Wammy bar on a bass

JacoLesFlea · #1 08-24-2006, 11:40 AM

is a tremelo, wammy bar, Floyd rose, whatever possible on a bass guitar?

johnvice · #2 08-24-2006, 11:49 AM

In the mid 80s Kahler made a bass tremelo. I tried a bass with one and I had to ask myself "why"? There just did not seem to be a lot of use for it. Flash forward two decades and many multi effect units have a whammy pedal built in. As a result I have a whammy effect at my finger tips (actually my toe tips) but I still say "why?"

JacoLesFlea · #3 08-24-2006, 11:56 AM

cool...that is pretty much the reply I was looking for...it seems dumb to me but was more curious as to if it has been done. thanks for the post.

SuperSonic!!! · #4 08-24-2006, 12:00 PM

Les Claypool's main Carl Thompson has a whammy bar.

EricF · #5 08-24-2006, 12:04 PM

I've seen pics of Victor Wooten with a Kahler trem on one of his basses, but that dude's in a different world than most of us.

JacoLesFlea · #6 08-24-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricF

I've seen pics of Victor Wooten with a Kahler trem on one of his basses, but that dude's in a different world than most of us.

I know thats right!!!!

ballison · #7 08-24-2006, 12:33 PM

they're pretty cool, but Ive heard of bad tuning problems with the kahler. hipshot also makes one that Ive heard good things about, but Id never get one

niftydog · #8 08-24-2006, 04:47 PM

Kahler are back in business by the way.

You can also order your custom Ritter bass with a revolutionary tremolo bridge!

mmmmmm, crumbled up cookie things...

sedan_dad · #9 08-24-2006, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacoLesFlea

is a tremelo, wammy bar, Floyd rose, whatever possible on a bass guitar?

You've got to be kidding.

Ed2Strings · #10 08-24-2006, 05:06 PM

My friend got an older BC Rich bass at a pawn shop, it came with a wammy bar and he seems to use it quite a bit, but he does alot of experimental stuff.

bass-shy · #11 08-24-2006, 05:35 PM

I had a friend that thought it would be cool to have a vibrato on a bass, so he made one himself. He used to weld in a furniture factory and made it while he was at work. He tried to give it to me but I just couldn't bring myself to bolt it to the P-Bass I had at the time. In certain circumstances, one might be cool but IMO, they're novelty items.

tplyons · #12 08-24-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed2Strings

My friend got an older BC Rich bass at a pawn shop, it came with a wammy bar and he seems to use it quite a bit, but he does alot of experimental stuff.

Black Warlock, single pickup with the old type headstock?

That's my old one then.

tplyons · #13 08-24-2006, 05:38 PM

BTW, Kahlers are pretty awesome. I'm looking to have another one day.

I like the Hipshot's however, I like the feel of the Kahler better. More of a trick thing, but hey, it's a cool trick if you can work it.

BTW, this should be under technique.

JimmyM · #14 08-24-2006, 08:23 PM

I absolutely love my Kahler and have found lots of uses for it...dive bombs (of course), bending harmonics, simulating a fretless, really quick vibrato...some people think it's a joke, but I say they're idiots, and guys like Dave LaRue, Vic Wooten, Les Claypool, and Stanley Clarke wouldn't use them if they were a joke.

tplyons · #15 08-24-2006, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I absolutely love my Kahler and have found lots of uses for it...dive bombs (of course), bending harmonics, simulating a fretless, really quick vibrato...some people think it's a joke, but I say they're idiots, and guys like Dave LaRue, Vic Wooten, Les Claypool, and Stanley Clarke wouldn't use them if they were a joke.

And I agree to all of this... I will have another one day.

JacoLesFlea · #16 08-25-2006, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedan_dad

You've got to be kidding.

No...just a curious question....and after reading some of the replys it sounds like it has been done or is possible...not that I would ever do it........I do like using a violin bow across my bass strings though...very celloesque.

labgnat · #17 08-26-2006, 02:04 PM

i used to want hipshot or kahler either one really bad, expensive part and having it installed is probably almost the cost of the tremolo system. If i would had a bass that deserved one tho i'd do it, maybe someday i'll get one

Erick Lam · #18 08-26-2006, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnvice

I still say "why?"

The answer is "why not?"

Swimming Bird · #19 08-27-2006, 12:35 AM

Doesn't adding a whammy bar to your bass require taking a big chunk out of the body for the springs? I think there's a kahler model that avoids this, but it may be less stable.

I had the same thought: whammy bar on bass -- I need. But then I got a fretless and the entire fingerboard is like a giant whammy, but without accidental detuning, destroying the neck or carving out a big chunk. Whammy's can be cool, but might have detrimental effects on your bass (like tone if you get one of the one where you gotta take a chunk out).

JimmyM · #20 08-27-2006, 12:46 AM

Bah, I totally disagree. The tonal changes with the whammy are so minute as to be insignificant. As for all this malarkey about going out of tune, there is a trick to tuning with a whammy so it stays in tune...you have to tune it while working the whammy bar. As you twist the key, bend the whammy bar at the same time. You have to get the strings used to being whammied, and then it will stay in tune.