Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Elliot on May 24, 2009, 07:34:47 PM

Title: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Elliot on May 24, 2009, 07:34:47 PM
Someone (of a bloke down the pub type of reliability) told me that if you remove the paint in  trem fitted guitars under the bridge plate you get better tone and sustain.  Now sounds possible, but also sounds like the idea of a theoriser rather practitioner.  Any one have any experience of this? 
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on May 24, 2009, 08:08:11 PM

Someone (of a bloke down the pub type of reliability) told me that if you remove the paint in  trem fitted guitars under the bridge plate you get better tone and sustain.  Now sounds possible, but also sounds like the idea of a theoriser rather practitioner.  Any one have any experience of this? 

Potentially "UTTER BOLLOCKS" :arrow:

A strat trem rests on the trem posts and is not affected by the paint if set up floating
I can see if he meant that the trem was flush against the body that you might get a whisker more coupling between the two , but hardly that you would notice, and certainly not worth removing finish for


If he had said in the neck pocket I would be more inclined to agree

Paint on a body does affect tone , but that can be in a positive way  rather than just taking away from the sound of the guitar.
I know that often a paint finish will take away a bit of excess top end and add a bit of weight to the bass end
I kind of factor it in to my builds
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: JustBecos on May 24, 2009, 09:01:24 PM
I have read something similar, though can't remember where now. That was with strat hardtail bridges not the trems though. Which would make more sense inline with what feline has said above, you might need to have Eric Johnson be be able to heard the difference.
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Elliot on May 24, 2009, 09:49:50 PM
Many thanks for your replies, thought as much - it'll save me carving up my strat  :D
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: hunter on May 24, 2009, 10:06:27 PM

The neck pocket in my Tokai strat was always super tight, until I removed the finish, now it's a bit lose and I am really pissed about myself having removed the finish.
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Matt77 on May 24, 2009, 10:10:26 PM
Doesn't Eric Johnson does this and have it done on his sig model?
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Philly Q on May 24, 2009, 10:22:04 PM
Doesn't Eric Johnson does this and have it done on his sig model?

Doesn't look like it:

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/2a0a_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: gingataff on May 25, 2009, 02:28:41 PM
Doesn't Eric Johnson does this and have it done on his sig model?
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
EJ has the paint removed from the top of the metal block (not that many blocks have paint on to begin with) to get better contact with the underside of the trem plate.
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: gingataff on May 25, 2009, 02:32:27 PM


If he had said in the neck pocket I would be more inclined to agree


I've wondered about this, wouldn't bare wood on the 'heel' of a bolt on neck give better transfer of vibrations? Or does having a smooth finish create a larger surface area and this is more preferable? Or is the difference so small that we would never have bothered to talk about this in the days before the internet?
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Philly Q on May 25, 2009, 02:51:36 PM


If he had said in the neck pocket I would be more inclined to agree


I've wondered about this, wouldn't bare wood on the 'heel' of a bolt on neck give better transfer of vibrations? Or does having a smooth finish create a larger surface area and this is more preferable? Or is the difference so small that we would never have bothered to talk about this in the days before the internet?

That's the one.

Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: chisa on May 25, 2009, 06:52:38 PM
Doesn't Eric Johnson does this and have it done on his sig model?
Am I getting the wrong end of the stick?
yes he does, he does it to help with tuning stability
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: Philly Q on May 25, 2009, 07:03:01 PM
Why would removing paint under the bridge have any effect at all on tuning stability?  :?
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on May 26, 2009, 01:43:39 AM
Why would removing paint under the bridge have any effect at all on tuning stability?  :?

+1

the internet effect again!

I'm sure EJ keeps these rumours going to reinforce people's opinion of him as an uber-guitarist
I'm not doubting his abilities - they are vast , but he sells himself well.
Same thing with Yngwie - even the being a bit of a dick - all adds to the reputation and keeps people talking about him.

It's the all news is good news sort of thing - like the Beckhams or Katie price keeping themselves on the front pages for very little reason but it all helps the brand (and the bank balance)
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: ToneMonkey on May 28, 2009, 03:25:39 PM

The neck pocket in my Tokai strat was always super tight, until I removed the finish, now it's a bit lose and I am really pissed about myself having removed the finish.

Ha ha, we've all had those moments.  How loose is it, something that could be fixed with thin vaneers?  You could pass it off as having done it on purpose then  :lol:
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: gingataff on May 28, 2009, 03:42:26 PM

The neck pocket in my Tokai strat was always super tight, until I removed the finish, now it's a bit lose and I am really pissed about myself having removed the finish.


Ha ha, we've all had those moments.  How loose is it, something that could be fixed with thin vaneers?  You could pass it off as having done it on purpose then  :lol:

I had a small blob of excess lacquer in the neck pocket of a Charvel, and when I removed it I found that the difference in angle meant that I then needed a fret dress  :(
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: MDV on May 28, 2009, 03:52:01 PM
Hasnt Eric Johnson got his own signature brand of pedal batteries yet?
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: ToneMonkey on May 28, 2009, 03:56:20 PM
Yeah, they're yellow for a smoother output flow..... or that's what he says anyway.
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: gingataff on May 28, 2009, 04:00:27 PM
Yeah, they're yellow for a smoother output flow..... or that's what he says anyway.
Officially that's "Texas Rose Yellow" ;)
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: WezV on May 28, 2009, 04:53:22 PM
would it not have been easier to put the blob back ;)
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: HTH AMPS on May 29, 2009, 11:59:43 PM

The neck pocket in my Tokai strat was always super tight, until I removed the finish, now it's a bit lose and I am really pissed about myself having removed the finish.

Ha ha, we've all had those moments.  How loose is it, something that could be fixed with thin vaneers?  You could pass it off as having done it on purpose then  :lol:

you need some 'no-more-nails', there's nothing that can't be fixed with that or blu-tack according to my missus  :lol:

maybe try something as simple as different gauge plectrums to shim the neck.
Title: Re: Dremeling a Trem area to bare wood
Post by: WezV on May 30, 2009, 12:05:17 AM
you need some 'no-more-nails', there's nothing that can't be fixed with that or blu-tack according to my missus  :lol:

sounds like my alchoholic neighbour

i was building something in the garden that required two things to be stuck togther so decided to mix up a bit of super duper boat builders epoxy.  nieghbour comes out and says its just not good enough... i should be using no-more nails.

5 minutes later he comes out with a tube to prove a point - my epoxy had already dried like rock but he still wasnt having it.