I’ve only been playing 15 months or so but I love using my trem! I think I do it pretty well! What do guitar players mean when they call it a talent stick?
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Music General Discussion »
why do people call a tremelo arm a talent stick?
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Joined: Feb 22, 2019 Posts: 190 
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 08:56 AM
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Joined: Feb 22, 2016 Posts: 439 California 
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 10:38 AM
I've never heard that term. Just curious, where did you hear it? The names that come up are funny. First of all it's silly that the Fender refers to it as a tremolo arm, because the effect is actually vibrato, not tremolo, so off the bat it's confusing. Some other terms that make me laugh are... wiggle stick, wang bar (eew!), dipper, and wah wah bar. The most common name for it that i've heard is whammy bar, so 80's. Maybe some people call it a talent stick because they feel like it's another way express one's self on guitar, another way to articulate the musical language of guitar, which i assume takes talent. Last edited: Mar 16, 2020 10:39:22 |
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Joined: Feb 22, 2019 Posts: 190
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 11:24 AM
I read it over on TDPRI.com. |
Joined: Sep 06, 2012 Posts: 1288 Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 11:57 AM
There are some people who believe you can achieve the same results with finger vibrato and bends. I've seen online comments that Kerry King of Slayer wouldn't be able to solo without a whammy bar and wah pedal. |
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Joined: Feb 22, 2016 Posts: 439 California
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 12:18 PM
Makes sense now, on a telecaster forum they're trying to joke around and be sarcastic since telecasters are primarily hardtail instruments. The talent bar just isn't needed all that much in country music since they have the bendy chicken pickn' style and slide guitars. Although Merle Travis sometimes used a talent bar to very nice effect. Funny to know that's what they call it over there. I too love to use it, and I feel like I'm missing something whenever I play a guitar not set up with a nice floating vibrato tailpiece. |
Joined: Dec 12, 2006 Posts: 2675 Ventura, CA
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 12:43 PM
This notion always confuses me. You can bend a string up with your fingers but not down. How is it that some people can't see that. I'd like to see someone to a dip with their fingers. Surf_Skater wrote:
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Joined: Feb 22, 2016 Posts: 439 California
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Posted on Mar 16 2020 01:22 PM
Some folks think it's edgy and hip to push the neck forward to momentarily lower the pitch. |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 5080 San Francisco
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Posted on Mar 17 2020 02:02 PM
It's probably called a talent stick because, as others mentioned, you don't have to develop a finger vibrato. You do have to develop a tasty term-arm technique. Stormtiger wrote:
I like to finger-bend up to a note, then pick it and bring it down in pitch, then come back up to the note. Though, as you point out, impossible to do on a low E (unless you do the tuning peg trick.) —Buy Speed of Dark @ Bandcamp |
Joined: Apr 02, 2019 Posts: 339 |
Posted on Apr 25 2020 04:48 PM
Sonic_Blue wrote:
that term probably comes from the same types of players that consider any effects pedal use other than overdrive as 'excessive' and lacking skill. nothing at all wrong with large pedalboards or vibrato mechanisms. |
Joined: Jul 05, 2019 Posts: 141 |
Posted on Jun 22 2020 09:11 PM
Nothing at all wrong with using a trem bar. Now I started guitar playing a lot of BB King blues and developed a strong "butterfly" finger vibrato. I prefer to use that if vibrato is required for a single note, but there is no way that is going to work for chords- especially if there are open strings, and these are frequently used in surf music. A good tremolo arm technique is a skill unto itself. Nothing to be ashamed of. |
Joined: Nov 27, 2019 Posts: 128 Los Angeles
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Posted on Jun 22 2020 10:59 PM
A snarky term for no nothings because it is easy for any passerby to notice and point out and actually have a bit of a clue about the sonic effect. Like any musical tool, mechanical or electronic, the artistry is up to the artist and the critiques are for the critics. The lowering of pitch of all 6 strings at simultaneously varying varying percentages creates a complex ever changing set of harmonics. That's one of the reasons it sounds so good. — |
Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4128 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Jun 23 2020 12:20 AM
I agree; it sounds a bit snarky. Using one correctly requires some skill. I’ve seen players that use it as a crutch, of sorts, but I’ve seen plenty of skilled players whom used it sparingly and tastefully. Hank Marvin took it to new heights, using it frequently, but to such great effect. —The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. |
Joined: Jun 14, 2012 Posts: 462 Ohio!
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Posted on Jun 23 2020 09:54 AM
I feel this is a term that surfaced in the 80's when locking trem systems were starting to get popular. Is was used as an insult I believe, when in doubt do some whammy tricks to distract the crowd from mediocre playing. It seemed to work, though using one of those things really is a talent in itself. Check out the 6:40 mark in this Sweetwater vid. Brian is an old pal, dude can rip with the best of them! |
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Joined: Jul 05, 2019 Posts: 141 |
Posted on Jun 24 2020 09:14 AM
synchro wrote:
If it's good enough for Hank... |
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Joined: Mar 17, 2019 Posts: 146 Central PA
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Posted on Jun 24 2020 03:18 PM
The term is pure snark. Yes, like anything, a trem bar can be overused or poorly used. But it can also be well and tastefully used. And all that is largely a matter of taste.
Um .. nothing to do with edgy and hip - if you're playing a Telecaster, it works. I love Teles - they're their own thing, and I don't generally want a trem on mine. With a hand vibrato system, you gain some things, and also lose some things. Nice to have both. —The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook Last edited: Jun 24, 2020 15:19:10 |
Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 269
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Posted on Aug 02 2020 02:49 AM
First heard the term, "talent lever" used by the late James Wilsey on some internet forums, He had a dry sense of humour as well as being a virtuoso of the talent lever himself. For those who dont know he was the guitartist on the early Chris Isaak's records. An example of his work Wicked Game —Freshwater Surfin' The Murray Basin Last edited: Aug 02, 2020 02:50:20 |
Joined: Aug 22, 2010 Posts: 1013 Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Aug 02 2020 10:44 AM
"Talent stick," explains Chet Atkins' impeccable playing. Video recordings show his dependence on it. Regarding Hank Marvin, I hear volume swells more than vibrato. —Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com |
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Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4128 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Aug 02 2020 05:02 PM
Squid wrote:
Without a Bigsby, Chet would have been nobody. The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. |
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