Anyone here use a Kahler?

ZoSo58LP

rock guy
Just got a G&L Rampage with the Kahler 4300 X Trem on it...loving it, but it does tend to detune a bit, so i'm going to try to solder the strings.

but i noticed that the strings seem to be gouging the living hell out of the cam!! is this supposed to happen!? here's a few pics where you can notice the G is eating away at the cam. the other strings seem to have the same problem, too.


dg2cts.jpg

1zvbxas.jpg


i hope my brand new guitar isn't crapping out already :(
 
I once had a lefty Westbury LP-type guitar that a PO had installed a Kahler. I never bonded with the guitar because of the Kahler, but it worked just fine. I have no idea how much the PO had played the guitar post-install, and because I didn't really bond with the guitar I didn't play it much, but there were no problems that I noticed. Sold the guitar about two years ago, and talked to the new owner- he tells me it's his #1 guitar, and he's gigging with it, so it must be getting some use- he has no complaints. So, Kahlers seem to be perfectly good whammys, AFAIK.
 
yeah, i know they're pretty good, i like it more htan a floyd rose..my question, though, is do all kahlers have that string gouging like in the pics? notice from rubbing against the cam (which is the DESIGN of it) it's wearing away and gouging a groove into it....is that supposed to happen?!?
 
Oops, I forgot to address that. I don't recall if the one I had has that kind of issue, but if it did, it did not seem to affect the playability or tone of the guitar. I even might have kept the thing if I hadn't already had an Epi Les Paul, a Westone with a Bendmaster locking trem, and a Strat with trem. And if I hadn't gotten the chance to triple my investment...
 
i'm gonna try to contact G&L or Kahler to see if they'll send a warranty replacement cam or something. it's ridiculous because they put on strings that have windings like this on the end, and they seated the strings so the part with the wire sticking OUT was facing the cam, therefore the gouges occured, so it's G&L's fault when they strung it up. now to get into contact with them and try to get something replaced...because i'm NOT sending back the full guitar lol
 
i've been using a Kahler since 1984.

i've replaced my oldest Kahler with a hybrid locking version (not because it was worn out, but because i wanted the option of hardtail AND floating trem, and the hybrid does that.)

ever since i first got the kahler, i've been soldering the ball ends of my strings on the unwound part of the set.

reason?

as you 'whammy', the string moving back and forth (forwards and backwards) slowly unravels.

soldered, it never unravels.

a side effect, was it made the string winding smooth, where it crosses the top of that cam, so i did not get that kind or wear on mine.
 
exactly. i think G&L messed up when they strung this guitar up, because the windings were facing DOWN..that's the only way this thing could've gouged like that. i just got it friday, and i have no intention on returning it to MF..should i call them and see if they can talk to G&L about a warranty cam replacement or something?

i just ordered the d'addarios that are made for these kahlers (they come pre-soldered so i dont have to do it...as i tried, and failed horribly..my soldering skills were never that good lol) so hopefully that'll help..until then, i put a piece of electrical tape on the cam over where each string sits...hopefully that will help prevent anymore wear
 
also, i notice a rattling coming from SOMEWHERE in my bridge when i hit the low e string, and the G string....any thoughts as to what it could be? i can't figure it out
 
Man, I've always wanted a Rampage. And a Kahler. At the same time. Jerry Cantrell FTW. ("fuck the world". not "for the win")

Anyway. I've seen in interviews with him where he mentions having to reverse or block off something to his Kahler because detuning or the strings cutting in or something like that.

My probably worthless 2 cents.
 
lol what he was talking about was countersyncing the kahler into the body..basically, kahlers lay on top of the body, but when that happened, his low E would pop out of the saddle roller...so he countersunk it out, and now the trem is flush with the body...which means you can't get at the locking screw to lock the trem in place without removing it, which kinda sucks.
 
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