Vibrato arms

[Hankel]

Which guitars have the best whammy bars (vibrato arms) in regard to the guitar staying in tune even after using the whammy bar over and over? I know that Fender Strats are notorious for going out of tune even without touching the vibrato arm.

 

[Tremendo]

It's not the guitar as much as it's the bridge system. Floyd Rose's are the original popular ones that work well, but it also depends what you use it for (floating, or stop bridge). Some use it once in a blue moon, others use it quite often. I've replaced Fender style ones with Floyd Rose's and others over the years.

 

[Lopp]

Most double locking systems stay in tune. The Floyds are usually of especially good quality (unless it's floating and you break a string).

There are a few others that supposedly do well without being double locking. However, a good double locking system is usually guaranteed to be rock solid.

 

[Greg Bailey]

floyds are good but i always thought they just sounded like metal i've had a lot of luck with wilkinson tremolos make sure you have graphite saddles and the nut should be graphite too but if the intonation is right you should stay in tune very well

 

[Phyl]

Steinberger Trans Trem system is the most stable system I've ever used and it's lockable.

 

[jimistone]

peavey wolfgangs are supposed to have a nice tremelo system

 

[Aaron Cheney]

I really don't like locking trem systems, i.e. Floyd Rose and all its derivatives (Wolfgang included).
They are just more hassle than I'm willing to put up with. If you are doing EVH, Steve Vai stuff, you really have no other options. If your wammy antics are more mundane, you have more choices. Here is what I look for: a bridge with only two pivot points (as opposed to six screws like on old Fenders), locking tuners, and a slick nut i.e. graphite or rollers or something of that ilk.

My two favorite non-locking trems are PRS and Don Grosh's system, which is fabulous.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com

 

[Lopp]

I really don't like locking trem systems, i.e. Floyd Rose and all its derivatives (Wolfgang included).
They are just more hassle than I'm willing to put up with.

No doubt. For a while, all my guitars had floating bridges. Major tuning pain. Also, if you break a string, you have to switch guitars.

Set bridge locking systems are a bit better for tuning purposes.

Be that as it may, I like having a few floating systems for whammy theatrics. However, I rarely use them any more.


[embarrasing momemt] Over a decade ago I was watching a band at a bar and I was quite drunk. The guitarist walked up to me in the middle of a song and threw his Strat on me. I was quite the whammy maniac at the time and proceeded to put his guitar completely out of tune...

The worst part was the song ended and they wanted me to start the next song. [/embarrasing moment]

 

[jcmm]

Floyd Roses are on a ton of guitars for a reason, If you stretch the strings well before locking the nut they work well. Also remember the whammy is a zero sum gain unit. Everytime you do a nosedive you have to bring the bar up to compensate. With practice you can learn to do the "compensation" move before the actual move you are after.
I am an old whammyholic. The best setup I had was a Charvel Model 6 with a Kahler. The Kahler units worked nicely but you had to silver solder the ends of the strings to keep it from unwrapping. It was a real hassle, but the thing stayed in tune live like a dream.
If you plan on abusing the thing then a locking nut is essential.