jtrollmann
Joined: Jun 24, 2021
Posts: 132
South Bay, CA
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Posted on Jan 11 2022 09:06 PM
I've been playing acoustic guitars for 40+ years. Six months ago I bought a Strat. I'm having a great time learning surf and other instrumental tunes. I like to rest my palm/wrist on the floating tremolo just behind the bridge. It's a natural comfy place to pick the strings between the bridge and middle pickups. The problem is, that is near where the pop-in tremolo arm is attached. If I pop in the trem arm, then my new hand position doesn't feel right. Playing without the arm in place probably sounds sacrilegious to do so, since the trem effect is such a unique part of the surf sound. I can move the floating trem with my palm, but only slightly, and not to the effect that it was meant to sound. Anyone have any tips?
— -John
"...enjoy every sandwich." -Warren Zevon
Fender Stratocaster American Pro II
Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
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cosmonaut
Joined: Apr 02, 2019
Posts: 339
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Posted on Jan 12 2022 12:35 AM
jaguar or jazzmaster. Just kidding. I actually don’t use the vibrato on my strat. i have never liked the feel of that system. That said, my hand when I palm mute just kinda naturally falls so that my pinky goes between the volume knob and the vibrato bar. When I did use the vibrato, i’d just flick it out of the way a touch and it became muscle memory for my hand to go there.
It also leaves my pinky in the proper place for volume swells.
Last edited: Jan 12, 2022 00:35:41
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ArtS
Joined: May 09, 2008
Posts: 1365
Isle of Kent, MD
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Posted on Jan 12 2022 07:41 AM
I use it for major bends and note/chord accents. Recently I've been watching other videos of surf guitarist who use it on a regular basis. It's a tough technique that requires a lot of control and touch. Your hand has to float over the strings near the bridge, but not rest, then extend your pinky to the bar and waver slightly. You don't have to keep this position the whole song, just when you are ready to use the tremolo. It's a hard discipline; I'm still working on it.
— Surfcat
MARCH OF THE DEAD SURFERS! (2024) - Agent Octopus
Wake up Jimmy! It's Christmastime! (2024) - Agent Octopus (Single)
YOUTUBE - Agent Octopus Surf
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jan 12 2022 08:27 AM
Dick Dale never used a tremolo. My guess is that his strat was set with the trem plate decked to the body and heavy spring tension to counter the huge strings. My suggestion is to decide what you want and adapt to it. Some will use trem with a decked plate some will set up a floating system. I prefer a float with higher spring tension and longer arm for easier bends.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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cirecc
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 311
seattle, wa
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Posted on Jan 12 2022 09:55 AM
I set mine up for just a light amount of float. I typically use .012s these days and three springs. I tend to rest my hand lightly on the bridge, so it needs to be stable or I’ll push it sharp on accident every now and then. With a strat I still tend to have my pinky around the bar. With the vibrato being so direct, it doesn’t require much movement to get the light lyrical bends we often do in surf.
— -Eric
New music!
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4462
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Jan 13 2022 10:53 AM
The Strat trem is a different animal. I have owned a couple of Strats in the past and like the trems, but it responds differently than the trem on Fender Offsets or a Bigsby.
With regard to your situation, it may be possible to alter your RH technique to accommodate the trem arm. When I flatpick, I don’t contact the top of the guitar, unless I am muting.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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revmike
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3811
North Atlantic
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Posted on Jan 13 2022 11:38 AM
Personally, the strat trem is my favourite trem style (probably because I started on a strat). Having said this, there are times when I barely use the trem, and other times when I rely heavily on it. Mine is set up to float, and is always on the guitar. My technique has adapted over the years so that I don't have an issue with the trem.
Rev
— Canadian Surf
http://www.urbansurfkings.com/
Last edited: Jan 13, 2022 11:39:26
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jtrollmann
Joined: Jun 24, 2021
Posts: 132
South Bay, CA
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Posted on Jan 13 2022 03:16 PM
With regard to your situation, it may be possible to alter your RH technique to accommodate the trem arm. When I flatpick, I don’t contact the top of the guitar, unless I am muting.
I'll definitely need to change my right hand position if I want to play with the trem arm in place. I love everything about this guitar. So many good things to learn.
— -John
"...enjoy every sandwich." -Warren Zevon
Fender Stratocaster American Pro II
Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
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J_Durango
Joined: Oct 15, 2017
Posts: 90
Ulverston
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Posted on Jan 17 2022 02:31 PM
I'm sure we can all agree the real evil/genius on a Strat is the position of the volume knob.
