1 wk. ago • 88%

Advice for adding aftermarket Tremolo

Does anyone have experience adding a tremolo of any kind onto a guitar? I somehow managed to own a handful of solid body electric guitars without having a trem on any of them.

I've seen bigsby trems with vibramate mounting kits that don't require any drilling to install, but their pretty expensive.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VibramteV7AlPk--vibramate-v7-and-bigsby-b7-vibrato-tailpiece-for-gibson-les-paul-aluminum

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/0868013004--bigsby-bigsby-b5f-telecaster-modification-kit

I've also seen the duesenberg tremolo that installs right over the bridge.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LesTremNickel--duesenberg-les-trem-ii-tremolo-system-for-stoptail-tom-bridges-nickel

I'm considering putting something like that on my les Paul or telecaster. Has anyone done something similar? Is this something I can reasonably do myself? Looking for recommendations and/or advice.

Thanks!

2 comments

Ordinarily I'm all for doing your own work on your own guitar, but unless you've done major work to a guitar before, I'd take it to a good luthier. Even a minor alignment error and you've got holes in your guitar that will ruin any resale value it has. That being said, if you're willing to take the risk, a bigsby shouldn't be too hard to install if you've replaced a bridge, shimmed a neck or slotted your own nut before. It's all about getting it located and mounted correctly the first time.

6
- might also help to practice on a cheap beater guitar or even scrap wood.
  
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Floyd Rose also does the FRX, which can directly replace a Les Paul style bridge.

I've replaced tremolos with aftermarket models before, but it was always a drop-in replacement because I'm not comfortable doing anything crazier than drilling bigger holes for tuning machines on my guitars. One botched measurement or slip of the hand and you've got a permanently ugly guitar.

There's also this trem for the Tele which requires no new holes

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