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Albert Lee HH - to trem or not to trem?

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gullymiles

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Joined
Jul 12, 2017
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14
Hi all,

I went into Guitar Amp & Keyboard in Brighton a few days ago, tried out the Albert Lee HH - really just to get a feel for the neck, because I was interested in the St Vincent and they didn't have one of those in stock - and I instantly fell in love with the Albert Lee. Honestly I've never picked up a guitar that felt or sounded that good, it's an amazing piece of work.

So I feel a purchase coming on... What I'm trying to decide is whether or not I want the trem. The model I played was without tremolo, and I can see that this would have advantages. For example, I've spent a lot of time playing a Tele, and I'm used to muting strings with my palm in a way that naturally transferred to the Albert Lee. I guess also the non-trem version is more resonant?

Would anyone here care to comment on what difference the tremolo might make to playability, and also to the overall resonance of the guitar? Any opinions, however subjective, welcome!

Jason
 
Hey- welcome! That AL HH is an amazing guitar.

If you're used to a non-trem, that's what I'd suggest. (That's what I had- I'm not generally a fan of trems.) No difference in playability. Resonance is trickier- some people like the reverberation of the springs, some don't. Personal preference.

The only downside might be resale- seems to me that its generally easier to sell guitars with trems.
 
Just go with your personal preference....
You'll end up getting another one before long anyways... they're addictive...
 
Ditto what xjebebop said. I have a sss trem, hh trem, and have ordered a hh hardtail.

What else I would say is that one thing you should not be concerned about is the trem introducing tuning problems. As for my experience ... the tuning on my trem Albert Lees is rock solid amazing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Albert Lee himself generally goes for the trem version and he was a telecaster man before this guitar came out. But what beej said, if non-trem is what you're used to, then do that.
 
The MM trem is absolutely superb and works incredibly well.

I'd definetely never consider a MM without a trem. (That's why I didn't buy the fabulous Valentine last year.)

If you have a trem and don't use it... Well, it's there. Waiting for you. No inconvenient. You can even remove the wang bar.

If you don't have a trem, good luck installing one the day you change your mind.
 
For me I just feel like SSS/MM90 ALs should have a trem, and HH's can go either way. For me the savings in weight is a nice consideration, and hardtail HH models are just kind of more LP-ish. All things considered they are still light either way and sound good either way, you can't lose.
 
I agree with the previous comments. It's good to have a trem. If you don't want to use just remove the bar. But sometimes it's good to grab it and push down till your guitar sounds like a Harley.:)
 
Above all?

Hardtails resonate differently, and not everyone wants a trem. (Me, for example.) Yes you can block it, but it's not the same.
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, I really appreciate it. In the end I went back to the shop (today!) and bought the non trem version that I've been ogling and playing all this time. I think it fits better with my playing style as of now, plus this guitar in particular definitely seemed to be calling me, if you know what I mean. Oh and I got a Wampler Euphoria too, as the combination when I tried them in store was irresistible. I am one of you now!
 

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