designs for an adjustable tremolo stopper, and then realised there was a common household piece of gear that was a lot cheaper than a Tremol-no. Sure it would require a little permanent surgery, but that didn’t bother me. I’m sure a lot of you won’t be either. I wanted to go from floating to dive-only so I could use my D-Tuna, and this little contraption would enable me to do this. Let’s take a look at detailed look at tremolo vs vibrato, and listen to some audio examples to get a better understanding of these often misunderstood effects. The two types of tremolo Top tip: Not all guitars have vibrato systems installed. Standard Les Paul models, and other hardtail guitars, don’t have this functionality. Using vibrato pedals Tremolo effects, usually just called tremolo, refers to an effect that changes the volume of your guitar up and down. This effect is produced by either an effects pedal or amp settings.

Tremolo and vibrato are both what’s known as “modulation” effects, meaning that they both change your guitar’s signal to produce an effect. Vibrato can be achieved by either doing hand vibrato, using a vibrato system, or by using a vibrato effects pedal Make sure the barrel bolt is parallel with the edge of the tremolo spring cavity and make another slight indent in the screw hole diagonally across from the first one you screwed in. Then screw the next screw in with your screw driver.You can also get vibrato effects pedals. These have a more “steady” sound, as there’s an equal time between the pitch bends. These stops do their job pretty well but they're a set-it-and-forget-it sort of deal. You can remove it easily but it's not adjustable on the fly. The Tremol-No The only usability issue I have encountered is that the thumbscrews do not provide much grip. As a result, if you have sweaty hands or limited finger strength, they can be hard to adjust with just your fingers. For that reason, I usually replace the thumbscrews with the included set screws that are operated with a hex key. Thumbscrew on the left, two set screws on the right. Get a hand drill with a 2-3mm drill bit and drill a slight indent to mark your first screw. Then get one of the screws that came with the barrel-bolt and screw it in with the appropriate Phillips head screw driver.