Trem block on Valentine?

[AvalonJohn]

Hello, I have a BFR Target burst Valentine that I love. My only issue is the tremolo. I like a floating trem and I like to bend the strings a lot. This doesn't seem to be a good mix with this guitar. Has anyone tried the "Tremol no" or anything similar? I'm hoping to be able to keep the trem in place while bending strings and still keep it floating. Thank you

 

[beej]

Is the Valentine set up to float? I thought it was down only from the factory. (Though you can certainly set it to float.)

If it's down only, then you can just adjust the spring tension in the back (either by adding another spring, or by screwing the claw in further) so that it takes more tension to depress the trem. I set my Lukes up like this- basically, I'll keep adding tension so that the trem doesn't move when I'm bending. Makes the trem a bit stiffer, but you get the best of both worlds.

If you want it floating, the Tremol-no does work, but it can be a bit finicky. Personally I didn't love it, but some folks do.

 

[tbonesullivan]

How stable a floating tremolo is during bending has a lot to do with the springs you use, particularly how much they are stretched and how many there are. The floating trem on my Luke III became a LOT more stable once I added more springs and stretched them less.