Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Dmoney on March 26, 2011, 09:22:25 AM

Title: damp trem springs
Post by: Dmoney on March 26, 2011, 09:22:25 AM

so... I was browsing the internerd t'other night and came across the youtube vids about various trem stuff.
Since I've not had a floyd equipped guitar before the charvel, I'm interested in tips with it.

One thing i found for trems in general was various ways of dampening the trem springs. I played my charvel muted with a fair bit of gain and after the 'thud' of the strings died I could hear the trem springs ringing through my cab.

I had a go a damping them. I stuffed some of this old school Bunsen burner rubber tube through the middle of the springs and that has stopped that ringing pretty well. Something is still vibrating a making a really high pitched noise, but its much better. I say better... I don't know how doing this or cutting down that noise impacts the tone of the guitar if any?

does anyone else do this with their trem springs? anyone experimented with it?

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Transcend on March 26, 2011, 09:40:59 AM

is it like a very quick sharp & short ring? that you only really hear after you stop playing, ie a quite mute or stoccato stuff?

I solved my problems in 2 ways the first was with aquarium tubing inside the springs so quite similar to what you did.

And the second was to pad underneath the springs with a bit of kitchen roll which stopped the short sharp rings.

However i have heard the 'noiseless' springs from floydupgrades are fantastic i haven't yet checked out the prices though

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Jonny on March 26, 2011, 11:15:55 AM

Quote from: Dmoney on March 26, 2011, 09:22:25 AM

I don't know how doing this or cutting down that noise impacts the tone of the guitar if any?

It doesn't.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: shobet on March 26, 2011, 11:23:51 AM

I just put some foam under them seems to kill the ringing for my tremed guitars.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Dmoney on March 26, 2011, 11:25:34 AM

I would have thought dampening down the vibration in the springs too much might have reduced the amount of vibration going from trem block along the springs into the claw and then the body. That was my concern about going too far with this.

I just had chance to play my guitar louder and that 'reverb' style noise is gone. I can't really hear the other noise so much. the high pitched one. but ill look out for it.

I didn't want to put stuff in, over or around the springs that could potentially get caught in the coils or gak up my cavity.

I just tried to find some stuff on the noiseless springs, one guy claimed they made his whole guitar sound muffled, but most reviews seem positive. still, what i've done works. so no need to buy more springs.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Pete24v on March 26, 2011, 11:32:19 AM

I've wrapped electrical tape around the springs in a few noisy guitars, worked well, can't say i noticed any tonal differences.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Davey on March 26, 2011, 12:12:43 PM

i always take that back plate off and leave em without any dampening :P

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Dmoney on March 26, 2011, 12:21:45 PM

what is the advantage to having no back plate? just easy to adjust?
I thought If i left the back plate off then my clothes might touch the strings and damp them a bit

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: llJasonll on March 26, 2011, 03:22:59 PM

Try going to Floydupgrades.com  I have some equipment that I purchased from this site and they sell (amonst other things) brass trem springs that are silent.  They also have Brass, and Titanium Big blocks that make your sustain and tone better. :)

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Transcend on March 26, 2011, 05:50:29 PM

the back plate removal is just for easy access.

But i believe if you have the noise down to an acceptable level now i would leave it as is.

I only went further as i have a tremelno installed which makes a solid connection between the block & the claw.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: dave_mc on March 26, 2011, 08:12:04 PM

lol at the title, i thought your springs were wet :lol:

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: gwEm on March 26, 2011, 08:23:37 PM

Quote from: dave_mc on March 26, 2011, 08:12:04 PM

lol at the title, i thought your springs were wet :lol:

me too ;)

i just had that problem on one guitar - solved it by stuffing some rag in the cavity (the trem is blocked on that guitar)

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Dmoney on March 27, 2011, 10:04:36 AM

nice one all.
I'm happy with the rubber in the springs. Yesterday I messed about with a goldo backbox. I then took it out and it made my trem feel weird. I'm still slightly tempted to make it dive only, I have one and half semitones sharp pulling up though!

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Transcend on March 27, 2011, 10:09:14 AM

I have also come to the point of removing the backbox.

Its good at what it does but does feel a little odd. At first i didnt notice it much but it really started to annoy me after a while.

Then i just locked it off completely.

Tremelnos are good if you want to keep the optioins there of using it.

But if you arent there are trem stoppers available from floydupgrades that will make it dive only.

but again thats more screwing

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Dmoney on March 27, 2011, 11:39:27 AM

true. I did think once about the trem block and tremolno.

the block does involve more screwing like you said. the no doesn't and it's adjustable. it's annoying that my bridge needs to float to tune but its so close to being on the body.

at the moment I like it floating that little bit though

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: Transcend on March 27, 2011, 11:52:58 AM

I think the tremelno would be your best option in this case.

or maybe even putting a shim underneath the trem with double sided tape so its easily removable if you get tired of the floating aspect.

Title: Re: damp trem springs
Post by: gordiji on March 27, 2011, 01:25:13 PM

this happened in my cheapo ibanez but only with an open A chord (distorted).
piece of cardboard between springs and body works fine and is cheap n easy to replace as necessary.