Floating Bridges

I thought these were what the Engineers brought up, when the permanent ones had been "bombed out"?

 

I saw a bassist on Saturday Night Live once who used a tremolo on his bass. Not alot, but at the end of the song he used it for a really cool 'diving' note.
I have actually searched for bass tremolo's and didn't have much luck. One company, can't remember the name, starts with a K I think, that makes some of the Floyd Rose type units used to make bass units but had discontinued them or something. I ran accross a few of this online from various shops.
What I want is a Bigsby style unit that I can mount on my Univox.

 

I have seen a few bass tremelos. I know Kahler has built them in the past. I have never seen FR for bass.

I have never played them, but my observation would be suspect. I would be conserned about string tension for sure. Even most guitar tremelos don't stay in tune well. I can't imagine a bass version. It just doesn't seem right.

As for the mods. I would guess almost any solid wood body could be modified to take the tremelo. But if you have ever seen how a guitar tremelo works, you know that the routing is pretty extensive. Take into account the length and size of the springs that would be needed to create the proper tension in a bass version, and you can plan on routing away about 20 percent of the wood of you bass body. Then drilling some mighty good sized holes in your neck for a jumbo-size lockdown nut.


If you find a bass tremelo and and decide to install it. Your bass could never be restored to anything like what it was before.

I would also expect to pay at least $150-200 for the installation and about the same for the tremelo.

 

http://members.home.net/porkproducts/home.html

 

Wow. was I ever off on the price. $325!!!! I still say it'll cost $150 for the installation, that is enough cash to buy a pretty decent bass!!!


Good luck.

 

How about just getting a really cheap bass with really deep cutaways?
Then you could get the tremolo effect.

 

Victor Wooten also has a Kahler trem on one of his Foderas.. he does some pretty interesting stuff with it while soloing.

 

The khaler tremelo is great, i have one myself. What answers the question, it doesn't float. the bridge itself has rollers, when the bar get pushed down, it brings the rollers foward, causing a dive. So why so expensive? $325!!!? the rollers have to go back to the original position, so there is a reseter on the tremelo. thats why. I have a link to purchase them if you want them. it is true bout the whole change thing. Once you install it, it changes your bass, so think before you put it on. I think it was the greatest thing ever, bright tone, awsome affects, and killer sustain. email me, [email protected] for the link!

 

I read in an interview Claypool's tremolo was a custom addition, but an addition he did himself. He did afterall have that thompson since he was a kid.. correct me if im wrong

 

I have a rear roller, les claypools is a vintage front roller, and you are most certainly are correct, never would i compare my self to les claypool