You either love it or hate it. No guessing which camp I'm in
— The Spiratones - Instro/Surf from the rain-soaked north-northwest of England
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jan 19 2022 04:41 PM
J_Durango wrote:
I'm sure we can all agree the real evil/genius on a Strat is the position of the volume knob.
You either love it or hate it. No guessing which camp I'm in
I don't know what I'm looking at but I could easily lose the volume control on my surf strat's. I never use it. Full on all the time.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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Joelman
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1493
Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jan 19 2022 09:52 PM
Joelman wrote:
I recently took my trem arm off,, on a whim,, one night during practicing.
I don’t use it a lot, and it has never really been in the way.
But I was playing and bumped it. So I thought. I’m popping it out to see what will happen.
Ehhh. I didn’t notice any tonal difference.
And lik3 I said above. It has never been in the way to me.
So I popped it back in and things are just as it was.
Last edited: Jun 07, 2022 19:35:40
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Joelman
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1493
Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jan 19 2022 09:52 PM
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Joelman
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1493
Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jan 19 2022 09:54 PM
 Joelman wrote:
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ElBorko
Joined: Mar 20, 2020
Posts: 20
Oregon
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Posted on Jun 07 2022 12:06 AM
I got my strat in 2003-ish and the whammy bar stayed in the case until 2018 when I started playing surf. Getting used to that thing in the way took some patience. I put a smaller volume knob that I find easier to control and messed with the springs a lot until the whammy was responsive but not too sensitive. Then I had to learn how to use it.
I find that sometimes holding the whammy still while gently moving the neck with your left hand gets a smooth, nuanced bend. I learned a few tricks and I listen to good players who do nice whammy bends.
Conclusion: like every other tool, you must study, experiment and practice to use it right. When you reach a certain point, it feels natural and you love it. The End.
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DaveMudgett
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 162
Central PA
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Posted on Jun 07 2022 08:57 AM
The only time I don't use a Strat trem is if it's a hardtail - I've had several. They are a somewhat different beast tonally - almost a cross between a trem Strat and a Tele.
But if it has a trem, I use it. I put enough spring tension on to keep it reasonably firmly non-floating, lower pitch only. Not cranked down to the point where it's hard to lower, but reasonably firm. That way, if I wanna ride the the trem bar with my right hand, it does not move unless I mean for it to move. It also stays more stably in pitch and returns to pitch better.
I don't think it's that hard to get used to a Strat trem. Swung out when not using it, it has a small footprint. Swung in when using it, I find it pretty easy to deal with. Like anything else, it does take time to acclimate to it.
On the Strat volume knob - it can be annoying if the pot moves way too easily. On a non-vintage, non-valuable Strat, it would be reasonable to replace the pot with one that has a bit more resistance. I generally prefer to wedge in something to give some resistance if it really moves too easily. A small piece of cardboard as a temporary, or a rubber washer around the stem, something like that. But I don't like it very tight - I change volume sometimes if I'm not using a volume pedal. From playing Tele a lot, I sometimes do volume swells using my pinky on the volume knob. Pretty tough with a Strat knob. So I have sometimes replaced the knob with a heavily-knurled Tele knob to get a better grip on it.
— The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook
Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website
The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook
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JohnnyMosrite
Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 904
New York City area
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Posted on Jun 07 2022 11:42 AM
Quite rarely.. if I want to play a guitar and have it go out of tune, I'll pick up a tremolo-equipped Strat.
Fortunately, I don't get these attacks very often.
J Mo'
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2684
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Jun 07 2022 12:01 PM
Johnny I think everyone knows by now that you hate Stratocasters.
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JohnnyMosrite
Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 904
New York City area
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Posted on Jun 07 2022 06:44 PM
Golly Gee... what gave me away??
J Mo'
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2684
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Jun 08 2022 10:28 AM
Your relentless trashing of Stratocasters at every opportunity.
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DrakeSequation
Joined: Nov 22, 2016
Posts: 79
PNW
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Posted on Jul 20 2022 12:42 AM
J_Durango wrote:
I'm sure we can all agree the real evil/genius on a Strat is the position of the volume knob.
You either love it or hate it. No guessing which camp I'm in
YES! I hate it. I constantly bump it. Plus 2 tone knobs are not necessary.
— Makai
Last edited: Jul 28, 2022 23:05:37
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