Help! Trem & String Tension Question (Tremol-no)

[Chalen]

Hi all,

I've recently installed a tremol-no in the dive only position, however I've noticed a bit of an increase in string tension, which is annoying me when trying to bend strings. I have the springs installed as 3 in line currently (didn't make a note of how they were before changing to the tremol-no!).

So there question is - can I do anything to reduce the tension (apart from a lighter gauge string)? Will changing the formation or number of springs make a difference?

Any help appreciated

Cheers
Al

 

[DrKev]

<Physicist hat on>

The string tension has not changed. Same strings tuned to the same pitch = same tension. If you can change that you win a noble prize.

<Physicist hat off>

What has happened is the the bridge is not moving when you bend a string. You know that, it's what you were trying to do but that makes everything feel stiffer.

When you bend a string with a floating bridge, you are not just bending a string, you are moving the bridge - it gives way a little which actually drop the string tension a little and makes everything feel easier to bend. When the bridge is fixed it does not give at all and string bending feels more difficult. In fact you may even feel this extra "stiffness" with vibrato or even in general playing without even bending. But to bend a string from say a D to an E requires the same change in tension no matter what the bridge is doing. That means that while it feels nice and easy to bend when the bridge moves you actually bend the strings further to achieve the change in pitch you'd get from bending that same string to the same pitch with a fixed bridge.

Once you have understood that, it's obvious that if the bridge is set not to move when you bend, nothing you do with the trem springs/screws/ can make any difference at all (though it will change how the trem feels when you use the trem).

That leaves you with only one possible solution - lighter strings.

Personally, that would be no problem to me. The mythical tone change between string gauges is hugely overrated in my opinion and virtually impossible to hear with distortion. So find out what gauge strings work best for you with the new bridge set. Dropping down one gauge will probably do the trick nicely.

Of course you'll also get used to in pretty quickly. Many years back I went from 9 and a floating bridge to 10s and blocked bridge, with 2.5mm action. Lord knows how I managed to play at all but there ya go!

 

[Chalen]

Thanks for the reply and lots of good information. My immediate thoughts are that the bridge is still moveable as it's locked to dive only mode, rather than hardtail, it's just that the effort required to move the bridge seems to be greater than before, and I was wandering whether that was a function of the trem setup in some way. However reading your post I'm guessing this is not the case, however I am finding the difference hard to explain.

Already on 9's so nowhere to go from there!

Once again thanks for the reply.

 

[DrKev]

Adjust the trem springs so that the bridge will only barely move if you do a 1 full bend. That way you double stop bends stay in tune but you will have used just the minimum necessary spring tension to do so.

BTW, nothing wrong with 8s from time to time - love from Billy Gibbons, Tony Iommi, Tom Scholz, Jimmy Page, Yngwie Malmsteen, and BB King.

 

[Chalen]

Thank you! This appears to have worked

Re: string gauge - am considering 10 for the B and 15 for the G, happy with the 9 on the top.

Cheers!
Al

 

[Firesource]

If you loosen the "dive only screw", and adjust the spring tension with the bridge floating, and then tightens the screw again, it should feel the same as before

 

[Chalen]

Cheers, things now good Though I'm starting to wander whether the tuning is as stable. DOH!